Mr. End of an Age

It seems like yesterday that... no, I'm not thinking of when Bug was born and then pronounced incurably bad - and, no I'm not talking about when we thought Bug had been poisoned by a disillusioned follower - and, no I'm not refering to the time when we, like Frodo at the Crack of Doom, tried, considering only the greater good, to rid this world of evil ...I'm recalling to mind the day that Bug invented a device that would change the lives of biometrically identified Dachshunds everywhere.

Of course his dream (this was, in fact his second dream - his first born on the day Bug vowed never to work a day is his long little life) has come to a sad end. But why! Why did it have to end!

I can easily recall Bug's first day on the job - I remember it because it was a particularly cold day; I remember good times, bad times, even some wierd times; I remember Bug's first promotion, and I rember his rise to the top.

But why did it all come crashing down? I feel certain it was not a result of Bug's management style, nor his relationship management; definitely not his PR strategy, his crazy product ideas, or even his occassionl reclusive spells.

Though I think we'll have to leave it a mystery why Bug, in the end, had to pack it up, he'll remember the good times.

Mr. Ziploc

Sometimes you just need to be aggressive. The world isn't always going to present itself before you. Occassionally you find that you just need to stick your head into the metaphorical feedbag of life and go at it.



Even if that means a Ziploc of dog food in someone's purse.

Mr. Aphid

Can you spot the Bug in the garden?




Ah yes, here he is. Because Dachshunds are cold-blooded, they need lots of sun.

Mr. Devil

Mr. Not Everyone Can Always Get Their Way But I Can

Mr. Trash Can Sleepy Time

It may look like Bug is sleeping in a trash can filled with blankets.  I can assure you that that is not the case, nor would he ever have any association with a trash can, whether sleeping in it, or eating from it.  Just wouldn't happen.

DES: The Dachshund Ear System

The Dachshund's ears are quite prominent and rightly so: they are one of the most critical systems aboard the Dachshund vessel and they serve in many roles.

The ears are swept back for transport while trotting...

Radar: Orange Alert - the ears are finely tuned for sensing far off threats.

Red Alert! At this alert level there's no messing around; the tongue retracts into its hatch and all energy is diverted to the ears which can pinpoint suspicious behavior at over 250 yds.

At full gallop the ears unfurl and help to steer the dachshund, much like a cheetah's tail, as he accelerates to speeds, upwards of 8 mph.  

Finally, the ears serve as a braking mechanism; they are parachutes much like the space-shuttle uses when landing.

On the Brighter Side

Mr. FlightTonight

I think this is the expression your Dachshund makes when you drop him in his economy seat on a United flight to South East Asia and then slowly - you turn around... and beat it for the door.



...but i'm not sure - it could be something else...

Mr. Evil Eye

We arrive on this seemingly innocuous scene, greeted by two cheekily small lux-life animals. 


And then, seemingly out of nowhere, the short-legged long one turns on the fluffy white one: the evil long-eared one engages his demon laser eye to cause the tiny, fluffy-eared one to contort and writhe in horror at the merciless evil of the long dog.

Beware, owners of these long, short-haired, beady-eyed dogs. They might turn on you at any time.

Mr. Mole

Much of life and Dachshund rearing is about how you look at things. One day Bates and I found that our Dachshund had chewed a hole in his bed and subsequently completely burrowed into it.

I choose to understand this not as the Dachshund shredding his bed in a fit of rage at being left in his crate for a few hours, but rather as an instance of creative problem solving: Bug was given a bed but would have preferred a rabbit warren.

Mr. Facelift

It never hurts to try new things - like getting a Dachshund face.

I've always admired that snouty snout.

Mr. Preparedness

If there's anything Bug's not good at it's being under-prepared.  You never know when the deluge might begin.  Inside.

Mr. Green

Bug has decided to reduce his carbon footprint by investing in zero-emissions transportation.



Also, he's lazy.

Mr. Gone til the Summer

The Dachshund went South. We went East. He was sent to Florida back in the Fall to further his studies and, for once, make something of his lazy life. Apparently, he was not fully supportive of our decision (see picture below - note: most Egyptologists will have you believe that the Sphinx is a man with a lion's body; we have reason to believe otherwise)



to send him away and has sent some pictures, characteristic of what we hoped would be his diligent new life in the subtropics.

He did not include a note with the pictures and it is difficult to estimate the progress of his studies from the pictures, so I must assume that all is going well for now.







I am hoping to see Bug again during his Summer vacation. Until that time we'll be here.

Mr. SleepsaLot

The many accepted positions of properly practiced Dachshund sleep.

Mr. Snout

Mr. Flash

The Flash gives Phineus, the cat, a fly-by.