Whippet Snippets

Spinning around

Six Canadians walked around Osaka today like deer in headlights, amazed by the lights, the people, the amount of bicycles cruising the sidewalks which never collide with the masses of people bow-leggedly trudging from one shopping plaza to the next. A blissful night was spent at the Antique Inn Sumioshi Ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn which was run by the sweetest older folks. They seemed to take delight in our liｍited ability to communicate, but the universal language of good food provided us a common ground. Dinner and breakfast was included in the package, and local dishes such as hida beef and hoba miso roasted on a magnolia leaf had us stuffed and in bed by 8pm. Maybe the lingering jet lag played a part in it too. The day had us walking along preserved houses and storerooms, many of which were still producing sake, wine and miso soup and selling wood blocks, carvings and other local crafts. Takayama, by the way, has the best miso soup EVER. Centuries of isolation in the mountains allowed them to develop and retain their own twist on many specialities. The rain continued to pound, so we made our way to the Takayama Green Hotel for our first onsen venture of the trip. There were two outdoor and two indoor baths, and the feel of the hot mineral water was heavenly on our aching feet. The next day, waking up on our futons in a traditional tatami room, we were treated to a huge breakfast, with that aforementioned miso soup included. Reluctantly we left Takayama, and rode the train back down to Nagoya, where we transferred to the bullet train, or Shinkansen, to get to the crazy town known as Osaka. Boys and girls walking two by two, sporting the same high maintenance clothes and haircuts, clogged the streets. They were also seen suffocating the iPod kiosk at Yodabashi, a huge electronics store with floor upon floor of electronically distracting delights for the young masses. (By the way you can also waltz in and buy the iPod Nano at Seven-Eleven here.) Dinner was gorged at a kaiten sushi restaurant, remodelled into a modern, clean joint from a year ago. The sushi spinning round and round was hypnotic and fascinating, especially the nigiri sushi with the raw egg sitting gingerly on top. A few pictures with the Big Man and some real life doll girls (yes there are still a few of them lingering around), and a spin around a brand new ferris wheel by the river later, and the crew was spent. Today`s travels will see Boy and Girl heading off to Chirashi Villa in Okayama prefecture, located on an island in the South. More importantly, a trip to McDonald`s is planned, where the new Ebi (prawn) filet-o-fish looks adventurous yet comforting.

Ribsy, meanwhile, is having a great time with his new house full of furry and human friends. Boy and Girl who?

First class posers

Boy and Girl woke up this morning, a day ahead and a tiny bathroom to knock elbows around in. Not too mention, a space bar about 2 inches wide which is making it extremely challenging for Girl to type her entry right now. Safe and sound after a luxurious long-haul trip in First Class that included lobster, salmon teriyaki, tempura and free-flowing red wine, the duo were refreshed and ready to tackle the foreign land known as Nagoya, Japan. Turns out there were a few seats left on the second flight leaving for Japan that day from Vancouver, so Boy and Girl were out of Vancouver by 1 in the afternoon with nary a snag and obscenely huge reclining seats in Row 4. Silky smooth in the air, the flight also treated everyone to a stunning view of Mt. Fuji on a rare clear day. Arriving at 4pm on Friday afternoon, Boy and Girl along with their four friends, rode two local trains in order to get to the JR train ticket office before 6pm in order to validate their rail passes - an all-inclusive ticket to ride that lets them zip around virtually anywhere in Japan without having to pay an extra sent. Dinner was slurped at a Japanese ramen house, and we raised an Asahi or two to our good fortune thus far. This morning we were greeted by rain. Nevertheless it is warm and our spirits dry. Onwards we go to Takayama, a beautiful old town in the mountains. More to come soon!

Dogcation

Ribsy's heading off on a happy dogcation today. He doesn't know it yet but he's going to have the time of his little doggie life! Meanwhile Boy and Girl are setting off on their own adventure - a mystery trip of sorts. More to come.

Bite the apple

Girl's off to NYC bright and early tomorrow morning. Ribsy will have a superific man-cation with Boy for the next few days. She's on a mission to Anthropologie, Sak's and doggy boutiques - from Canine Styles to Trixie and Peanut, from Emre NY to Spoiled Brats - the list goes on and on! Oh yeah, and she'll try to fit in some requisite work too.

A whippet snippet in the Victoria Times Colonist

Ribsy the airplane got a mention in today's Times-Colonist newspaper. Well, not by name but he got noticed for his unique costume on the weekend. Here's the entire article, which talks about the rise in popularity of pet costumes, and the last few paragraphs include a mention of the Citizen Canine event and Ribsy. But wait till you see Ribsy's costume for Halloween 2006 - yes, it's already in the works.

Pet owners horning in on trick or treating

Misty Harris
CanWest News Service
October 18, 2005


The scariest sound of Halloween isn't the shriek of a banshee, the cackle of a witch or the whir of a dentist's drill awaiting your child's sugar-coated teeth. It's the humiliated howl of family pets as they're fitted with ballerina, Wonder Woman and ladybug costumes.

Even pet owners who usually shun dog and cat couture are showing a soft spot for pint-sized Halloween disguises. Sales of animal costumes have grown 15 to 18 per cent in each of the past five years. According to Rubie's Costume Co., the world's largest manufacturer of costumes, pet fashions will likely account for six per cent of the total Halloween costumes sold this year.

"(The market) has completely exploded," says Michelle Friedman, North American spokeswoman for PetSmart.

A recent survey of 2,200 pet owners by extremehalloween.com suggests the most sought-after costume for the tail-chasing set this season is Yoda Dog, which accounted for 26.9 per cent of the vote. Super Dog ranked second at 23.9 per cent, while Pirate Cat came in a respectable third at 19.6 per cent.

Other popular four-legged fashions include Darth Vader, Princess Leia, bat outfits, superhero garb, fire-dog apparel, devil and angel costumes and 1970s-style pimp attire.

"A lot of the dogs love (dressing up) because they get even more attention," says Judith Pagnier, owner of My Pet Boutique in Toronto. "And not just the little ones this year -- the big ones are dressing up also. I get people who are very disappointed I don't have anything that would fit their Rottweiler."

The store has already seen such sales volume that Pagnier has had to re-order her Halloween stock twice.

In Edmonton, Tasha Kennedy's French and British bulldogs are among those leading the four-footed charge. Despite the fact the pooches are a bit gender-confused -- Rocky dresses in pink tutus and Coco prefers her finery in blue -- they always cause a sensation on Oct. 31.

"They put a lot of smiles on people's faces," says Kennedy, laughing. "But (my husband) gets a little upset when I dress the boy in pink and purple."

Victoria pet owners are also getting in on the act. Over the weekend costumed dogs attended a Citizen Canine celebration at Layritz Park aimed at preparing pets for getting through the Halloween period and fostering responsible pet ownership.

Joanna Pettit, an event organizer, said costumes included angels and devils and even one whippet noted for its airplane costume.

Pettit admits, however, her own dog "wouldn't keep a costume on for the world."

Whippet Air Flies High

The pilot and his plane, ready for take off at the Citizen Canine Halloween party at Layritz Park on the weekend. Ribsy was part of the fleet departing for the dog-filled costume contest. From witches to hula dogs to tigers the creative juices were overflowing with ideas on how to best disguise man's best friend.

The devil got the best of Trooper, although not enough to stop him from passing his Canine Good Neighbour test.

 

And his sister Frankie who was aptly enough, an angel.

 

 

The angel contemplates a return to heaven via Whippet Air.

 

 

 

   

Chesty Superman.

Whippet Air airs his purple Winners ribbon as his Nova Scotian pal Shanty looks on.

 

 

  

The crew of Whippet Air would llike to thank you for viewing these pictures, and hope to see you again really soon. Thanks again and have a pleasant day!

Ribsy's in the house

There's really been no excuses for the lack of postings as of late. Ribsy figures it's the seasonal blahs. Not much to get excited about. Those pesky soccer players have taken over his local park again. Girl's been travelling here and there. And Boy's busy studying in preparation of upcoming work exams to take much notice. There was a terrific party at Beaver Lake, organized by the kind lady that runs Adventure Dogwalking, for all of the adventure dogs and their people folk, in early October. He had plenty of treats and even came home with his very own purple bandana. Good times had by all. Speaking of good times, here's another event which promises to be a blockbuster - this time organized by the good folks at Citizen Canine. Ribsy plans to go in full costume - what he means by full is that he intends to make Boy and Girl wear costumes to match.

Hello Dog Owners and other Citizen Canine members

Just to let you know about our upcoming Halloween celebration of responsible dog ownership on Saturday, October 15th, 11am to 3pm at Layritz Park in Saanich.  We're calling it Trick & Treat for Dogs and Their People and there are treats in
store for everyone (and tricks in store for some).

  a.. Costume contests for people and dogs, with prizes for the best
costumes and the best dog trick
  b.. Agility and flyball demos as well as police dog demos
  c.. Trick training for dogs demonstrated by a professional dog trainer
  d.. Dog obedience demo by Greater Victoria Dog Obedience and Training Club
  e.. Information from experts about handling Halloween anxiety in dogs
  f.. Tutorials for children (ages 5 - 10) on how to safely meet a dog
  g.. Craft table, scary room, and games for kids
  h.. Information about rescues, working dogs, animal control, and community
services
  i.. Ghoulieburgers and hot dogs (of course!) at our concession

A major focus of the day will be the Canine Good Neighbour Program, with CKC
evaluators assessing dogs and their owners in the official CGN test.  If
you're interested in qualifying your dog for the Canine Good Neighbour
Certificate, this is your chance.  Dogs that know the basic skills like sit, stay, down,
wait, and who can politely meet a stranger and a friendly dog can try the
test. To find out more, look at our pamphlet outlining the 12 test
situations and if you're interested contact us at cgn@citizencanine.org to reserve a
spot.  Cost for the evaluation and the certificate is $20.00. There may also
be space for walk-ins so come out and take a look. If you think you might
want to take part, bring along a leash, flat collar, and proof of your dog's
up-to-date vaccinations.

Proceeds from the event will go to Noah's Wish, a not-for-profit group that
works to rescue and shelter animals in disaster situations (like Hurricane
Katrina), and to support Citizen Canine's educational and community building
work.  We'll also be collecting donations of dog treats to give to local
rescue organizations.

Click here to view the poster.