Loup's Letter to Santa

Dear Santa,

How ya been this year? Hope there is lots of snow up at the North Pole. We have none right now in Ottawa, Ontario since it all melted away. Just lots of rain and that’s no fun for a snow dog like me. Sigh. Could you bring me some snow from the North Pole when you come if we don’t have any by Christmas? I bet that North Pole snow is magic snow. I’m sure of it.

Hope you’re not still sore at me for that time I helped pull the sleigh. The toys only got a tiny bit wet and muddy (Okay, they got soaked) when I dragged the sleigh through that mud puddle. No harm done. Let’s put the past behind us, shall we? Forgive and forget and all that. You’re a jolly old elf, right? *Grins and teeth ping*

 Unlike those naughty cats B.f. Thorneycroft and Gordon Drummond, I’ve been a really *COUGH* good doggie all year long so I’m hoping you will bring me all the gifts I want this year. You are going to give them coal, right? *looks hopeful*

Now for my gifts, first I’d like my own hot tub mud bath. You’re welcome to join me, too, of course. I’m not selfish like those cats, Big and Gordie. *rolls eyes* Of course I may need the deluxe extra large size if you’re going to join me, Santa.  *Winks* Guess Mrs. Claus has been baking again, hasn’t she? Getting quite the tummy, aren’t you?

Speaking of baking, does Mrs. C. have any cookies for my pal Rumpy T. Drummond and I? My pal, Rumpy, just loves cookies. You remember him, right? He lives in Florida which sure is a hot place for a Malamute to live. Don’t know how he does it. Phew! I get hot just imagining it. UGH!

Hey, do you think you could get me one of those little rooms like they have at Mark’s Work Warehouse where you can make it freezing cold and windy in summer time to try on heavy coats? I’d love one of those rooms for summer time as it can get mighty hot and humid around here.

Cathy has a paddling pool for me but only my front feet fit. It’s a joke really. *rolls eyes again* I know she does try, poor girl. We don’t have an in ground pool like some of my lucky doggie friends south of the border.

For my next present, I’d like a new garbage can to hold all the garbage I’ve been collecting lately. It’s starting to pile up and I need a place to store it. Do you have garbage cans the size of a grain silo? Or better yet, maybe one of the farmers around here has an extra silo they don’t mind giving me. Can you arrange it, Santa? You’re so good at that.

And finally, for my last present, I’d like a fresh toy delivered each day since I keep losing and destroying the ones I have. Can you arrange that? I don’t need anything fancy. Cathy gets me toys at the dollar store and not at the expensive doggy boutique where the chic dog owners shop. Hey, I’m okay with it, really. *Cheap Creep....grumbles under breath*

So I hope you will have a good night for flying, Santa and that the reindeer don’t give you grief. That Rudolph is a saucy one, isn’t he? Must be that red nose of his. Better check he’s not flying under the influence. Thought I smelled candy cane brandy on his breath last time.

So have a great Christmas yourself, Santa! Hope you get a break after working so hard on Christmas night to bring joy to everyone.  

All the best for the New Year and drop by sometime. My doghouse door is always open and I’d love to see you. Just don’t touch my dog dish while I’m eating. GRRRR!

Love Loup

I love Autumn, don't you?

I love Autumm

by Loup A. Graham

I love this time of year, don’t you?

It’s truly a time to start anew,

I love my walks in the woods so much

So much to smell, so much to touch,

Colourful leaves crunch under my feet

The air is fresh and smells so sweet,

No horseflies or mosquitoes driving us mad

No heat and humidity making us sad,

Fall makes me feel like singing and humming

It reminds me that winter will soon be coming,

Cause everyone knows how much I love snow

I can’t help it, I’m a snow dog, don’tcha know?

Cornelius Krieghoff liked winter like I do!

I just love the artist, Cornelius Krieghoff and you know why? Because he loved the great Canadian outdoors and winter as much as I do. His paintings often show Canadian settlers and aboriginal people in Canadian landscapes. I especially like this painting since it shows sled dogs. I've always wanted to be a sled dog. Sigh.

Krieghoff lived long ago in the 1800's when there were no cars or big cities. No paved roads, no computers or Internet. Canada wasn't even a country for most of the time that he lived as he died in 1872 when he was 56 years old. Canada only became a country in 1867. Krieghoff did travel a lot considering that he couldn't hop on a plane easily like people do these days. He went to the US for a while and studied in Europe, too. I think he liked Canada's rugged wilderness the best though. Don't you agree? And I'm positive he loved winter best of all since he has so many paintings about my favourite season of all.


Krieghoff was a great artist
He really had a way,
To capture scenes of Canada
Back in the early day,
I like his paintings very much
They make me long for snow,
Now it's fall and it's cooler now
Not much longer to go!

Until next time, be good and don't do anything I wouldn't do. In other words, the sky's the limit. Go for it!

Interview with Bigfoot

Welcome back, everyone! I know I haven't blogged in ages and my fans have been asking about it. I'm sure you've been missing my brilliant insights about life. (Well, maybe you haven't but I'm back anyhow. Live with it! GEESH!)

*Snaps at horse fly buzzing around head* Pesky creatures. Good thing I have so much fur but they do like to bite my ears. Come on, winter. Oh, sorry to all you summer loving folks but I am a snow dog after all. Can't help it.

Okay, where was I? 

I do apologize for my absence for such a long time. In order to rectify things, I have a treat for you. My Uncle Bigfoot. (I know. I don't get how an orange cat can be my uncle but apparently it's true) has agreed to an interview and here it is.

What is your full name and how old are you? How did you get your name?

Well, Loup, I never thought that I'd be sitting here being interviewed by a DOG, but here we go! My name is Bigfoot Thorneycroft, but on Facebook I'm B.f.Thorneycroft because they said the name Bigfoot was frivolous and they wouldn't accept it! Imagine -  FRIVOLOUS!! PFhhtt! I guess that I'm about five years old, more or less. I don't have a birth certificate and I don't really care anyway. Surprise! Surprise! I got my name because I have big feet! -- extra toes -- polydactyl.  I like having big feet. First of all, it's fun to see how long it takes for people who meet me for the first time to say "Look at those big feet."  Then there are the advantages when walking on snow in the winter. Also, you should see the way I can stir up a litter box! Oh, big feet are great in every way. 

I have big feet, too, Big so I can commiserate. They do prove useful though, don't they? I do like your extra thumbs on each front foot. They must come in handy when vole hunting, I bet. Then again, maybe not. Must be hard to be "all thumbs". Get it! Hardy har, har. I'm hilarious. I know.

Where were you born? Where do you live now? Who are your humans?

I was born in Montreal but at a very early age, Cathy's brother, Ken, put me in his car and drove me all the way to Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia where I live now on the shore of the Bras d'Or Lake. It was a long drive and they say that I yowled in the car the whole time, but I didn't! My humans, Berni and Gerry are retired and live in Cape Breton because they have travelled around a lot and think that they have found the best spot here. I agree. It's a perfect place to fish, sail and, best of all, hunt voles!

You lived in Montreal as a kitten? Cool! Always wanted to go there. And Cape Breton, too. I don't get to go many places as Cathy says I'm too rambunctious. Bummer. Good thing I can travel in my imagination.

What kind of a cat are you?

I am an orange tabby cat and that's about the best there is! You hear about Siameses cats and Calico cats and my friend Gordon Drummond is a Persian cat, but when people choose a cat they can't do better than an orange tabby cat. We just look great whether we are inside a house or outside. We look especially good when we're in the bush sneaking up on a vole!

Watch out for that orange streak, voles! Big is on the prowl.

What is your favourite food?

This is easy! I love creamed wuna. Okay, I know you are going to ask why it's called wuna and not tuna. Wuna is Berni's cat-talk for tuna and it's creamed with tinned condensed milk. It is just delicious and everyone tries to steal a bite of it when I'm not watching. I saw you when you cleaned off my dish just now, Loup!

OOPS! You weren't supposed to see that. *Wipes drool from furry lips*

Do you have a favourite toy? If yes, what is it?

No, I don't have any special toy that I play with. If you toss me a ball, I'll bat it around a little, but that gets ho-hum pretty quickly so don't bother if you don't feel like it. I usually just nose around and find stuff to play with if I'm in the mood, so don't fuss.

Gee, you're no fun. I love playing catch and bringing back the ball. Guess I won't ask you to play with me then.

How do you spend your day?

For me, every day is different. I don't want to get in the rut where most of you dogs are. Every day you guys eat dog food, bark a bit, chew on a bone, chase a stick, sit, lie down at your human's feet hoping he will give you a little pat or put a LEASH on you for a walk.You won't see ol' Bigfoot doing any of that! You have probably noticed that I'm an enterprising cat and that's what I do every day. Think up new things to get in to. I'd give you a list of all my achievements but you don't have room to print it all. 

Rut? What rut? Oh you mean this hole I dug. Yes, I guess it is a bit like a rut. But don't you think it's impressive. Look how big it is.

What is your favourite colour and why?

I don't have a favourite colour. Why should I have a favourite? Well, on second thought, maybe orange, but I like them all. Grey -- like a vole, blue -- like the sky, green -- like the grass, white -- like the snow, etc, etc! I'll bet that your favourite is mud-puddle brown! Right, Loup?

So poetic, Big. You are a true cat of nature. And how'd you guess I loved mud-puddle brown?  You know me well.

If you could travel through time to any time period, what time would you choose and why?

I can travel through time already. I did some last week. The best place for a cat to go is to Ancient Egypt because they worshipped cats and made idols and stuff like that. I had a great time and never wanted for anything all the time I was there, although it was a bit hard to find tinned milk for my wuna. I spent a lot of time posing for tourists and sphinx builders. I don't know where you could go, Loup. I've never heard of ancient dog-worship! Hee! Hee!

You'd be surprised, Big. Anyhow, I don't need to time travel to be worshiped, right ladies? They all love me. I know you and Gordie are jealous of that but it doesn't bother me. I'm comfortable in my fur and confident of the adoration. I deserve it.

What is your favourite TV show?

I don't watch T.V. much, but I have a favourite musical! It's called CATS and is really a good show! I don't think they would let YOU in to see it, Loup, but I've got a DVD that I'll lend you.

Gee, thanks, I think. *Rolls eyes*

If you had your own reality show, what would it be like?

I hear that a reality show is about ordinary people doing ordinary stuff in ordinary ways. I don't fit in that category so I guess I'll give it a miss. If I had a show it sure wouldn't be ordinary! It would have a lot of exciting vole hunting in it and be of great interest to everyone. Maybe I should do that.   

*Yawns* What was that, Big? Oh sorry. Where were we?

How do you feel knowing that dogs are so superior to cats in every way? Does it bother you?

Loup, you are suffering from what is known as 'Word Substitution Phobia'. In your question you inadvertently used the word DOG instead of CAT. It is treatable if caught early so I think you should see your Vet about it right away! 

Oh, good grief. Has this cat got CATtitude or what? What an ego! I never act like that, do I gang? *Looks into mud puddle and admires reflection. Grins making teeth ping*

Is there anything else you want your fans to know about you?

Well, my fans know quite a bit about me already. After reading this I suppose that there will be even more people joining my fan club and wanting pawtographs and all that. I'll still be the same modest, somewhat shy, and lovable Bigfoot.

Modest? HA! Somewhat shy? Double HA! Lovable? Well, kinda I guess though when you get together with Gordon Drummond, that saucy white Persian from New Zealand, I'm not sure how lovable you are. You two cats are double trouble.

Thanks for the interview, Big. Appreciate it. You can get back to your vole hunting and time traveling now. See you on Facebook, Uncle! 

Big. Oh, Bigggg! Are you listening to me? Geesh, he fell asleep. Guess the interview wore him out.

Interview with Bigfoot

Welcome back, everyone! I know I haven't blogged in ages and my fans have been asking about it. I'm sure you've been missing my brilliant insights about life. (Well, maybe you haven't but I'm back anyhow. Live with it! GEESH!)

*Snaps at horse fly buzzing around head* Pesky creatures. Good thing I have so much fur but they do like to bite my ears. Come on, winter. Oh, sorry to all you summer loving folks but I am a snow dog after all. Can't help it.

Okay, where was I? 

I do apologize for my absence for such a long time. In order to rectify things, I have a treat for you. My Uncle Bigfoot. (I know. I don't get how an orange cat can be my uncle but apparently it's true) has agreed to an interview and here it is.

What is your full name and how old are you? How did you get your name?

 

Well, Loup, I never thought that I'd be sitting here being interviewed by a DOG, but here we go! My name is Bigfoot Thorneycroft, but on Facebook I'm B.f.Thorneycroft because they said the name Bigfoot was frivolous and they wouldn't accept it! Imagine -  FRIVOLOUS!! PFhhtt! I guess that I'm about five years old, more or less. I don't have a birth certificate and I don't really care anyway. Surprise! Surprise! I got my name because I have big feet! -- extra toes -- polydactyl.  I like having big feet. First of all, it's fun to see how long it takes for people who meet me for the first time to say "Look at those big feet."  Then there are the advantages when walking on snow in the winter. Also, you shouild see the way I can stir up a litter box! Oh, big feet are great in every way. 

I have big feet, too, Big so I can commiserate. They do prove useful though, don't they? I do like your extra thumbs on each front foot. They must come in handy when vole hunting, I bet. Then again, maybe not. Must be hard to be "all thumbs". Get it! Hardy har, har. I'm hilarious. I know.

 

Where were you born? Where do you live now? Who are your humans?

 

I was born in Montreal but at a very early age, Cathy's brother, Ken, put me in his car and drove me all the way to Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia where I live now on the shore of the Bras d'Or Lake. It was a long drive and they say that I yowled in the car the whole time, but I didn't! My humans, Berni and Gerry are retired and live in Cape Breton because they have travelled around a lot and think that they have found the best spot here. I agree. It's a perfect place to fish, sail and, best of all, hunt voles!

You lived in Montreal as a kitten. Cool! Always wanted to go there. And Cape Breton, too. I don't get to go many places as Cathy says I'm too rambunctious. Bummer. Good thing I can travel in my imagination.

 

What kind of a cat are you?

I am an orange tabby cat and that's about the best there is! You hear about Siameses cats and Calico cats and my friend Gordon Drummond is a Persian cat, but when people choose a cat they can't do better than an orange tabby cat. We just look great whether we are inside a house or outside. We look especially good when we're in the bush sneaking up on a vole!

Watch out for that orange streak, voles! Big is on the prowl.

 

What is your favourite food?

 

This is easy! I love creamed wuna. Okay, I know you are going to ask why it's called wuna and not tuna. Wuna is Berni's cat-talk for tuna and it's creamed with tinned condensed milk. It is just delicious and everyone tries to steal a bite of it when I'm not watching. I saw you when you cleaned off my dish just now, Loup!

OOPS! You weren't supposed to see that. *Wipes drool from lips*

 

Do you have a favourite toy? If yes, what is it?

 

No, I don't have any special toy that I play with. If you toss me a ball, I'll bat it around a little, but that gets ho-hum pretty quickly so don't bother if you don't feel like it. I usually just nose around and find stuff to play with if I'm in the mood, so don't fuss.

Gee, you're no fun. I love playing catch and bringing back the ball. Guess I won't ask you to play with me then.

 

How do you spend your day?

 

For me, every day is different. I don't want to get in the rut where most of you dogs are. Every day you guys eat dog food, bark a bit, chew on a bone, chase a stick, sit, lie down at your human's feet hoping he will give you a little pat or put a LEASH on you for a walk.You won't see ol' Bigfoot doing any of that! You have probably noticed that I'm an enterprising cat and that's what I do every day. Think up new things to get in to. I'd give you a list of all my achievements but you don't have room to print it all. 

Rut? What rut? Oh you mean this hole I dug. Yes, I guess it is a bit like a rut. But don't you think it's impressive. Look how big it is.

 

What is your favourite colour and why?

 

I don't have a favourite colour. Why should I have a favourite? Well, on second thought, maybe orange, but I like them all. Grey -- like a vole, blue -- like the sky, green -- like the grass, white -- like the snow, etc, etc! I'll bet that your favourite is mud-puddle brown! Right, Loup?

So poetic, Big. You are a true cat of nature. And how'd you guess I loved mud-puddle brown?  You know me well.

 

If you could travel through time to any time period, what time would you choose and why?

 

I can travel through time already. I did some last week. The best place for a cat to go is to Ancient Egypt because they worshipped cats and made idols and stuff like that. I had a great time and never wanted for anything all the time I was there, although it was a bit hard to find tinned milk for my wuna. I spent a lot of time posing for tourists and sphinx builders. I don't know where you could go, Loup. I've never heard of ancient dog-worship! Hee! Hee!

You'd be surprised, Big. Anyhow, I don't need to time travel to be worshiped, right ladies? They all love me. I know you and Gordie are jealous of that but it doesn't bother me. I'm comfortable in my fur and confident of the adoration. I deserve it.

 

What is your favourite TV show?

 

I don't watch T.V. much, but I have a favourite musical! It's called CATS and is really a good show! I don't think they would let YOU in to see it, Loup, but I've got a DVD that I'll lend you.

Gee, thanks, I think. *Rolls eyes*

 

If you had your own reality show, what would it be like?

 

I hear that a reality show is about ordinary people doing ordinary stuff in ordinary ways. I don't fit in that category so I guess I'll give it a miss. If I had a show it sure wouldn't be ordinary! It would have a lot of exciting vole hunting in it and be of great interest to everyone. Maybe I should do that.   

*Yawns* What was that, Big? Oh sorry. Where were we?

 

How do you feel knowing that dogs are so superior to cats in every way? Does it bother you?

 

Loup, you are suffering from what is known as 'Word Substitution Phobia'. In your question you inadvertently used the word DOG instead of CAT. It is treatable if caught early so I think you should see your Vet about it right away! 

Oh, good grief. Has this cat got CATtitude or what? What an ego! I never act like that, do I gang? *Looks into mud puddle and admires reflection. Grins making teeth ping*

 

Is there anything else you want your fans to know about you?

 

Well, my fans know quite a bit about me already. After reading this I suppose that there will be even more people joining my fan club and wanting pawtographs and all that. I'll still be the same modest, somewhat shy, and lovable Bigfoot.

Modest? HA! Somewhat shy? Double HA! Lovable? Well, kinda I guess though when you get together with Gordon Drummond, that saucy white Persian from New Zealand, I'm not sure how lovable you are. You two cats are double trouble.

Thanks for the interview, Big. Appreciate it. You can get back to your vole hunting and time traveling now. See you on Facebook, Uncle! 

Big, Big. Are you listening to me? Geesh, he fell asleep. Guess the interview wore him out.

A few of Loup's Pet Peeves

Here are a few of my pet peeves. I could probably think of more but didn't want to be seen as being negative since I am "Happy go lucky, Live in the Moment" Loup and nothing much gets me down.

Loup's Pet Peeves

My red nose harness

Can’t stand the thing. It drives me completely bonkers. I know it means I don’t yank as much but come on peeps, a good yank from Ol Loup makes for an excellent upper body workout and you can surely use that at this flabby time of year, can’t you?

Cats

They drive me nuts and are the bane of my existence. Such spoiled, pampered creatures sleeping on beds and getting kisses and cuddles 24/7. Even on Facebook, Gordon Drummond and B.f. Thorneycroft are two cats who love to bug me all the time and you know I never do a thing to deserve it, do I? Don’t answer that.

Blue Jays

They drive me crazy with their shrill squawking and how they swoop down and take food out of my food dish. One of these days I’m going to have some Blue Jay for dinner. It’s only right since they eat my food.

Tanner

He's always in my face and trying to pick a fight. I can’t help it that I’m so incredibly macho and virile. Come on, Tanner. Face it, ol boy! You just don’t have the winning combination of matinee idol good looks and charm that I’ve got. Girls don’t squeal with delight at you now, do they? I’m Alpha Dog and always will be. Get over it, already, Tan Boy!

Summer

Way too hot for this snow dog. I know all you folks out there prefer summer to the cold of winter but not me. I live for winter. It energizes me and I just love snow as all my FB pals know so well. Summer makes my fur look like an old leaking pillow. I lie around like a lump panting my brains out. Even this sad excuse for a pool doesn’t cool me off much. Yep, much prefer winter.

So that's about it for some of my pet peeves. What are yours?

An Ode to the Snow

I can’t wait for the snow

To cover the ground,

To hear the wind blow

What a wonderful sound!

Cause I love the snow, so fluffy and white

I love how it glows both day and night,

I like to roll in snow and toss it in the air

I like how it glistens as it falls on my hair

(Okay fur, but it doesn’t rhyme with air. Artistic liberty, don'tcha know?)

I’m a Northern dog who likes the cold

I’m rugged, robust, brash and bold,

Hurry up snow, or I’ll have to chase a cat

Winter is my season, but I’m sure you knew that!;)