Tootsie Anadyomene

Tootsie Anadyomene ("Tootsie Rising From the Sea") is the best known iconic representation of Tootsie. According to dachshund mythology, Tootsie was born as an adult female dachshund from the sea, as shown in the painting, "The Birth of Tootsie," by Alexandre Cabanel (Musée d'Orsay, Paris):






Tootsie Anadyomene is one of the very few images that survived in Western Europe in their classical appearance, possibly because Tootsie seldom enjoys direct contact with sea water.





Note the resemblance to the lesser known image of Venus Anadyomene ("Venus Rising From the Sea"), which is the subject of another painting, "The Birth of Venus," also by Alexandre Cabanel (Musée d'Orsay, Paris):

Extreme Close-Up: Part II of IV

Bipedal Caboose: Guest Limerick by Grandpa

My fur-brother Truffle wrote me a limerick earlier this year, and we asked readers to suggest a title. We had many great suggestions, including from our friends Pam & Oskar over at the Daily Oskar who suggested "Eatin' Green" as the title. Thank you, Pam and Oskar. They are great advocates of bloggers over at Pet Blogs United.

Now Grandpa has written me a new limerick, which I would like to share with you. Thank you, Grandpa! (I think my fur-brother Truffle helped him. Hi, Truffle!)

But dear readers and kindred spirits, we need a title for this limerick. Please help.

Here's Grandpa's untitled limerick:

You may think my praise somewhat obtuse
When I ask – of your dog – “what’s her use?”
To describe her politely
She’s elongated slightly
With a full-fledged bipedal caboose

Thank you, Grandpa!

Title suggestions?
 
Love,
Tootsie

Joker's Hat

There is a mountain near Lake Como that looks like a joker's hat, as Mom remarked when we saw it from Monte Crocione last fall.

It's called Corni di Canzo, "Canzo's Horns". Canzo is the Italian town where Maurizio bought property after he became financially independent thanks to the stock market crash of 2008. What a lucky donkey!

Biffo also made a fortune by shorting stocks in 2008. He now owns this villa near Maurizio's property.

Mozart the Bernese is interested in applying Nassim Taleb's Black Swan theory.

The Joker's Hat has two main peaks, called Corno Occidentale (Western Horn) and Corno Centrale (Central Horn). Here's the view due east from the top of the Western Horn on a warm Saturday morning in early March.

Gorgeous mountains, but not very dog friendly; would you want to climb down this couloir? Dad said it was kind of sketchy with the snow.

Due west lies Monte San Primo, which I have climbed with Mom and Dad last fall.

Due north lies the southeast arm of Lake Como; out in the distance, you can see Monte Crocione, where the first photo of this post was taken.

These are definitely not Tootsie-friendly mountains, but they sure look wotten waven!

Extreme Close-Up: Part I of IV

On Receiving a Tootsie Emblazoned Mug

I received a poem of appreciation from my cousin, Pat the Human, after I snail mailed her a Wag with Tootsie coffee mug and magnet. Below, please read Pat-the-Human's letter and poem. Thank you, Pat, for your poems!

Dear Tootsie,

I was inspired on receiving the cup and the magnet. In the same vein as my previous "Ode to Tootsie," here is a new poem.  Hope you enjoy it.

On Receiving a Tootsie Emblazoned Mug

Tootsie, my Tootsie, oh what a pup

You now have your very own cup

What a delight to drink this way,

Coffee, hot cocoa, rum toddies array

This is Nirvana! Other pleasures I forswore

When, lo! A magnet arrived at my door!

What other enjoyments for me are in store

I cried, from this pup of blogosphere lore?

Tee shirts, note pads, welcoming mats

Mouse pads, hoodies and even cravats?

So to borrow a verse from a previous rhyme

To end my musings and save some time....

I so love you, Tootsie, and needless to say

The cup and the magnet just made my day!

From your human cousin,

Pat

Here's a photograph below of my Tootsie signature cartoon magnet creation, which I sent to Pat (I also put a copy on my fridge). You'll recognize the magnets Frankie the Walk 'N Roll Dog gave me. And the other magnet is of my fur-brother Truffle. I'm in great company!

I've been experimenting with creating a Wag with Tootsie product line. Should I continue?

Again, many thanks to my cousin Pat the Human!

Love,
Tootsie

Monte Boglia & A Helpful Tip

A hike can start in the strangest places. One moment, you're in bed.

And the next moment, you're looking at shoes that won't work on a hike. (Do these shoes even work for walkies? How can a dog wag and walk while wearing these suckers?)

But then the next moment, you're riding on a bus.

You start looking down, down, down and you realize you are going up, up, up and you figure out -- wotten waven -- you are going on massive walkies. Otherwise known as a hike!

Our hike started from the little town of Brè. It's a sweet artist town with lots of character.

I'll tell you all about Brè and all about Monte Boglia another time, but right now, I want to share a strange thing. As you know, I'm long and short. As you know, dachshunds are hounds. We have noses. Okay, that's background. Keep it in mind.

What you may not know is that Swiss people are full of helpful tips. How to clean this. How to clean that.

This hike was the first time in my mom's life, ever, that she has been corrected for having a dog on leash. Do you remember that I'm a hound? You know I love to climb mountains. What would happen if I were, say, to be off leash and to follow my hound nose? Yikes.

But, no, the owner of Sweet Lab suggested that I needed to be OFF LEASH. This is otherwise known as a helpful tip.

The owner of Sweet Lab explained to my parents that I should be fully and properly trained to stay off leash with them and to stay away from the drop off just behind us (3,000 feet down) and not to follow my nose. So there. He was quite insistent. Sweet Lab, though, whispered to me that his owner gives lots of helpful tips to lots of people and that I should just carry on doing my long and short thing.

Mom doesn't speak enough Italian to know what was going on, so Dad translated all this for her later. Dad thanked Sweet Lab's Owner profusely for his helpful tip, and guess what?! I stayed on leash all the way to the top of Monte Boglia.

You might not be able to see my leash in this photograph, but I assure you, it is there.