Sister Selfie Sunday: Jellie Learns To Love The Camera

I've been working real hard to help my sister Jellie get more comfortable in front of the camera. She's a real cutie patootie and should be photographed and celebrated as much as any other super model.
Problem is, she tends to freeze up, look away or just get super self conscious whenever the camera comes out. I keep telling her she's a natural beauty and that she's got a lovely smile, but I suppose we all have our insecurities. So, for today's "Selfie Sunday" I got some of our fur sisters in on the act.
Dixie Mae (the black and tan Dachshund) and Bella Boo (the copper Dachshund) really know how to work the camera! It certainly helped bring Jellie out of her shell a bit, and it was really fun doing group photos with them.
We let Jellie take photos of Bella and Dixie Mae to see how fun it was...this helped her feel more comfy in the group shots.

We put the camera back on the tripod, set the timer and took more group shots. Jellie's looking right in the camera now. Way to go Jellie!

In the end, Jellie was giving silly faces. It was hilarious! I think this last one could be a great music album cover don't you agree?
We had so much fun taking part in today's Selfie Sunday Blog Hop. It is hosted by my dear friend Janet Blue & her Kitties on their blog Cat on my Head. This is such a fun hop! I hope you'll visit some of my friends below to see their cool and entertaining selfies.

Sharing Selfie Sunday With My New Sister Jellie

Hi friends!  I know it's been a while since you heard from me. I took a hiatus from blogging this summer and in that time, a lot of changes have occurred.
One of the best things to happen is that I now have a I now have a little sister named Jellie. She is a beautiful, sweet ball of energy and love who has blessed our family with immense joy.
Jellie and I have so much fun with each other! Today we "borrowed" Mommy's phone so we could take some photos together. Jellie can be a little camera shy, so we took some 'silly selfies' to get her feeling confident. By the end of her selfie session, she didn't want to give the camera phone back to Mommy!
I think Jellie is well on her way to being a supermodel. What do you think?
Have fun looking through our fun selfies posted below and tell me which ones are your favorite. And please give a warm welcome to little Jellie. She said she's looking forward to helping me on my blog.

Jellie and I are taking part in the Sunday Selfie Blog Hop, hosted by my good friend Janet Blue and her Kitties of "The Cat on my Head" blog. It's such fun! Check out the "meow mix" below of cute kitties and doggies.
So tell me...how was your Sunday friends? 

The Joy of Silly Sunday Selfies - Pixel Borrows Mommy's Camera

Mommy left her cell phone on the bed again, and I just couldn't help but take a few selfies. It sure brought a smile to her face and a few giggles when she saw these. Which selfie is your favorite?

Welcome to Selfie Sunday! This is my first time taking part in this fun blog hop with my kitty friend Misty May from The Cat on my Head blog. Lots of our fellow cat & dog friends joined in today, so visit some of the links below to see other fun pet selfies!

The Joy of Hard Work - Happy "Working Like a Dog" Day

Today is National "Work Like a Dog" Day in the U.S. Some dogs, like me, are indeed very hard working. I love my many jobs, such as nursing, inventing, blogging, writing poetry, doing my animal advocacy work, and of course, being a trick dog. I can get downright dog tired with all of that. They say the "work like a dog" term originates from all those working dogs who really 'hoof it' to sniff down leads in police work, who save lives, who work in the fields herding sheep all day and who do all those other hard tasks with honor and faithfulness.
Today, in honor of "Work Like a Dog" Day, I thought I'd share some fun photos of me working at some of the jobs I love. I hope you enjoy them!

Nursing

Checking the pulse and vitals while visiting one of my human patients. 

A day in the ER with Nurse Pixel: Getting a call, rushing to Teddy Bear Surgery, happy as another patient is saved.

Nurse Pixel preparing to do surgery on Pinky Tuskadero Duckie, who got hurt during hours of "excessive play".

Blogging

I started blogging before I was even a year old.

Searching for the right word to rhyme with "Pixel".

Trick Dog

Practicing one of my first and earliest tricks, "Smack", which eventually became multiple other tricks.

Another Pixel trick favorite: "Sneer", which is my signature smile!

Years of hard work pays off as I win 1st prize
in a dog trick contest, May 2014! 

So, how do you "work like a dog"friends? Leave me a comment and tell me all about it!

The Joy of Mystery - Undercover Duckies in a Fountain

Ever since I was recruited to be a professional undercover duckie operative by my very own Purple Patrick Duckie, I've had to become versed in pretty much all tactics that rubber duckie operatives might engage in to get intel, run an operation, or "blend in". I've also had to go ahead and train Mommy in some of the basics just so she can survive and not get too freaked out when my rubber duckies go all "007" on her. Although I'm pretty sure Mommy is oblivious to the "spy games" my duckies and I sometimes play, and she's safe from any rogue mischief, I might have to re-evaluate my thoughts on her involvement in things. Duckie adventure, it seems, is following her.

A few days ago, Mommy and Grammy were spied on when they had to go "out of town" to an undisclosed business establishment for a very important appointment. They'd traveled an hour and a half in the pouring rain. It was thundering, it was lightening, and the rain fell like sheets of...rain. Mommy pulled up into the parking lot of the establishment in which they had an appointment, right in front of a large running water fountain. I don't mean the kind you drink out of, I mean the kind you throw a nickel in and make a wish.
They had arrived early and the business establishment doors showed a sign saying they were still "closed for lunch". As they waited in the car for the place to open back up, Mommy recalled that she couldn't help but feel as though she was being watched. As she squinted through the dim light of the gray, rainy day, her eyes fell upon two figures wearing sunglasses and pasty smiles on their faces...staring at her.

Thanks to my training, it was obvious to Mommy right away what was going on...these were under cover duckies engaged in some covert operation. But why there? And why spy on Mommy? And where were my duckies?? All of these questions flooded Mommy's mind as she secretly took a few photos for me to analyze when she got home. As soon as the sunglasses wearing duckies locked eyes with Mommy, they knew they had been 'made' and immediately started swimming about the fountain acting all nonchalant as though everyone wears sunglasses on a pouring down rainy day AND goes swimming in a fountain in the rain. The only other thing those duckies needed was a soaking wet newspaper with eye holes in the center so they could pretend to read while spying on Mommy and Grammy. I'm sure no one would have noticed their little orange bills poking through the classifieds.
I don't know what those rubber duckies were up to, but I'm looking into it. If they were simply there to protect the building as security guards, they were doing a fine job of it. They had Mommy and Grammy a bit nervous and I'm pretty sure no one would want to 'cause trouble' with them conspicuously milling about. However, if they really are undercover duckies trying to spy on people...they really need to work on their 'duck and cover'.

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I'm taking part in the "Monday Mischief" blog hop, where pet bloggers share their fun, adventures and stories from the weekend. Visit some of the links below to read other stories of mischief, silliness and fun happening elsewhere around the world!

The Joy of Bed Head - Pixel Top 25 Rockin' 80's Hair Band Songs

Well, the vet and radiologist has discovered through scans of my spine that I have a couple of troublesome disc spaces between vertebrae sections T12-T13 and T13-L1. So, I'm STILL on continued limited mobility duty for now while they come up with a plan of action to get me better. All I do is lay around all day long, acting like a lazy rock star with nothing but time on my hands.
All my pet blogging friends are preparing for the BlogPaws convention in Nashville, but I'll be staying home this year. I sure wish I could be there, but I can read all about the fun and festivities through their posts and pages. I could be singing the blues...but I've got a better idea.

With all this forced "bed rest" due to my spine issue and funny walking, I tried to tell Mommy that too much time under the covers is bad for a girl's hair...but she's not buying it and won't let me run around like I want. I mean, look at this mess! I definitely should be in an 80's hair band with this crazy bed head happening right now. I figured I'd better get a good list of songs together, since I'm poised and ready to be in an 80's hair band, so I got all my Facebook friends to help me come up with a list of all the greats.
Pixel's Top 25 Rockin' List of 80's Hair Band Songs:
1. "Pour Some Pixel on Me" by Def Leppard
2. "Welcome to the Pixel" by Guns & Roses
3. "Home Sweet Pixel" by Motley Crue
4. "Running' with the Pixel" by Van Halen
5. "Every Rose Has It's Pixel" by Poison
6. "C'mon Feel the Pixel" by Quiet Riot
7. "Pixel Looks Like a Lady" by Aerosmith
8. "Pixel Medicine" by Bon Jovi
9. "Takin' Care of Pixel" by Bachmann Turner Overdrive
10. "What's Pixel Got To Do With It?" by Tina Turner
11. "Enter Pixel" by Metallica
12. "Pixel's Not Gonna Take It" by Twisted Sister
13. "I Remember Pixel" by Skid Row
14. "Hot for Pixel" by Van Halen
15. "Pixel Road" by Cinderella
16. "The Ballad of Pixel" by LA Guns
17. "More Than Pixel" by Extreme
18. "In the Pixel of the Night" by Whitesnake
19. "You Give Pixel a Bad Name" by Bon Jovi
20. "No One Like Pixel" by Scorpion
21. "Sweet Pixel of Mine" by Guns & Roses
22. "Don't Need Nothing' But a Pixel" by Poison
23. "What About Pixel" by Heart (these ladies had some of the BEST 80's hair of all!)
24. "Once Bitten Twice Pixel" by Great White
25. "Billion Dollar Pixel" by Alice Cooper
**SPECIAL THANKS GO OUT TO ALL MY FRIENDS WHO SENT ME SOME OF THESE SONG NAMES AND BANDS. YOU HELPED MAKE THIS LIST ROCK!!!**

This is certainly not an all comprehensive list, but it is an excellent start. Now that I've got my song list, all I need is a road crew and I'll be able to go on tour!
And why stop here? What about an "I Love the 80's" list of songs from other greats like Madonna, and all those silly bands with interesting hairstyles and hats??
Leave a comment below of a song you want to see in my next list and I'll make sure to include it. I've got a second list going already. I hope you had fun friends!!
I love staying social with my friends! Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest!

The Joy of Surprises: Operation Red Wagon with Purple Patrick Duckie

As you know, I adore my duckies with a passion that is beyond compare. We have lots of fun and adventures, but nothing could have prepared me for the adventure I'm about to share....
About a month ago one of my favorite duckies, Purple Patrick Duckie had been missing for a while. I'd looked and looked, but he was nowhere to be found. Then one day I was minding my own business tearing up an empty kleenex box (I love doing it & Mommy takes out the plastic liner first) when my missing purple Duckie Patrick shows up out of nowhere. He jumped into the box and told me to "just act normal" but let him "lay low" for a while in there. It turned out he was part of a covert operation called "Operation Red Wagon" and I was recruited to help out. He couldn't tell me anything further but I was now unwittingly up to my neck in it too. I looked around cautiously as I thought to myself, "Goodness knows what he's got himself into...and now I'm involved too!"

Purple Patrick Duckie and I hung out together acting as "normal" as possible, but then he suddenly "disappeared" again one afternoon. I had started wearing my purple spotted hoodie, that matches him perfectly, as a show of solidarity and support of his covert "Operation Red Wagon" that he had recruited me into. Details were still sketchy, but he was teaching me some things. On the very day he again disappeared, we had been practicing his now famous "duck and cover" technique, but he was acting a bit odd during practice...standing a little too close, commenting on how "comfy" my hoodie looked and saying that being invisible was a "state of mind". I had no idea what kind of existential mood he was in, and was too tired to try and keep up with what he might be inferring. I lay down for a nap after our covert "duck and cover" training, but when I awoke, Patrick Duckie was gone. I was upset that he didn't say goodbye, but just figured, "that's how it is when you're a covert duckie operative..."

Three days later, right after finding out about my scary ear lump and upcoming surgery (at the time it was the end if January), there was a faint knock at the door. Mommy insisted I be the one to answer it. There sat Purple Patrick Duckie with Minkie Duckie (Pinkie Tuskadero Duckie's sister) by his side. I was so happy to see them both I didn't initially see what was behind them. We greeted each other with love and then Patrick said, "Pixel, I have a surprise for you. Operation Red Wagon has one last critical stage that needs your help. Will you be a part of it's final success?" "Of course!" I exclaimed with excitement. I'm always there to help my friends, and I knew it had to be something of utter importance for him to be gone for so long. I told him I missed him and hated that he just up and disappeared on me. He promised never to do that again but that it was important that he do this operation in secret.

"Look behind me Pixel..." Patrick Duckie said. That is when I heard the low murmuring of little quacks here and there. Then I saw the most amazing sight my little duckie loving eyes had ever seen. A red wagon filled with a bunch of little rubber duckies that needed a home! "This is 'Operation Red Wagon' Pixel," Patrick Duckie said with delight.
I kissed Minkie Duckie and thanked her for helping greet them. They were all relatives of course. Can't you see the family resemblance? They'd been looking for a loving forever family home together and they found mine! I adopted every single one right on the spot.

I greeted each one and told them how much fun we'd have, what a nice place they were at now and what a great life they ALL would have with me and my family. They all seemed very excited, just like me. Mommy was kind enough to document the whole thing.

I checked around to make sure they were safe and then we all went inside for a nice dinner together.

This was truly one of the best surprises ever! I think I'm going to like these covert operations!!

I hope you enjoyed my "Operation Red Wagon" Tail of Adventure! Please leave a comment below and tell me what you think...
Happy Wordless Wednesday friends!! This blog hop is hosted by my friends at BlogPaws, and today's theme was "spoiling your pets" since February is "Spoil Your Pet month. I do believe I've found my favorite month...

Pixel & Pinkie Duckie Try Avoiding Temptation in the New Year

We all have our weaknesses...mine is food that seems lonely. I just want to give it a nice home with me. I'm working hard at not giving in to that temptation in 2015. I've already faltered once when Mommy walked away from her yummy sandwich for a moment. I thought she left it for me. I thought wrong. It was a harrowing 5 minutes as I had to sit on the hassock and "think about what I had done" in a "time out" in which I was not allowed back on the bed with her. Separation from Mommy can be brutal. After the five minutes, I offered her my lunch to eat, but she declined. I apologized, she forgave me & we snuggled together for some time. I do hate those times of weakness.

So, after that now infamous "Mommy Sandwich Snatching Incident", I'm looking temptation in the eyes (or in the bag of treats) and saying, "No more!" Besides, I've found that looking cute while sitting close to my Auntie while SHE eats guarantees me a few bites of whatever she's eating that is dog safe... Mommy had NO idea this was going on til she saw it the other morning. I'd better make sure she doesn't see that again or my treat ticket right there will dry up! Now where was I? Oh yes, looking temptation in the eyes...

"...NO Pinkie Tuskadero Duckie, I will NOT "split the bag of Rice Chex treats with you 50/50". I can't believe you are asking me that. How can you even think that?"
"... You know you'd never be able to eat more than 20%." 

Happy late #WordlessWednesday friends!! This is a blog hop, hosted by my friends at BlogPaws. Check out some of my fellow pet bloggers by clicking the links below and see what they are doing in the early new year! Care to link up with the hop? Instructions are below....

The Joy of Wash Day...but are the Toys Happy?

Wash Day. 
Mine and my sisters' toys had that "not so fresh" feeling to them, so I put them in my "Pixenator 5000 Super Ultra Toy Cleaning Machine" to ensure they came out smelling and looking newer than the day they came home to live with us.

Some of them protested. I'm not naming names, but green dragons and large ginger breads can be fussy.

However, I understood their concerns completely, as I'm not crazy about bath time myself. So I promised them it was perfectly safe and that they'd all get treats afterwards.

Everyone agreed...

...except Mr. Deedle-deedle Dee. Don't let that smile fool you...he's always been a trouble maker.
Are your toys happy on Wash Day? I'd love to hear about it in a comment. And don't forget, you can follow my additional adventures on Facebook and Twitter too.

This is a Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop!! Hosted by my good friends at BlogPaws. Want to join in? See below. Want to see what my fellow pet blogging friends are up to? Visit some of their blogs in the links below and have fun!