Charlie the Pug

Meet my new neighbor Charlie, a 4-month old pug whom I met during his afternoon walk recently. It was very warm and humid outside and poor Charlie was exhausted so he plopped down under a shade and decided to rest his poor feet. His owner tried to coax him up but he refused to move so she had carried him home in her arms. What a lucky guy!

So what is your favorite thing to do on a warm, humid summer day?

Cat in the Bag

Do you remember my neighbor, Billy the Cat who likes to be walked on a lease? Here he is again hiding in the bag and refusing to come out. The owner said sometimes Billy gets too lazy or is too spooked by the dogs in the neighborhood that he won't come out. He will stay in the bag but pops his head out to enjoy the walk around the neighborhood.

This photo makes me smile! So what makes you smile?

Neighborhood Dogwalker 2

Last March, I posted a photo of my neighborhood dogwalker. I saw him again this week and took a new updated photo of the scene. Notice in the March photo (see below), there was a little dog following behind him without a leash? This little dog was still there (see above) and he was not on a leash either. He took his time walking behind the pack and had to be reminded a few times to keep up with the group. It was the cutest thing I saw all week and it made my day. Maybe I should quit my job and be a dog walker too.

If you love dogs, visit Pension Milou by Jilly of Menton Daily Photo who has the most amazing job, in my opinion. She cares for dogs professionally and she loves them.

When you were a kid, who did you want to grow up to be?

I'm re-posting the photo from March 2007 below because I think it deserves another look.

Meet My Neighbor, Jules

This is my neighbor, Jules. She is a sweetheart despite her size and has the calmest demeanor I have ever seen in a dog. Jules is a St. Bernard and was rescued from the pound a couple years ago after she was abandoned by her original owner. Today she lives in my apartment building with her new owner and is loved by everyone who meets her on the street.

Here is another photo of Jules. You will appreciate her size from this photo.

Jules and my other neighbor Spike never fail to make me smile every time I see them even if I had bad day. I don't know what it is but they always make me go goo-goo-gaa-gaa over them. My voice rises and I start to make weird noises and say unintelligible words to them. Most importantly, my worries miraculously disappear...for at least a couple of minutes or so.

What or who makes you smile every time you see it/him/her?

Fire Escape 5

This is the fire escape leading up to my bedroom windows. Okay, it is one window; the other window has an air-conditioner stuck in it. Nonetheless, this is where I'll be if you ask, "Romeo, Romeo, where art thou?"

In my last fire escape post, Alice from Arradon Daily Photo wondered how one doesn't get burglarized every week with such easy access to the apartments from the fire escapes. The answer is most fire escapes face the main streets or avenues so the neighbors and pedestrians can easily spot someone on the these stairs. If the person looks suspicious, the police will be called to investigate.

That said, I once locked myself out of my apartment so I went to my downstairs neighbor and asked if I could crawl out of her bedroom window and climb up the fire escape to my bedroom window which wasn't locked. She wasn't too pleased with the idea but she said okay. It's a good thing I was always nice and polite to her when I see her in the hallway or the lobby. Otherwise, I would have to call a locksmith to break the lock. I can't imagine how much that would cost.

Have you ever locked yourself out of your apartment or your car? What did you do?

Walking Billy the Cat

On my way home yesterday evening, I saw a woman walking her cat. I was totally intrigued because I have NEVER seen a cat on a leash before. I quickly introduced myself and the lady, who is also my neighbor, introduced me to Billy the cat.

Billy is a Persian and is totally accustomed to walking with a lease around his torso. Because Billy can easily wiggle out of a regular neck strap, he was fitted with a neck and chest strap that is commonly found on smaller dogs. Billy was very shy and kept moving, which made it difficult to take a good photo. But after much coaxing, he finally sat still and I snapped this photo.

So have you ever seen a cat on a leash before? What is the weirdest thing you have ever seen on the street?