Pie, a Pug, and a Bike-Trip to Four and Twenty Black Birds

  Anyone, who reads this blog knows I can be very devoted to particular television shows, and movies, and books.   According to my wikipedia research the anniversary of the premier of one of my favorite shows is tomorrow, April 8.  The show which I was too young to watch the first time around and have only recently discovered on instant download from Netflix is one people either love or hate, Twin Peaks. 

  I admit it got a little out of control confusing in the last season but I love everything about it: the mystery, the pacific northwest scenery, the quirky characters (particularly the log lady),

 

 the scary parts, the humor, oh and the characters devotion to pie and coffee.  

 Twin Peaks has got to be the most creative, unique, and just plain weird thing that has ever been on network television and those are qualities that are sadly missing in the current sea of reality programming and cookie cutter comedies.  

I even bought the pugs these shirts on Cafe Press (they were super cheap, so its justifiable) to commemorate my love of the show.

In case you can't read them Tubby's says:Twin Peaks Sheriffs Department and Ping's says: Greetings From Twin Peaks.

After a recent Twin Peaks view-a-thon I was craving some pie.  So John and I decided to bike to Four and Twenty Blackbirds in Brooklyn.  Of course we brought Ping along in her Cynthia's Twigs basket, proudly wearing her Twin Peak's shirt. 


We had to bike over the Brooklyn Bridge 

and Ping was as content and comfortable as can be attracting many ooohs and ahhhs from tourists impressed with her cuteness.


It took us about an hour to get form our house to Four and Twenty Black Birds

Ping waited patiently on the stores bench 

while her Dad went inside to get us pie.   We were pretty near Park Slope, and perhaps Ping was hoping to get a glimpse of her blog buddy Sid from Pug Slope.

"Could that be Sid?"

When Dad finally came out with the pie it did not dissapoint.

Pie and Coffee What Cold Be Better?

We had pear crumble and it was delicious, and yes we even gave a little bit of the crust to Ping after all she had burned all those calories biking!

Mom's Bike Friday Comute

Every weekday morning mom wakes up early to have breakfast  and check her e-mail.  Then she says good-bye to us and dad

and rides her Bike Friday to her job teaching in Manhattan.   When mom gets close to the path train she can see the NYC skyline.

When she reaches the Path Station at Exchange Place she sees this incredible view.

 

The Bike Friday folds up in a few seconds and gets small enough to fit easily on even a crowded commuter train.

 One stop and she is at the World Trade Center.  

The school is only a few blocks away.  Here is the view from mom's classroom's window

 On the way home she passes this NYC dog park that always has a great mix of  breeds: retrievers, bulldogs, bostons, labs, chihuahuas, shelties, spinone italianos, mutts.  Mom has spotted them all.

 The commute home is mostly uphill.  So mom is tired when she gets to the door but we are so happy to see here and get out into our back yard.   There is nothing like coming home to a joyful dog.

 Mom's whole commute takes only 30 minutes door to door and she is home everyday by 3:30.  Pretty great for a big city commute.   We are wondering what is your 'rents commute like?

Weekend Pet Bloggers Blog Hop-Ping's Grand NYC Adventure

Today mom and dad decided to take me Ping, bike traveling pug extraordinaire,
on an NYC adventure.

We left early in the morning after our usual walk.  Mom and Dad took me outside and put me in my Cynthia's Twig's basket (mom says its very safe and secure).

Come on lets get a move on!

 We rode down to Exchange Place 

were you can take the Path Train to the World Trade Center.  Its a very short ride (only about five minutes).  I didn't seem to mind being a commuter pug.  I did wiggle around more in the basket when it was still, I like to be in motion.

We got out at the World Trade Center.  The new tower is almost finished:

We rode down the West Side Bike Path to 60th St.  Then we rode across town to Central Park.  Mom and Dad had a special destination in mind they wanted to take me to the statue of Balto.  

Balto is the famous sled dog who led the last portion of the 1925 run to deliver medication to Alaskan children in the village of Nome who where suffering from a deadly diphtheria epidemic.  Balto ran in a terrible storm.   When Gunnar Kassen the Norwegian born musher arrived in Nome and was thanked by the villagers he insisted that the majority of the praise go to Balto.   Ten months later the statue of Balto by Frederick Roth was erected .   It reads:

 

Dedicated to the indomitable spirit of the sled dogs that relayed antitoxin six hundred miles over rough ice, across treacherous waters, through Arctic blizzards from Nenana to the relief of stricken Nome in the Winter of 1925. Endurance · Fidelity · Intelligence

The real Balto spent several years touring on a Vaudeville circuit and like many performing animals of that time received poor treatment.   Eventually, a business man from Cleveland Ohio arranged to have Balto and his team brought to the Cleveland Zoo where they spent the rest of their lives in much better conditions.  Today, Balto's remains are on display in the Cleveland museum of natural history.

I was impressed by Balto's story.  I don't even like a dusting of snow imagine running miles through the stuff!  So I made sure to pay my respects to Balto 

While I was posing we met an older gentleman who visits Balto everyday and says good morning to him.  Mom and Dad thought that was very sweet.


Of course I wasn't finished having fun after we saw Balto.  I wanted to check out more of the park.  I hadn't visited for years and I wanted to see some of my old stomping grounds.  See when I was young pug: mom, dad, Tubby, Norbert, and I all lived in an Apartment on East 71st and we walked in Central Park nearly every day. Today was a great opportunity to relive those days.

I climbed on some rocks:

and I saw some awfully large dogs being ridden by police officers.  I had almost forgotten about those.

 Since its the warmest winter ever there were even flowers about

We visited Pug Hill near the Alice in Wonderland Statue.  There were no other pugs about but I had a good time running

 and getting hugs from Dad:

Then we walked by the Central Park Boat House.

Soon it was time to head home so back on the bike.  On the way home dad stopped to take a picture of me and mom near the Intrepid Air and Space Museum.   I wonder if they allow pugs on that big boat.
          

I was a very good girl on the ride home.   

Mom and Dad said I must have been tired from my big adventure.  An afternoon nap is in order.

Product Review-Cynthia's Twigs Basket

Sometimes I like to channel Almira Gulch,



a kindlier dog loving version anyway.  With our Cynthia's Twigs European Market basket Ping and I can enact our favorite movie whenever we want.  The basket is sturdy and the liners and pillows come in a wide selection of fabrics.  I was able to get a blue gingham that compliments my blue Bike Friday

and echoes the pattern on Dorothy's famous dress.


 

Another great feature of the basket is that unlike many doggie bike baskets it is large enough to accommodate a sturdier small dog like a pug.   I got the size large for Ping and it is plenty big enough.   If Tubby where willing to sit still in the basket it would fit him as well, but he doesn't seem to enjoy it (Dr. Zira is not much of a fan either)
.  Ping on the other hand is so comfortable she sometimes naps while we are riding.

The best feature of the basket is its safety.  With the harness and the brace  there is no chance of escape a la Toto:



 We can just ride of comfortably into adventure, like the movie!