The Adventures of FTB's

Constance gets a Makeover

2011-08-29T20:00:00.000-07:00

Just when I had given up hope of FTB news I got this in my email. Constance the ever stylish furry travel buddy is back following a makeover. Thanks you Emily, this made me laugh ! I hope that she has a vacation soon. If you have some FTB pics email me or upload to my facebook page I'd love to see them.www.facebook.com/handmadebydesireeb

Sky, Ethel and Constance In Lanzarote

2010-10-05T16:56:00.000-07:00

It seems like Summer is finally over but here are Sky, Ethel and Constance to remind you of warmer times.

The intrepid threesome pack their carry on luggage. There is no time to waste at the airport waiting for luggage on the conveyor belt so they pack only the essentials.

One complimentary drink and a packet of nuts later and they are in Lanzarote.

No sooner have they arrived at the hotel the girls hit the beach.


Brenda isn't really much of a sun worshiper so she strolls off in search of adventure but with the beating sun doesn't get very far.

Meanwhile Sky has overheated and finds a rock from which she can dive bomb into the pool.

That was the plan but rocks can be slippy and she ends up close and personal with a relative of the cactus family.

Fortunately Ethel witnessed the incident and comes to her rescue.

Constance meanwhile has secured a pink inflatable to match her outfit, with the help of a rather over friendly frog. The ladies are not amused, by the frog that is.

The following day the clouds have rolled in so the girls decide on a bit of sightseeing.

Their tour guide is having a hard time, the girls were not expecting such a big hike and are exhausted by the time they reach the summit. To be honest the tour guide hadn't expected it to take that long either.

As the sun goes down over Lanzarote the girls still have an hour to go before getting back to the hotel. "Now who's bright idea was this?" says Constance. Sky and Brenda merely sigh, it's going to be a long walk......

Thanks to Ems for the action packed pics. Nice work.

Herman the German in Cornwall

2010-08-22T19:14:00.000-07:00

Herman the German has been on the move once more. Sophy has documented his trip with both photos and words. It looks as though it was a bit chilly !

Herman sets off on a rainy day to walk (or more like swim) through the mud to see Gribbin Daymark, which has saved many a sailor's souls. Herman hopes he won't need rescuing by anybody, though he might need a blow-dry when he gets home!

At last, somewhere to shelter. He's thinking it might be best to stay there and let the humans tackle the steep stairs up the 84ft tower to the exposed roof!

Herman relaxes at an almost deserted Porthluney beach as dusk descends on the Cornish coast.

The next day, he decides to be rather more active and take a cycle ride along the Camel Trail cycle path from Padstow to Bodmin.

Along the way, he stops for a well needed rest at a tiny railway halt, hidden amongst the greenery and almost unused.

Herman visits the Eden Project, hoping that he can finish the holiday by warming up and drying off inside one of the tropical biodomes!

Bea and Marlene in the Far East

2010-08-12T11:27:00.000-07:00

Holiday time for these lucky FTB's

Bea is up bright and early doing her morning dips, she likes to keep in shape even when on holiday.

As she wonders down for breakfast she spots the tour group boarding the bus. She frantically yells at Marlene who is still snoozing to get a move on or they will be left behind.

Marlene is not good in the morning and somehow finds herself in the storage area of the hotel.

Bea manages to find her in the knick of time and drags her to the minibus.

They arrive at some beautiful ornamental gardens where they find a passerby to snap their photo.

Bea opts for the waterfall close-up even if it means getting a bit wet. Marlene is happy to keep her distance.

After a lot of walking the intrepid duo sneak a quick nap before rejoining the tour group. "They'll never miss us." says Marlene who is still reeling from the rude awakening this morning.

Not long after, they board the bus and head back to the hotel and revitalize with some snacks, ready for their next adventure.

Thanks to Dad and Ah-Kioeuk for taking the buddies on holiday to Indonesia.

Troy at the Motel No Tell

2010-08-07T09:51:00.000-07:00

Troy had heard from his surfer buddies that there was a new place in town called the Motel no tell so he thought he'd check it out.

Troy finds a room full of boards, he makes his way over to look at what Kelly Slater rides. It's a bit shorter than his one.

Nike he is saddened to discover does not make shoes in his size.

Each of the room's has a different theme, he doesn't get much of a chance to look around before he is wrestled by a giant cat who just want's to be friends. Troy has heard this line before and has seen The Lion King so he searches desperately for a chance to escape.

As luck would have it, her ex-boyfriend is none too happy that his lady appears to have taken a shine to Troy and promptly whips away the competition. (He still has feelings for her.)

Troy is dropped off at the cat pillow. "Let this serve as a warning to you says the ex, these two were not so lucky." Troy is left a little bewildered to be honest but the menacing tone left nothing unclear. He must leave immediately. No problemo.

As he looks around him it seems that the room is littered with strange mutated figures.

Troy spots the legendary wrestler, the menace of Venice. What happened to you? he asks. "There was a paarty and the next thing I knew I woke up like dis." This place is not what it seems. Troy feels the need the need for a speedy exit.

Troy spots the elephant in the room. He uses his charm to negotiate a ride out of this strange place where everything is not as it seems. Does he make it out....... stay tuned.

Leonard in New Zealand Part Deux

2010-07-24T20:52:00.000-07:00

Leonard's back. It was only a matter of time before his itchy little feet grew restless. Following a successful stint as chief vintner he embarked upon a journey that was more than he bargained for.

All aboard, Leonard settles in for a busy day of fishing.

He struggles to control the pole and the fishing reel but quitting is not in Leonard's nature so he tries his best.

Less indicative of Leonard's fishing skills, he manages to persuade a roaming crustacean to stop by for a beer. Fast forward an hour or two and it's all Mr. Crustacean can do to make it to the bucket. Leonard steadies him as.... well we'll leave that to your imagination.

Mr. Crustacean bids a fond farewell as it is past his curfew and the Mrs will be wondering where he's got to. Leonard feeling emboldened by the beer climbs to the top of the life saver and does a rendition of "My heart will go on" (Yes, even FTB's have seen Titanic). The boat suddenly lurches due to a freak gust of wind and Leonard is flung into the air blissfully unaware that he is no longer on the boat.

Mr Crustacean fortunately is still in the vicinity and gives him a ride to the nearest shore. Wet and a little bewildered Leonard tries to get his bearings.. He is certainly a long way from home.

He stumbles along and finds a deserted stretch of sand and lo and behold his favourite thing in the world, a rope swing ! In no time at all Leonard is singing away and back to his happy self, content to just be free.

Thanks to Sam for the great photos. They are definitely amongst some of my favourites.

Wally in Wales Part 2

2010-07-17T14:19:00.000-07:00

Wally is back in Part 2. If you missed part 1 click here.. Apologies for the delay in posting things have been a bit hectic. I am excited to report that FTB's have been spotted in China, Hong Kong and Indonesia with another trip to the far east scheduled for September. Troy will be back with tales from the Nike 6.0 no tell mo tell. Stay tuned .....
Big thanks to Sophy for her wonderfully imaginative Wally tale.

Wally shows his new friend the cottage in which he is staying however the curious snowman is very eager to explore the land around it.

The emotional events have opened up Wally's appetite. He quickly gobbles down a large bowl of porridge before meeting his friend outside

The pair begin an arduous uphill hike in high spirits as they admire the brilliant colours of the surrounding nature.

The hike seems to get harder and harder. Wally and the snowman lose eachother in what Sophie has renamed the Thorn Jungle.

They finally find each other at the top of their uphill struggle. Pausing for breath they admire the Welsh hills and beautiful view.

Seeing as there is plenty of day light left, the pair hitch a car ride and cool down on the pretty Oxswich beach.

Spying the unattended life boat in the distance Wally and his friend hope for a ride but unfortunately the tide is too far out.

After arriving further into the mainland a curious rabbit takes a liking to Wally and inspects him to see if he is edible.

After taking their leave from the rabbit the pair take a cart ride back home.

Wally hops off the ride on the way to rinse off a bit of rabbit dribble with the spray from a nearby waterfall.

The awe inspiring water seems to have softened his brain and he asks directions on the way out.

Having finally returned from their busy excursion it is already time for the adventurous pair to leave.
A little sadly they say goodbye to the Welsh countryside view though secretly knowing more adventures are bound to come their way.

Ivan in Colorado

2010-07-01T18:24:00.000-07:00

Ivan was last seen in Costa Rica but is now enjoying his new home in Colorado. Here he takes time out from his busy schedule to explore his surroundings. Thanks to the Wilcuts for the photos.

Oh the wonders of nature, Ivan stops to admire a dandelion.

On closer inspection, Ivan is surprised to discover that the dandelion is almost as big as him.

He bumbles along the tow path aimlessly and wonders what he's going to be eating for tea.

He spies the river below and decides to take a peek.

He lands on a sign, Spiderman style.

Mission accomplished, hmmm it's going to be rather more tricky getting back up again and he doesn't really fancy a swim. Stay tuned to see what happens next.

Wally in Wales Part 1

2010-06-18T10:23:00.000-07:00

Wally one of myall time favourite FTB's is back again in another action packed adventure consisting of two parts. The creative Miss Sophie Teasdale has provided both the story and photo. Check the archives for Wally's previous adventures. Thanks Sophie. Don't forget to comment if you like what you read !

As Wally's old friend, Lilia the fairy bear is away on family visits Wally anticipates a lonely stay in the welsh countryside.

Wally visits Dinefwr Park and Castle. He is impressed at the size of Newton House near the castle.

King of the castle, Wally stands on the mini version of the castle. Impressed, he can't wait to see the real thing.

Eagerly Wally struggles through the field, determined to overcome all sorts of obstacles including bits of snagged sheep's wool.

However he soons gets frustrated and decides it will take too long to get to the castle. He takes a high seat to catch a glimpse and is disappointed to see a ruin.

Wally aimed too high as he miscalculated his way down and fell into the local sheep's drinking trough. An unlikely rescuer arrives on the scene.

The observant snowman steers the recovering Wally out of the way of a sticky lump of sheep pooh.

As an escape from anything sheep they both enjoy a not so slippery slide down the inside of a tree trunk.

On the way home they marvel at the simple beauty of the forest of waving buttercups in a field.

The pair tuck into a tea time of welsh cakes while getting to know each other. Wally realizes his holiday isn't going to be so lonely after all....

Introducing Leonard In New Zealand

2010-05-21T13:52:00.001-07:00

Leonard finds himself alone in a strange land.

As he contemplates his surroundings the sun begins to rise. A local to the area asks him if he is in need of a job. "OK, says Leonard." He doesn't really know what awaits him.

He is given a tour of the winery by the owner's dog who despite his demeanor is actually very pleased to have a new employee and potential drinking buddy.

For his first task Leonard must master the art of driving a forklift. Despite his best efforts he cannot man the controls and drive at the same time.

He is finally given a more suitable task, the monitoring of sophisticated equipment. Leonard is happy, he still has much to learn but he hopes to have his own vineyard one day.

Thanks to Sam for the very speedy report of Leonard's arrival. Coming soon a Wally special and updates from Ivan. Keep them coming !!

Furry Travel Buddy -Troy in Colorado

2010-05-15T13:07:00.000-07:00

Troy came back from Colorado a while ago and has been nagging me to post his pictures so here we go. One of the stops on this 14 hour road trip was in the Salt Lake Area.

Arriving at the destination Troy takes his spot for the obligatory photo.

Troy coming from Southern California has never seen snow before and it's not long before he is knee deep in it.

Troy does a run and jump and lands on his back.

Troy's version of the snow angel.

All this playing in the snow has left him feeling a bit chilly, he yearns for his surfboard and the feel of sun on his furry body. It is time to hitch a ride home.

The horse says "Where to Mr ?" but Troy can't seem to remember which direction he came from.He takes a calculated guess and heads towards the blue bit of sky.

Fast forward 5 hours later. The horse has ditched him as Troy was unable to give clear left and right directions and ran out of snacks to feed him. Oh dear, Troy is well and truly lost and he now needs to find an alternative mode of transport.

After making his way on foot through the mountains. He spots a vision in the distance. It has wheels and seat heaters. He is overjoyed now all he needs is his wit and charm to persuade the driver to give him a ride. Luckily for Troy, he is quite persuasive and let's face it doesn't take up that much room.

It's several hours later when he hears and sees the ocean. He breathes a sigh of relief, he likes to travel but there's nothing like home.

THE END

Wally Learns to Fly

2010-04-29T15:37:00.000-07:00

A big huge thank you to Miss Sophie Teasdale for her great pictures and story. Wally is an FTB favourite of mine so it's great to see him being active and adventurous. Remember your FTB's need not travel far in order to have an adventure.

WALLY'S FLYING EXPERIENCE

Wally has come out of his solitary confinement (due to a near drowning experience in a Spanish swimming pool).He is determined to make his way abroad and so hope to avoid airport hassle by learning to fly himself. He decides to practise in his local area. Wally makes his way to a local air field. Planes are too unreliable so he settles for a helicopter of a suitable size.

Inexperienced but determined he settles down ready for take off.

Being inexperienced pays off as the blades start moving just before take-off, Wally is jerked off his precarious seat

Determined to get off the ground Wally clings on as best as he can just out of reach of the destructive blades just in front of the tail rotar on the helicopter.

Having slowly managed to steady himself Wally nervously balances close to the edge. For a little guy like him the ground is quite a way down. He wonders how long he can stay there, until any means of help is available.

After a short bumpy ride the untrustworthy helicopter swerves violently into a tree once more throwing its stubborn little passenger off, though thankfully, Wally just about manages to hold onto a branch but is feeling a little dazed.

After waiting and waiting Wally just couldn't hold on anymore. One wrong move was followed by an unnerving free fall....headfirst into a clump of dark foliage.

With a sinking feeling Wally decided remote controlled helicopters or any flying for that matter, (for now anyway) was just not him. Actually he decided that public transport was a whole lot easier!

Herman discovers his Musical Side

2010-04-22T16:29:00.000-07:00

Herman the German makes a splendid comeback in this new set of pictures courtesy of Miss Sophy Tyler who also wrote the accompanying story. Big cheer for Sophy. Enjoy and keep them coming !

Herman decided to go on a musical adventure to find his ideal musical instrument. He started with the flute but seeing as it requires breath power, it was hard for a Herman with no mouth.

- So he went to try his hand, or rather his furry legs, at the piano, playing his favourite piece of film music : Chariots of Fire.

Then he saw something that really interested him - a guitar! Could it get any better?

Apparently it could as then he found a Herman-sized guitar!

Maybe he was born to be a hippie-rock-guitarist as he even has the flowery guitar-strap and colourful headband to complete the look!

Stanley goes to Turkey

2010-04-15T11:08:00.000-07:00

Stanley on the tourist trail in Istanbul.

He marvels at the workmanship.

He wonders what food is on offer as he's feeling peckish.

The vendor can't hear what Stanley is saying so picks him up. Stanley is not amused.

Something is lost in translation and Stanley gets dropped into his idea of hell, confined space and a bunch of kittens."Not the face, he pleads." Stanley worries that he won't survive to tell the tale.

A passerby hears his pitiful moan and tosses him into relative safety away from kitty claws. Stanley is momentarily relieved but what is he doing in a bowl ?

Will Stanley make it home ? or is he destined to a life at sea. Watch to see what lies in store for Stanley.

Thanks to Taman for documenting the trip and keeping the FTB spirit alive. Got a picture ? Send me an email and I'll share them with the family.

Big in Japan

2010-02-28T11:59:00.000-08:00

It's been too long since the last post but it was worth the wait. Felix accompanied Steven to Japan on a work trip and by the looks of things had a whale of a time. If you have been storing up those FTB pics send me an email so I can share them with the FTB family. Enjoy.

Riding the bullet train.

A bemused business man looks on.

Felix's whining finally results in a giant ice cream. He likes his snacks.

Felix visits a distant cousin and admires his outfit.

Family, he had to visit Luther or else he would be persona non grata in Japan forever more. Luther shows him a few dance moves.

A busy temple at rush hour.

"Talk to the hand" says Buddha. Felix tries his luck.

Felix gets his wish, more food.

And to work it off, Felix goes for a stroll and takes a nap away from the crowds.

Time flies when you are having fun and Felix boards the plane back to Canada.

Big thanks to Steven for the detailed documenting of the trip, I appreciate it.

Conan in Mississippi

2009-12-08T14:43:00.000-08:00

Conan is a recent addition to the furry travel buddy family. He's quite fearless as demonstrated by his propensity to stand on his head and befriend large animals. Thanks to Amanda for her great pictures.

Conan poses outside the Oxford City Hall, Mississippi.

Conan used to be in the SAS so he can't help himself when he sees suitable camoflage. William Faulkner in the background is not impressed.

Sight seeing can be tiring work, so he hitches a ride with his buddy who unlike some pets decides not to bite his head off and listens attentively to Conan's waffling.

Last stop sushi, Conan's favourite stop of the day. California rolls are his favourite.

Sonny goes to watch baseball

2009-10-16T16:20:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Heidi for taking Sonny to his first (and probably last) baseball game.

Sonny arrives at the Angel's Stadium and feels small in comparison.

Sonny feels like he stands out but red doesn't really suit him.

To steady his nerves before his first game he heads off to get a beer.

The lights from the cameras are blinding as the players take to the field. Sonny starts to fade a little.

His mind starts to wonder. Isn't Glee Club on tonight he thinks. It's his favourite show, he hopes someone Tivo's it.

He must have dozed off and is rudely awoken by a lot of cheering. The red team won, hurray and more importantly Sonny gets to go home. He realises he prefers tennis. (There's no pleasing some FTB's!)

Still, he's had a fairly relaxing time, so he can't complain.

If you have some FTB pics you'd like to share be sure to drop me an email. Thanks :)

Wade in London

2009-09-28T15:33:00.000-07:00

Wade has had a busy year and this Summer was no exception. He managed to squeeze in a visit to The Tower of London and Hampton Court. Here's his story.

Hampton Court is so big Wade can barely fit it all in. Still you get the idea.

He glances at the clock. Is that the time already ? He starts to worry, there's so much to see and his legs, well they are short, so he can only go so fast.

Now, if his legs were as long as the chap in the picture, he could fit the maze in. Still, he likes the trimmed bushes they remind him of an upturned ice-cream cone surrounded by lollipops.

Wade stops to admire the facade. Those tudors knew how to build. He wonders how many cups of tea and biscuits were consumed during the build.

Praise be, Wade gets a temporary reprieve and is given a walking tour of the rest of Hampton Court. Now he's making progress.

Wade at the Tower of London

Wade's feet hadn't quite recovered from his epic adventure at Hampton Court but he tries to keep his chin up.

This entrance doesn't look too promising as there's water on the other side. He decides to give it a miss.

Wade heard about big black birds from his cousin Ivan who was caught by one. Legend has it that these birds can't fly. Still, Wade keeps his distance, he doesn't like flapping wings and who can blame him ?

Classic tourist shot, Wade is all smiles with Tower Bridge in the background. He doesn't like to get too close to the water though.

Unlike Hampton Court, The Tower served as a prison as well as a fortress hence the rather small windows. Perfectly sized for Wade mind you.

A parting shot before going home, Wade really enjoyed his visits and feels most knowledgeable.

Thanks to Ciara for her lovely photos. I love getting updates on the FTB's so don't be shy. Even if they have just been keeping you company on the sofa, email a pic.

Marlene Part Deux Croatia and Greece

2009-09-24T09:38:00.000-07:00

As promised this is Marlene in Greece and Croatia. As part of her cruise she stopped off at various points and here's what happened. Don't forget to check out my new blog.

Don't be shy leave a comment, thanks.

Marlene surveys the boats in Greece. So small compared to the big one she just came off.

Marlene poses for the camera in front of a scenic view. Its hard being an FTB celebrity sometimes but its her job.

The indignity of it all ! A ball lands on her sun lounger and catapaults her into the sand. It's a long climb to get back on top.

Victorious view from the Sun Lounger.

This is Marlene in Croatia. She doesn't know what these men are doing but they are taking it very seriously.

There are a lot of tourists taking photos still Marlene is clueless as to why.

Marlene takes a break and views the landscape below.

She loses track of time as she takes an unplanned nap. She is also sun burnt and isn't that her cruise ship ?

Marlene realises that she is stuck in Dubrovnik and doesn't speak the language. How will she ever get home ? TBC

Thanks to Uncle Richard for the photos.

Sky, Constance and Brenda in Spain

2009-09-22T10:21:00.000-07:00

The FTB's are back in force. So many blogs to publish. Apologies for the delay if you've emailed photos. The flip flop photo below has got to be one of my favourite FTB pics ever. I love it, so thank you Emily for your great photos. A side project which is in very early stages is Furry Travel Buddies - The Story so Far. A colour photo book in which the best photos of the last year and a half will be featured. It make take a while but that's the plan. I hope everyone had a great Summer and here's to Winter.

Constance, Brenda and Sky arrive in style ready for their holiday in Spain.

At the private pool, Brenda catches up on some tanning with SPF protection obviously. Meanwhile Constance and Sky drift aimlessly on a Boogie Board.

Sky and Constance get into an argument about holding the leash and Constance falls in while jostling for more control.
Its Brenda to the rescue, ever inventive she jet-skis on a flip flop to save Constance who is rapidly sinking.

Constance is in shock after her recent plunge, but more distressing is the damage to her hair do! Brenda knows how to get rid of frizz and sets about damage control.

The girls take a breather after the morning's crazy events and decide to stay on dry land for now.

Troy at the US Open

2009-08-25T13:14:00.000-07:00

Troy who as you know is a surf afficionado couldn't miss out on the action at the US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach. With 12ft waves and with several surf legends showing their tricks. He had a fabulous time even though it was really, really hot.

Troy watches Rob Machado on one of those big waves.

Here Troy is able to see what Rob look like up close and personal in a screen printined collage .

Behind the scenes he drops in to see how surfboards are shaped. In the background Bill Stewart reveals secrets of this mysterious craft.
As I mentioned earlier, it was super hot and Troy having watched the entire Men's Surf contest won by local Brett Simpson and the Master's Event went home for some R&R.

Stanley in Amsterdam

2009-08-13T15:13:00.000-07:00

Stanley who we last saw some months back with some stylish knitted items is back again. It's always so reassuring to hear from a furry travel buddy so a big thank you to Tamaan for her wonderful pics.

Stanley takes to the skies for his latest adventure. The journey is so quick he barely has time for a nap before he's buckling up for the landing.

Upon landing there's not a taxi in sight but what there are a lot of, are bicycles, hundreds of them Stanley can hardly stand still for a minute without placing himself in bodily danger.There's nothing for it, he hitches a ride and heads downtown in search of his accommodation.

His human cycling driver informs Stanley that he has arrived at his destination. Stanley looks around. "How can this be ? " Stanley can only see water and nothing that resembles a hotel. Maybe he thinks, I'm supposed to be on that barge. What follows next is nothing short of reckless.
He jumps......and he misses landing on the tiniest of ledges which is all that stands between him and a watery end. Overcome by the realisation that he is in a very sorry predicament, he lies there thinking negative thoughts. Not for long........

Lucky for him a hand from a passing barge scoops him up from the precarious precipice and informs him that he is just in time for dessert. Stanley needless to say perks up from his traumatic state when handed an ice cream. He is a comfort eater after all. Nothing can possibly be that bad if there's ice-cream.

Marlene's Cruise Ship Album

2009-08-07T15:25:00.000-07:00

There were so many photos to choose from for this post. I think they will be strong contenders for the 2010 calendar. As I explained in the newsletter my dad had had technical difficulties when it came to photographing Marlene on his overseas trips so upon learning that half the family were going on a cruise I cheekily asked Uncle Richard if he wouldn't mind taking a few snaps and I wasn't disappointed. Apparently other family members also did their part to remind him to take Marlene on their tours so thanks to Aunt's Desiree and Sooi.
Without further ado, here are a fraction of the pics.

Marlene's travel companions included some Canadians and Brits.

Marlene's mode of transport for the vacation. A rather large cruise ship.

First stop Venice. Marlene gets her first taste of living at sea.
No trip to Venice would be complete without visiting Murano where a lot of glass is made. Notice the area is under surveillance but Marlene manages to bypass security and blend with the ornaments.
This rather impressive glass sculpture is made entirely of handblown glass. Marlene is seen here hoping that the sculpture is securely anchored to something.
After all the day's activity its back to the ship for a beverage and a nap.
Stay tuned for part 2 Croatia and Greece coming soon.

Ivan's adventure in Big Bear

2009-07-27T16:14:00.001-07:00

Ivan has wasted no time since his trip to Costa Rica and spent a lovely weekend in Big Bear, CA.

Ivan is relieved to see the vacancy sign at Eagle's Nest.

Ivan assumes the co-pilot position in the boat. He isn't all that helpful, seeing as he's facing the wrong way but his owners humor him.

Ivan realises that he needs to be facing outwards and assumes the responsability of sat nav reporting any obstacles. Dan meanwhile takes charge of the wheel.

Ivan hurls himself off the boat so that they can moor it. Despite his size he's a dab hand at tying knots.

Back at the Eagles Nest, Ivan befriends a miniature horse who can relate to his size issues.

The conversation is abruptly ended when an eagle swoops and mistakes Ivan for a tasty dinner. (Ivan meanwhile is terrified as he's not good with heights in the best of circumstances let alone while suspended from the beak of a giant eagle.)

Ivan has the narrowest of escapes and the eagle deciding that felt isn't all that tasty drops him in the ocean and as luck would have it he lands in the same spot he began the day in, minus the driver. It's going to be a long night..........

Thanks to Angel and Dan for keeping the FTB spirit alive and well. More FTB action from Troy, Marlene and Chauncey.

Ivan in Costa Rica

2009-07-06T12:35:00.000-07:00

Introducing Ivan, one of the newest members of the FTB clan. He recently took a trip to Costa Rica with his owners Angel and Dan. The local landscape suited him and as you will see he's very photogenic and not afraid to get close to nature.

Ivan is packed up securely but he pops out for a better look.

Ivan waits in the queue to check in for his flight.

Flight over, he arrives in Costa Rica ready for his adventure.
From his lofted position he is able to view all the shops in the mall. Ivan makes his first friend in Costa Rica.

Ivan is waning in the heat and starts looking for some shelter.

Ivan finds a similarly coloured plant to pose against. It looks like a delicate umbrella which provides a little shade.

Time to take a break and where better than the biggest leaf* in the world, out of the sun Ivan is very content. (*not really but it looks really big)

Thanks to Angel and Dan for the great pictures. I look forward to more Ivan adventures. Coming soon Chauncey's Travel's around the US, Wilbur in Happy Valley and hopefully Hans in India. Stay tuned.

Ethel, Wade, Hairy Hank and Samson in Thailand

2009-05-13T10:14:00.001-07:00

Ethel, Wade, Hairy Hank and Samson had a holiday that only most of us can dream about. Fancy hotels, beach bungalows and private tour guides. They enjoyed their time in Thailand tremendously. Here are a small portion of the holiday pics, more to follow. Thanks to Ciara for taking her FTB's everywhere !

The intrepid foursome at the Airport, eagerly await the boarding call for their flight.

No sooner have they landed and the sightseeing begins. First stop, well it's Buddha of course. This one is rather large. Ethel hasn't seen this much gold since she bumped into C-3P0 at a Star Wars convention.

Ethel is usually more of a horse and carriage type, but despite her reservations she takes to elephant riding like a pro. Wade on the other hand was a bit acrophobic, its a long way up when you're 3 1/2 inches tall.

Aaagh, Bamboo beach and its time to get the swimsuits out. Ethel and Wade are both waning in the heat.

Ethel at the Grand Palace.

After a hard day's sightseeing it's time to hit the mini bar and recover from the heat with some A/C.

Ethel settles for a movie whilst reclining on her palatial pillow. More news from Ethel coming soon.....

Stanley in Kenya

2009-05-01T15:24:00.000-07:00

Stanley was very lucky and is the first ftb to travel to Africa. Kenya to be precise. His owner Tamaan reports that Stanley saw Masai people and got some jewellery." He loved it. He did not want to come back."

Stanley mounts an indigenous animal that has been cast in metal.

He quickly spies an outdoor market and more importantly a parking spot. Who would have thought that it would be hard to find parking in Nairobi?
After a spot of shopping Stanley was sent off to find the car which unfortunately was white like so many others.......

Thanks to Tamaan for taking Stanley on a such a wonderful trip.

Introducing Olaf

2009-04-29T10:59:00.001-07:00

Olaf lives in Oregon with the Swick Family. He has made a special friend, his name is Dieter and whilst he has been feeling a bit under the weather, Olaf has been keeping him company. Dieter looks out for Olaf and as you can see is quite protective of him (not everyone gets to share the pink blanket). Dieter is clearly a non-chewing kind of canine unlike my ultra destructive border terrier Sanford. Thanks to Mrs Swick for forwarding the fabulous photo. Stanley in Kenya and Ethel in Thailand coming soon....

Betty in Bella Italia

2009-04-21T13:00:00.000-07:00

Betty recently took a trip to Bella Italia. Words and pictures supplied by Wendy and forwarded by Melody (thanks). She is glowing from all the fresh air and beautiful scenery. Betty seems to appreciate the finer things in life. Coming soon tales from Stanley in Kenya.

Betty had just finished her pizza lunch and was resting while overlooking the vineyards of the Cinque Terre.

As soon as Betty moved from Tuscanny wines, she started ordering German beer. Here she is enjoying a cold one with the Swiss Alps in the background. She was searching for George Clooney at his villa near Lake Como.

Greetings from Theo on Planet Pirka

2009-04-17T09:34:00.000-07:00

Oh, how did it get to be so long since my last post. Forgiveness is sought from my faithful furry travel buddy followers. The latest to arrive in my inbox is news from Theo who has been taking it easy on Planet Pirka so titled because Emily, Theo's owner lives there.

Where's Phillip ? I hear you ask. Well he apparently was on his way to Malaysia to Cousin George who's not really a cousin but has the same last name as me. I am hoping he got there ok. I will be power blogging as I have new pics from Betty in Italy and Stanley in Kenya. Whoever thought the FTB's wouldn't make it around the world, we'll show them, slowly but steadily. I also happen to know that Ethel and possibly Hairy Hank are in Thailand. Hmmm makes me think of holidays.....back to the story though.

Theo lands on planet Pirka and takes a hesitant glance at his surroundings.

His mode of transport transforms itself into a flat DVD cover so as not to be detected by the Earth dwellers.

Theo spies a friendly face. "Greetings, mighty orange one " says the yellow jib jab.

Theo spots his mother in a picture with the founder of Pirka Planet. "This must be a nice place" he says to no one in particular.

Part raccoon and part cat the furrier one invites Theo to have a seat whilst he tells him all about life on planet Pirka.

An hour later Theo is thrilled by the moving picture show and accepts the offer of a drink but as he doesn't know how to open the can, he just sits on it instead.

As you can see Planet Pirka is a very fun place to live if you're a furry travel buddy, and Theo thinks he's going to be happy here.

Thanks to Emily for her very high quality webcam pics!!

Troy meets another Surfing Legend...Robert August

2009-03-12T13:07:00.000-07:00

Troy the furry travel buddy has a penchant for all things surfing, you'll remember he met Laird Hamilton back in March.They were having an exhibition at the Huntington Beach Art Center so he popped along for a visit as they were screening the Surf Classic "Endless Summer". Troy met one of the stars of the movie. He had a fantastic time and here's his story.

Troy volunteers for an hour at the front desk and is shown the ropes by the lovely Elaine.

Inside the exhibition he spies the Duke himself and goes in for a closer peek. "Nice suit, " he thinks.

He poses for a photo by the Old Surf Theater sign before anyone sees him. After all its one of the few words he knows.

He checks out an old surfboard, he's not sure about the colour though.

This board must be about 10 feet tall, Troy doesn't think he'd be able to carry it.

This one seems better suited if only he knew how to ride a shortboard.......

From the front of the building he can hear the gentle sounds of the Ukelele being played. He stops to listen and hums along to the tunes he knows.The movie is about to start and Troy is quite excited as he's never seen it before.

After the movie Troy concludes that Robert August is an excellent surfer with some stylish moves. He enjoyed Robert's commentary during the film and dashes to try and find him.

Robert very graciously stops for a chat and gives Troy some words of encouragement before propping him up on his shoulder for a photo.

Many thanks to the very accomodating Robert August and if you've not yet seen it Endless Summer is great viewing for all ages.

Bernard in Argentina

2009-03-05T12:20:00.000-08:00

Bernard makes his debut to the blog, he was lucky enough to be taken to Argentina and here are some pics from his trip. Thanks to Michelle for taking him on this adventure. Coming soon the FTB winner for February. FTB draw competition will be having a break whilst I work on the Buddy Awards. Thanks to all those who have sent in entries. You can still have your work featured in the FTB gallery if you can't stop drawing them !!

Here Bernard is seen sipping on a Yerba Mate, well not quite sipping as he has to figure out how to get himself higher up.

Above Bernard apparently came perilously close to falling in this rather impressive waterfall but somehow managed to cling on. He not surprisingly doesn't like to take showers anymore as it brings back bad memories.

Sky - Part II

2009-02-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

In a recent blog, Sky arrived in England and was greeted by a couple of inches of snow. Lost and disoriented she was rescued by Brenda and Constance who she in turn rescued when they fell in the snow. It was upon waking that she realized that she had left her suitcase in the snow, her beautiful one of a kind beaded suitcase. In this installment we see her venturing out to rescue it.

After a long discussion with Brenda and Constance, Sky trudges out in the snow determined to find her case. Constance lends her a peach hat to keep her warm.Fortunately it isn't long before she sees it sparkling in the distance.
She reaches the house utterly exhausted and has a little lie down. Brenda is on hand with the digestives and tea to revive her spirits.
"We thought you were very brave venturing out after we almost got lost" says Constance. "I didn't have a choice" said Sky. " Let me show you" she said.
Out of the tiny suitcase she whips out a huge velvet hat. Brenda, being fashion forward is impressed. "Ooh", coos Constance who has never seen such a beautiful hat. She starts feeling a bit awkward, what must Sky have thought when she gave her the peach hat ?
It's not long before Sky pulls out her Xmas hat and Constance grins. Brenda is less sure about that particular look, she is not a fan of novelty items.
"This is my best hat"says Sky. "My granny knitted it and I've never been separated from it, so you see I had to find the suitcase I just had to". Brenda senses she is going to have some competition on the fashion front, Constance is happy that Sky seems so down to earth as Brenda can be a little difficult at times.

We look forward to more adventures from this entertaining trio, thanks to Emily for the follow up.

NEWSFLASH - Phillip Sighted in Jakarta

2009-02-23T09:17:00.001-08:00

As you can see Phillip is visibly shocked to have arrived in Jakarta and is doing a handstand. (Note to Ray, those are his legs, although granted he does seem to photograph well from that viewpoint but he will get dizzy!)

Still upside down and disoriented, he's excited to be there, he spots a palm tree or two and thinks of home....however my sources tell me that he may well be on his way to Malaysia ! Thanks to everyone who has participated in the project so far. This week I sent out the first FTB newsletter so if you didn't get it and would like to just drop me an email and I'll add you to the list. More FTB blogging soon, the news of Phillip in Indonesia was just too exciting.

The Arrival of Sky

2009-02-13T12:40:00.000-08:00

As promised in the last blog, the arrival of Sky as documented by January's FTB Draw winner Emily. You may be aware that England has been getting a lot of snow lately and here's proof.I will be posting the first category buddy award nominees for Best FTB with an animal, so get your voting fingers ready. If you haven't submitted a photo already then now's the time.

Sky arrives exhausted and underdressed after her transatlantic journey. She has not seen snow before and its very cold on her bare feet.

She sees a strangely dressed man in the distance and asks for directions. The snowman however doesn't speak.

Sky gets herself in an awful pickl trying to make her way down and snags her very expensive luggage bag on a branch. She reaches for it, as she dearly loves the bag.....and everything goes dark as she tumbles to the ground fortunately she is still clutching the bag.

When she wakes up she is greeted by Brenda and Constance who upon hearing the commotion rush out to see what the fuss is all about. They find Sky lying on the ground with a very nice bag on her head. "Are you alright?" says Constance. "Yes, I think so" says Sky. "Well come on then says Brenda (who like Sky is from the States and doesn't like being out in the cold) let's get you inside."

The snow starts to fall again and its hard work walking through it. They each get stuck several times and have to pull each other out. Brenda is muttering and moaning. Constance is shivering and trying to be brave. Sky is just happy to have company and is enjoying the novelty of the snow.

"I can't go on, we're lost" says Brenda. "That's it,we're going to die." (Brenda is prone to being overly dramatic in times of crisis). Constance trips and falls over Brenda. Sky is the only one left to rally the troops. "Come on guy's, you can't quit on me. I've only just arrived. I think I see the house". says Sky. Brenda and Constance peer up and slowly get to their feet.

Tired and hungry, they bundle into the house.

Brenda is a little embarrassed by her earlier outburst and decides to make amends. " I'll put on some tea, she says after tucking Sky into bed. Constance shifts a little. "Don't worry, says Brenda I can manage."
Replenished by some well earned digestives and tea, the girls get to know one another. Sky upon waking and reaching for some moisturizer realizes she hasn't got her bag! She daren't say anything as it is still snowing but inside she is very sad.......................... To be Continued (Hopefully)

Thanks Emily for the wonderful pictures. And just when you thought you'd got to the end. Here's another FTB in the snow Herman the German sent in by Sophy. Great snowman by the way.

What not to wear by Brenda and Ethel

2009-02-13T12:11:00.000-08:00

Our fashion forward duo Ethel and Brenda are here again, this time bringing us an exclusive "What not to wear" feature to the blog. The subject of the feature is non other than Barbie who was in dire need of a makeover according to our knowledgeable duo. Coming soon, FTB's hit by snow in England and Bernard in Argentina plus voting for the Buddy awards will be here so get those entries in. Also, word on the street is that Phillip is enroute to Jakarta, Indonesia.

Brenda and Ethel get ready for an arduous day of crimping, curling, dressing and pouffing.
Oh, dear says Ethel, we really do have our work cut out today. Brenda concurs "the lace and pearl combo" are so last year.
First they tackle the hair. "So much of it.... "mutters Brenda. When her arm gives out Ethel takes over.

From plain Jane to disco diva. Barbie is unrecognizable from before. "For this look, says Ethel we wanted to make it fun". I love the boots, it really makes her legs look long" says Brenda. "That's because they are long...."mumbles Ethel. Note (Ethel's promising modelling career was quickly extinguished when she stopped growing.)

The intrepid duo ask Barbie to pick out her favourite outfit. Brenda and Ethel are speechless for once. Brenda wonders whether Barbie ever looks in a mirror.

They whisk Barbie into shape and transform her. "This is a casual going out in the evening look" says Brenda. "Notice the wide belt accentuating the waist, I think she looks splendid" says Ethel.
Brenda and Ethel can't understand the fascination for pink hair, with the purple its just too much. They confer on a suitable approach and get to work.

Hmmm, Ethel is still not convinced about the skirt, but they were on a budget. Brenda wishes she had hair to give her more height. They are happy for the moment, their work is done. Thanks to Ciara and Emily for the "What not to wear' feature.

And the Winner is.......

2009-02-06T15:04:00.000-08:00

And the winner of the January 2009 FTB draw is Ciara with her 'Bea' entry. Apologies for the delay in announcing the winner of the FTB draw but have been rushed off my feet so to speak. Thank you for the February entries I've received I'll be posting those soon. I'm also happy to announce the safe arrival of Sky, last months winner featured below. Her arrival to the snow filled shores of England wasn't without incident, the full story will be coming soon as its hilarious.
Also voting will be starting soon for the Buddy awards. Check the Buddy post for more details.

Sky arrives in England after her 7,000 mile journey with her sequin encrusted luggage.

An FTB Christmas

2009-01-26T12:10:00.000-08:00

It might be 2009 but I received photos of an FTB Christmas and I had to share them with you. Wade and Cordelia make their debut as well as blog favourites Ethel, Constance, Wally and Herman. Don't forget to get your entries in for the buddy awards. You can also vote on how many countries Phillip will get to visit (to the right of the blog). Coming soon Brenda and Ethel's " What not to wear" a hilarious before and after styling piece as well as Bernard's trip to Argentina.

Ethel tries to shake the presents to see which are clothes (who hasn't)

She delves into her stash.
She pokes and prods the package and is intrigued. What could this be ? Ethel is thrilled to discover its a new FTB. (She secretly thinks that he will make an assistant, not the intention but that's Ethel for you!)

She makes Wade feel right at home by offering him one of her prized double chocolate chip muffins which after his transatlantic journey and subsequent hibernation, he is more than ready for a chocolate rush.

Wade isn't used to these cold conditions and despite having a full tummy is feeling a bit chilly. Ethel reveals to him how she stays toasty by showing him the wonders of central heating, and the radiator.

Cordelia was also unwrapped this christmas and was relieved to have a very nice owner.

The FTB's get together for a hike up the christmas tree where you'll see some old favourites Herman, Constance, Wally and Ethel plus newbie Cordelia.

These pics that were sent by Ciara thanks go to her and her friends for bringing the FTB's together for Christmas.

Phillip is on his way !!!! London, France and Beyond

2009-01-20T12:12:00.000-08:00

Exciting news, Phillip is officially on his way and in his honour I have created a website just for him, just click on the link and it will take you there. A big thank you to Angelina for taking Phillip on his first adventure.

Angelina puts Phillip to work answering her calls at the office. Phillip felt like he was in a non-stop aerobics class as it was quite hard work getting to all the buttons when you are small.

Phillip is allowed a short break to catch up on current events. Angelina's a hard task master!

It isn't long before his hard work has paid off and he has earned himself a trip to France.

He is inadequately clothed for this kind of weather and is quite adamant about staying in the chalet.

He breathes in the fresh air.............

Phillip gets to chill with the Champagne.

Unfortunately for him the sled appears to be parked on an incline and he makes his scary descent to safety.

He only gets as far as the chalet door before remembering he hasn't got the key.
Thanks to Angelina for being the first Around the World participant.

Announcing " The Buddies"

2009-01-14T18:08:00.000-08:00

Could Stanley be a contender for best dressed Buddy ?

I am really excited to announce the first year of " The Buddies Award for Excellence " In the spirit of recognizing excellence in the field of Furry Travel Buddy Photography and outstanding contribution to the global FTB revolution, I have created 10 categories. Closing date for all entries will be April 1st which will allow one week for you all to cast your votes and the winners will be announced on April 4th

The categories for "The Buddies " will be:
1. Best FTB blog
2. Best FTB photo with an animal
3. Best FTB home
4. Best FTB with a celebrity
5. Funniest FTB photo
6. Best dressed FTB
7. Most travelled FTB
8. Discretionary award for excellence in a creative capacity (chosen by me )
9. Best Male FTB (based on blog participation)
10. Best female FTB (based on blog participation )

So, I'll announce the nominees for each category over the next few weeks and post them to the website. If you have already submitted photos those will all be looked at too. The winners will get an exclusive handmade FTB award which will definitely be made of fabric and very special and you will be an an inaugural buddy winner. If you've always wanted to win something now's your chance, obviously you have to have an FTB to take part and access to a camera but I'm counting on you to make these the best awards ever. Take a look at previous blogs to see what you're up against. Good luck everyone, get snapping. Email your submissions to the usual coolcrafter@gmail.com address and let me know what category you want to be considered for if its not obvious. I will post all the details on the website

The 3 P's Patch, Phyllis and Phillip

2009-01-07T14:09:00.000-08:00

Today's postcards come from Matthew and Amanda respectively for Patch and Phyllis. Phyllis made an appearance in the snow last year so I'm pleased to hear from her again this time from Ireland. Patch is making his blog debut and is currently living in L.A.

Patch arrives home safely and is fascinated by the man in the cocktail glass who seems to be asking for his help.

Phyllis is in Ireland, behind her the River Liffey, she thinks the building behind her looks like a robot covering his eyes.

Phillip has also been released into the world, slightly later than planned but what with post office closures and whatnots......enough said.

Phillip prepares to leave behind the palm trees of Huntington Beach, CA.
As if the palm tree were not evidence enough of HB, I stuck him on the car.

So for the first leg of his journey, Phillip bids Farewell to England St, CA and makes his way to London, England where Angelina awaits him.

I have placed a poll asking you to guesstimate how many countries he makes it to in the next eighty days so feel free to vote.

Introducing Phoebe

2009-01-03T19:17:00.000-08:00

Well it's 2009 and time for a new blog. I hope everyone has had a great start to the year. Congratulations to Emily Burford for her December winning FTB draw entry and thanks to all those who voted. Special mention to Ciara and Ethan for their close run 2nd and 3rd places. I'm in the process of making Sky and will post a pic once she's done. So back to the photos, thanks to Alissa for sending these in. Its always reassuring to receive confirmation that an FTB is being well looked after.

Butters (the cute dog) and Phoebe get friendly.

Feeling rather festive Phoebe perches up on a tree to survey her new surroundings.

Phoebe preparing to travel to her new home in Washington. (I hope we see more of Phoebe when she gets to Washington.)

Around the World in 80 days

2008-12-31T09:38:00.000-08:00

Will Philip make it round the world ?

Inspired by the Jules Verne novel Around the World in Eighty Days which describes the extraordinary travels of Phileas Fogg and his valet Passepartout who, in order to win a bet with Fogg's fellow club members, attempt to circumnavigate the globe within 80 days. I have decided to try to recreate the adventure with a Furry Travel Buddy. The idea will be to have as many people as possible take part in this project. The rules are simple, the Furry Travel Buddy will have a passport and come with a short set of instructions. The aim is to get the FTB to as many countries as possible within eighty days. (I am resigning myself that those countries in conflict won't necessarily be holiday destinations but there are a lot of countries left!) I will send the FTB to London where it will start its journey (got to be authentic after all )and hopefully people will embrace the spirit of the project and send a picture of his whereabouts so that we can all track his progress.

I will start off with a yet to be decided friend in London but from that point on it will be people I don't necessarily know who aren't familiar with the FTB concept. Will Phillip make it back to Huntington Beach, we'll have to wait and see... but it'll be exciting to see what happens.

I'm secretly hoping someone knows a pilot, back packing gap year student, highly in demand global business partner, a UN official..... I can dream after all. The Furry Travel Buddy I am putting my faith in is Phillip . He kind of looks a bit like a balloon and is red (a lucky colour in many cultures) so I thought it quite appropriate.

Watch this space, cross your fingers and join me over the next few months for the ride.

Also I'll announce this months FTB draw winner on Jan 1st, happy new year if you're in a different time zone. Coming soon exciting news from two new FTB's Patch and Phoebe. And if that isn't enough I'll be revealing "The Buddies". What are they ? You'll have to wait and see.

Vote for your favourite FTB draw

2008-12-26T10:37:00.001-08:00

So in the interests of they are all so good and I can't possibly decide by myself, I've decided to go for the public vote for the December FTB Draw competition and I've narrowed it down to three for you. These are the top three entries so far. I know it's not Dec 31st but should I receive any outstanding entries I'll add them to the list. The winner as always gets their own custom FTB to keep based on the winning design.
So my favourite three are in no particular order:

Sky by Emily
Blue boy by Ethan
Daisy by Ciara

On the right hand side of the blog you'll see a list so just place your vote. Just one per person, multiple people in your household can vote,( that doesn't include the cat/dog/budgerigar/ turtle etc! but mum, dad, brother, sister is fine)

If you think any of the other FTB draw entries deserve a special mention, leave a comment below. Thank you so much and good luck.

The Arrival of Theo

2008-12-26T09:29:00.000-08:00

I have had word from Emily of the safe arrival of Theo which she has posted on her blog. Emily was the winner of last months competition and its going to be very difficult this month as the number and quality of entries is amazing. See them for yourselves on the website. There are only a few more days to get your entry in. Another five FTB's have been adopted which is very exciting. They should be with their hopefully excited owners as they were Christmas gifts.

Coming soon I have an exciting project to tell you about based on the Jules Verne novel Around the World in Eighty days. I'm also working on more activities to keep you entertained on the website as well as links to other cool sites I've been visiting.

I hope everybody had a great christmas.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-23T13:02:00.001-08:00

Its that time of year so Happy Christmas (or Merry Christmas if you're stateside) everybody from the Furry travel buddies. I'm looking forward to a bumper year of FTB adventures and I hope you'll join me in the journey.

A small plea.....I'm conducting a survey to help me improve the Furry travel buddy website so if you have a minute (literally) to answer some questions I would really appreciate your feedback.Thank you to those who have already done so.

The FTB's visit LA

2008-12-17T21:42:00.000-08:00

It's been a busy past few weeks but I'm back and ready to post. The FTB's had a great time at the UNIQUE show in LA, they had their own FTB village as you can see from the pictures. Some of the FTB's were adopted at the show so we will hopefully hear of their safe arrival over the next few weeks. Amongst the new owners we have a designer, a photographer and a dog trainer to name a few.Santa made an appearance and the FTB's helped him empty his sled.

The FTB's set sail in a beautifully crafted vessel in the blue lake.(Ok so there are a lot of holes, but its make believe and the lake is really neoprene but the logs are real.)

A group of FTB's wait their turn for the restroom which is situated next to the Saloon which explains the queue.

Troy and friends gather at the entrance to the Saloon which doubles as a ballroom dancing hall on Tuesday nights.

Fred gets to fly high above the crowds in his own airplane.
Thanks to all the lovely people who stopped by and smiled at the FTB's also big huge thank-you to Kerry for her inventive use of linkin' logs and Connex.

Resident Poet

2008-12-10T09:12:00.001-08:00

There are some hot entries to the FTB draw contest, the standard has definitely been raised. Ethan who already owns Hairy Hank and Samson, you may recall Hairy Hank's Diary which has been featured on this blog. Not content with just submitting a drawing he has also decided to submit a poem about his new furry travel buddy which I couldn't resist posting. I will be featuring his poems on the website www.furrytravelbuddies.com for as long as he keeps writing them. Also, a special thanks to Emily Bricker for her contest banner which will shortly be appearing on the site too. With only 3 days to go till the big show in LA its full steam ahead, I just hope the sewing machine can keep up with me. I will bring you pictures from the show next week as the Furry Travel Buddies will have a very special backdrop to showcase them, till then enjoy the poems and keep warm. (If you enjoyed the poem, click on the big smile at the end of the post, thanks.)

"Johnny is a big fan of red
all over the house, even his bed
it was all just the same
until the old painters came
they painted his house, no longer red
it now stood pink, even the bed!
this made Johnny very sad
because pink was really bad
it was a girl colour to him
he prefered a colour that was more dim
so once again he painted his house red
now he'd sleep once again in the bed!"

"blue boy is blue, blue, blue,
he has a sister named silly sue.
they always cause havoc in their house
and wouldn't let anything happen to their pet mouse.
they had chess games, they had clay,
and its always tag they like to play.
Blue boy, Silly sue,
you should have seen them fall down the loo!
they spied in november, they spied at noon,
they spied near Christmas, they liked to spy very soon!
but they didn't spy on Christmas day,
thats what they always liked to say.
but really it was all a lie,
they only splat them with mince pie!"

The Arrival of Betty

2008-12-04T10:55:00.000-08:00

Its a bit of a whirlwind week, not long before the Furry Travel Buddies make their appearance at Unique Los Angeles a huge art and craft fair, so I've been busy preparing stuff for the show. I am thrilled at the response to the FTB draw on the website. If you haven't taken a look yet please do. New pages have been updated and any suggestions, comments are always welcome. But, back to Betty, she belongs to a lady called Wendy who sells Italian pottery at a marketplace/flea market in San Diego she had this to say about Betty.

Betty attended the Farmer's Market today. She selected a red bowl to sit in and watch the shoppers go by. She behaved herself beautifully. She is a wonderful companion. I think she will enjoy Arkansas.

I would venture that Betty is extremely lucky to be surrounded by such beautiful objects and have an owner with such great taste. I look forward to hearing about Arkansas. Thanks to Wendy/Melody for taking the time to update me.

And the Winner is.....

2008-12-02T09:22:00.000-08:00

So its the 1st of December and I have to say I was really impressed with the entries to the first FTB draw. I know they always say it was so hard to pick a winner but it really was ! Thanks to everyone who took part. But without further ado, the winner is Emily Bricker's "Theo". Special mention to goes to Ethan for Biblo and Emily Burford for her entry Besse. The winner will get their design made into a custom FTB which I will be making in the next week and gets to keep it. So if you want one of your own get sketching and email your entries for the Jan 1st FTB draw. If you want to see all the entries click on the link.

Biblo by Ethan Hughes.

Besse by Emily Burford.

Burt and friends go to the Park

2008-11-26T13:19:00.000-08:00

Burt makes his first appearance in the FTB blog and what a bright fellow he is. On his first outing he got to see a lot of different animals at the zoo and took a train ride on a very wee train. Thanks to Melody for the great pictures. Happy thanksgiving everyone.

Burt couldn't wait to board the train and sneak a peak at the engine whilst the conductor wasn't looking.

A bit of a daredevil he rides precariously balanced on the rail of the train basking in the sunshine.
He spies the donkeys. " I want to ride, he says."

There are a few formalities to go through first. He puts himself under the sign but is so small that it would be tricky to see him in the picture. He's definitely small enough.

He saddles up for the ride of his life. Trouble is the saddle isn't a custom fit and its more like riding a bucking bronco !

He can't wait to tell his friends all about his drama.

He bids farewell and goes off in search of more interesting animals.

He sees a big old bear who seems a bit lonely so he stops for a chat.

He wonders what it would be like to be a bear. He gets a bit of vertigo from being so high up.

Next he says hello to the goats who eye him suspiciously.

He asks one of the goats to pose for a photo and he obliges.

On his last stop of the day he visits the mountain lions, who sadly aren't roaming the mountain but they do have some private space from prying eyes. Although he's had a really fun day and learnt a lot about animals. Burt is glad he doesn't live in a zoo and gets to wonder about freely.

Troy in downtown LA

2008-11-22T18:49:00.001-08:00

It seems awhile since the last blog, I have been so busy with the website and making more FTB's that time has just flown by. But back to business as usual Troy took a trip to downtown LA for a bit of sight seeing. Here's his story.

Troy is mesmerised by the large mirrored buildings, they make him feel rather small in the scheme of things.He particularly likes this curvy building by architect Frank O'Gehry, its made of titanium plates and is called the Disney Concert Hall.

Troy wonders why there aren't more curvy buildings as they are great for hide and seek.
In the outdoor garden Troy sees a Japanese orchid tree. He thinks it would look nice in a girl's hair.

Troy spots a fountain which is made of small mosaic tiles which resembles a large flower.
He can't resist dipping his toes, its rather hot after all.

Troy is fed up with walking so goes in search of other means of transportation and finds a Tram, not just any tram but the shortest tram in the world. Its called Angel's flight but unlucky for him its being refurbished and so he has to take the stairs instead.

He can barely walk now so he's in no mood for no loitering signs and loiters for a long time.

Alas for him Troy loiters too long, forgets his car is on a meter and gets towed away !!He stages a protest on top of the sign.

Brenda goes Christmas Shopping

2008-11-14T17:13:00.000-08:00

Brenda is back you may remember the frosty reception she received from Constance when she first arrived but after an afternoon of interior design they became the best of pals. Brenda having originally come from the US was used to the huge shopping malls so was quite in her element in Bristol Cabot. Thanks to Emily for her great pictures. Also the Furry Travel Buddy Calendars are finally here, check them out on Etsy. Thanks to everyone without whose contributions over the past year there would be no calendar.

Brenda loves to shop.

She takes her time eyeing the shops from her lofted vantage point before she spots a familiar sign.

If there's one word that Brenda likes to see when she's shopping it's SALE !

Brenda looks at a potential addition to her wardrobe but isn't sure about the puffy sleeves.

Brenda takes a break to look at the Christmas decorations.

She spots some rather large baubles and makes a mental note to spruce up the decor for something more festive.

Having gotten some fresh air she's back to shopping til she drops.

Brenda is sure the reindeer has been tracking her since she arrived.

One last stop at Harvey Nichols, Brenda is exhausted. So many people, so much choice she just couldn't decide. She will have to take Constance with her next time to help her decide.

Check out the website

2008-11-12T09:36:00.001-08:00

So, its still early days but I'd like you take a peek at the fledgling site furrytravelbuddies.com In the next few weeks there will be more content added but for the time being you'll still need to read the blog here. Its a technical thing. I'm excited about this phase of the Furry Travel Buddy revolution. I'd love to hear from you, like it ? let me know. Want to see specific content or have any ideas ? I'm open to suggestions.

Once again, thanks for all your support.

New blogs featuring Brenda, Burt, Troy, Fred and Cynthia coming soon.

The Secret Diary of Hairy Hank Part 2

2008-11-09T08:49:00.000-08:00

More adventures from the vivid imagination of Ethan Hughes aged 9. Don't worry there's more to come ! We will also be hearing from Brenda and Troy soon. Marlene has exciting news as she will be travelling to Indonesia and Malaysia at the end of this month. She recently went to Canada but was erroneously left behind in Toronto whilst her owner went to Montreal, luckily they were reunited but had no time for photo opportunities !

Troy meets Laird Hamilton

2008-11-04T08:50:00.001-08:00

Well, one of the FTB's got to meet a surfing legend the other day and here's the story.

Laird Hamilton for those of you who don't recognise him is a big wave surfing legend. He surfs waves that are mini mountains.

Troy spies a poster for Laird's new book "Force of Nature' and notes he will be signing copies in Santa Monica. Troy is very excited to meet him so buys the book and waits in line.Laird spots Troy out of the corner of his eye.

The line is quite long as lots of people have come to see him Troy wonders how his hand is doing and whether he went surfing this morning. Troy reads his book whilst waiting which has some excellent surfing tips and lovely photos.

Troy can't contain himself, he's next in line and is suddenly lost for words.

Its all too much. Laird calls him "Cute" and Troy passes out. Troy doesn't come round for an hour or so and thankfully he has the book or he would have thought he'd been dreaming.

Stanley in London

2008-10-29T15:54:00.000-07:00

Introducing Stanley the lean, green chocolate eating machine. Stanley was subject to some initial delay. He missed a marvellous trip to Italy as he was locked in a brown envelope on top of a wardrobe and his owner didn't know that he had arrived. But, as you can see he is learning some creative skills and is enjoying living in a big city. Thanks go to Tammaan for her great pictures. In the first picture Stanley sees his name in Chelsea (posh part of London) which happens to be the same colour as him. Stanley helps himself to a packet of chocolates while his owner is blissfully unaware.

Stanley's owner finds out about the chocolates and threatens to throw him out of the train window if he does it again. (Stanley has been warned!)
Stanley turns to crochet to entertain himself on the train and makes himself a hat and a scarf combo.

Stanley arrives at Leeds university for a Open Day where he will be able to continue and build on his crocheting skills on a textiles course.

Back in London Stanley looks out onto the new shopping centre .

Eager to shop he tries to hitch a ride on Lowies shoulder but to no avail Lowies is staying firmly put.

Wally in Le Havre, France - Part 2

2008-10-28T12:23:00.001-07:00

Wally as you will remember got himself in a bit of a scrape when he went to Mallorca. Falling asleep in a cactus and so forth. He also spent some time in France and this is the second installment of his stay there. I've been busy working on the furrytravelbuddies.com website which I hope to launch soon but if you have any suggestions or requests about what you would like to see included please drop me an email. I'd like to thank Sophie for her wonderful photos and storyline and everyone who has contributed to the blogs this year as it wouldn't be possible without you. Coming soon Cynthia in Texas, more Hairy Hank adventures and Introducing Stanley...

Wally explores the climbing roses. Ow! Avoiding the thorns is tricky!
Wally then decides to try another flower bed. Ah! The softness of tthe flowers is soothing.

Wally is scared away from the fields by a curious cow. Why are they so big?!

Wally decides to investigate the piano. Nothing like music to calm you down.

As the house is quite big Wally decides to take the train to tour it.

Wally meets the family of Barbapapa who are celebrities in France as they have their own t.v. show! Their fans are young children but they were happy to add Wally as one of them!

Wally and Sophie(his owner) take a stroll along the windy beach of Le Havre. Wally was impressed by the sea and the sunset but where was the sun and people sun bathing Sophie had mentioned? Sophie was well and truly wrapped up! He was disappointed he couldn't wear his new sunhat. Oh well! There's still Mallorca..

The Secret Diary of Hairy Hank

2008-10-23T15:58:00.000-07:00

The long awaited Hairy Hank's Diary is here and like all good things it was worth the wait. All 30 pages of it. I'm going to serialise it every week but I think you'll agree Ethan has done a great job. If you like what you see be sure to leave a comment !

The Arrival of Julius

2008-10-22T15:57:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in the last blog Julius has arrived safely in the UK and has retained his plumpness I'm glad to see. He is currently on a 6 week tour with his owner Matt and seems to be having a great time. He just made it into the calendar which has gone to press and should be ready soon so watch this space.

Julius is introduced to the hat whom he'll be seeing on a daily basis.

Julius seeks refuge from the strange goggle eyed creature that lives in the cup holder. Maybe they will be friends, its too early to tell and Julius is a little shy.

Julius clings on to the sign as if his life depended on it which it does as there appears to be a gale blowing and he doesn't weigh that much.

Ethel at Court Gardens

2008-10-16T13:07:00.000-07:00

Ethel has been busy over the Summer, not content with a trip to Paris and Spain she also visited The Court Gardens as part of her Spring Collection research.

Ethel finds herself in a dark place.

She is not impressed by all the green stuff on the pond as she can't see her reflection.

After what seems like hours of walking Ethel reaches an impasse. What pray tell lies behind the gate ? and why did she not bring her hat.

It's no use the gate won't budge, Ethel is a lady so no climbing for her. You'll remember her fall into the Spanish ruin on her last vacation. She has learnt her lesson. Ethel begins to panic as the SPF she has on will only last another hour and a tan is so last year.

Fed up, she consults the map to find out where the coffee shop is and is horrified by the walk to get there. Ethel is definitely not the outdoorsy type.

Thanks to Ciara for her great pictures. Coming soon to the blog, Wally in Le Havre Part 2, The arrival of Julius and The Secret Diary of Hairy hank. Watch this space.

Troy goes Baywatch in San Elijo

2008-10-11T12:50:00.001-07:00

Troy the new poster boy of the FTB's recently went on a camping trip to San Elijo State Beach. It was blustery and there was a lightning storm (not so good when in a tent with metal poles!) which for California is unusual weather but it didn't stop inquisitive Troy investigating the beach. If you have a google email address you can sign up as an FTB follower and will receive a notice each time a blog is posted when you sign into your account. Don't forget only 3 pages left in the FTB calendar so get your images in soon to be included.

Troy checks out the waves and wishes he had his wetsuit.

In order to get a better view Troy ignores warnings and climbs up a fence.

Troy spies another sign and notes that the lifeguard isn't on duty and decides to take matters into his own hands.

Troy waits for the people to disperse before making a move.He decides to consult Sanford the old sage about his plan. Sanford gives him the thumbs up.

Troy climbs up on the lifeguard tower whilst no one is watching and commences his self-imposed duties.

All seems well.

Oh, no someone is giving him the evil eye. Troy decides to scarper sharpish.

It isn't long however before he spies another empty lifeguard tower but he decides he's not that keen on getting wet as the tide is rising and he doesn't want to get stranded.

Cynthia goes to see Beckham

2008-10-07T16:41:00.000-07:00

Cynthia makes her first appearance in this blog and is the first I believe to attend a sporting event. She was taken to see LA Galaxy better known as the team David Beckham plays for. It was quite a warm night so Cynthia was quite overwhelmed by all the running about, as she doesn't really understand the offside rule. Thanks to Heidi who despite having sporadic internet reception sent me these great pictures. If your FTB has met anyone famous please send me a picture to coolcrafter@gmail.com thank-you.

Cynthia takes on fluids, its a warm night after all.

Cynthia spies a kindred spirit on the pitch. She doesn't think he's a player but what is he doing on the pitch ?

Cynthia is surprised by the number of family members at the game. They must have got together beforehand as they are all wearing the same shirt.
They really are going too fast, thinks Cynthia she can't keep up with the pace.

Almost at the end, Cynthia debates whether to head for the car now or wait till the game finishes. Its so much easier when you can pause and rewind.

Update on Wally's friend - Lilia the fairy bear

2008-10-06T11:25:00.000-07:00

You may recall that Lillia the fairy bear featured in the September blog Wally settles in. I had enquired as to how Lillia was doing as she didn't accompany Wally on his holiday in Mallorca where he got into all sorts of trouble after his afternoon Margueritas. I received this email by way of explanation.

Sadly Lillia was doing just fine when the excitement of moving into her own house next door to Wally's made her dance more than her condition would allow. thankfully her owner's mother is experienced with this sort of thing so will be back on the mend very quickly!

We wish Lillia a speedy recovery !! ( I love the decor, what fantastic chairs.)

FTB's spawns cottage industry !

2008-10-06T10:14:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to report that the FTB's have inspired a range of cards by the talented and enterprising Miss Emily Burford who's still at school ! (oh to have been so industrious at that age!) who handmakes each one which are available to buy in the UK. They are priced at a very reasonable 50P/$1 each so stock up for those birthdays. Emily can be contacted at trendyemm@hotmail.co.uk
Emily has been an ardent contributor to the blogs and I encourage her efforts. I think they are fantastic.If you have been inspired to write a story, comic, drawing etc drop me a line and I'll feature it on the blog.

FTB's in Paris

2008-10-01T09:47:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in a previous blog. Ethel, Constance and Wally are back from Paris and their owners have sent me a bunch of pictures of their tour de Paris.

The journey begins, no Eurostar for our intrepid trio as they brave the seas on a ferry.

They listen to some music to drown out the sound of the engines and combat the nausea from the rocking of the boat.
Ethel arrives and hasn't the energy to unpack.

Wally and Ethel are the first to bed once they are settled in their Parisian Hotel.They are not impressed that they have to share a bed and that Constance somehow got separated.

Wally gets an attack of the munchies and sneaks off for a midnight snack. He misjudges the depth of the tin and spends the night surrounded by biscuits.

Ethel revitalised checks out the sights and marvels at the Eiffel Tower.
Ethel likes it so much she buys one for herself and when in Paris the beret must be worn.

Ethel outside the Notre Dame Cathedral, she wonders if the Hunchback still lives there ?

Constance gets into a spot of bother.

Constance and Wally pay their respects at the Memorial at Vimy Ridge.

Wally wonders off to check out the museum.Wally decides to climb a wall of sandbags for a better view.

Wally always up to no good loses his friends at the Louvre. A man in a beret appears to think someone is taking his picture judging by the po.

Outside the Pompidou Centre, the trio prepare for an afternoon of art and culture. According to my sources apparently it didn't smell very nice inside so they didn't enjoy it that much.

Ethel once again house hunting thinks the Palace at Versailles would make a great residence.The trio are impressed by the spectacular gardens at Versaille. Ethel thinks it would be a great spot to show her fashion collection.

Ethel and Constance take a cheeky picture in front of the naked lady to show their friends.

Wally, Constance and Ethel despite being ignored when queuing for toilets and travelling in lifts have thoroughly enjoyed their Parisian jaunt but the real world beckons and they have to get back to their responsabilities. Thanks to Ciara, Sophie and Emily for their fabulous pictures.

The Arrival of Brenda

2008-09-26T13:08:00.000-07:00

Brenda is newly arrived in the UK, having jetted in from the US. I received these photos showing her arrival and subsequent meeting with Constance. Apologies to Ciara as I wrongly attributed the last entry to her brother and was soon set straight! The next blog is like an episode of Neighbours (angst ridden sitcom) crossed with Changing Rooms (home makeover programme)... jealousy, rivalry and interior design ! Words and pictures provided by Emily.
I am currently working on an FTB calendar so there's still time to submit your photos to be included. So far Fred, Ethel, Wally, Constance, Hairy Hank, Herman and Clarence have their own month so hurry with your high resolution photos.

Constance and Brenda meet for the first time outside Constance's house.

Constance is jealous of Brenda's good looks so turns her back on her, but deep down she wants to be her buddy.

Brenda is hurt by the rejection and seeks solace in a nearby bush. Constance feels guilty for being so mean and pleads for forgiveness. (She is not particularly fond of heights either)

Brenda accepts Constance's apology and they make their way back to Constance's house. Brenda being quite the confident American discusses plans to spruce things up a bit Brenda style. (Could she be the next Laurence Llewellyn Bowen ?)

After an hour of huffing and pouffing the two monsters admire their handy work.

It's been a long day but finally they both get some sleep, from rocky beginnings they have forged a monster friendship.

Samson - The Comic

2008-09-24T13:16:00.001-07:00

It's been awhile since I've heard from Samson so I called the owner for a status update. The creative genius that he is, is working on an original comic book featuring hairy Hank and Samson as well as some other well known brand toys. It'll be a month he says but to whet your appetite here is Samson's Day. After reading it I'm sure you'll agree it's worth the wait. Ethan the owner is 9 but already has a great vocabulary!

Don't forget to visit the Etsy shop as I've added some new FTB's to the collection.

Wally in Mallorca

2008-09-22T13:10:00.001-07:00

They say a picture can speak a thousand words and even without Sophie the owners corroboration I can tell that Wally got himself in a spot of bother on holiday in Mallorca. It seems to be catching among the FTB group, first Fred gets arrested in LA and Constance goes to jail in Ireland now Wally seems to have had a narrow escape from the firm hand of the law. Read on for the full story.

Wally eyes the spectacular view from his apartment window.

Wally apparently took a rather unexpected dip into the hotel pool, unexpected because he was still fully dressed !!
Wally spies a bar in the distance, he's parched and can't wait to sample the local fare.

Wally orders a strawberry daquirri (non-alcoholic) from the menu but it would appear that his Spanish wasn't quite up to par and they thought he said "more alcohol".

Uh, oh everything is going blurry, he can't seem to focus.

After dancing the night away, Wally finds himself stuck in a cactus with a sombrero on his head. "Help me, he moans." to no one in particular as its 5am and everyone knows the Spaniards don't wake up till noon. Wally can feel his face burning as the sun is already quite powerful. He can't quite remember what happened to him last night.

Wally finally makes a decision as the thorns from the cactus start to really poke him and jumps. Unfortunately he misses the nearby bush and lands on the not so forgiving concrete. He is rescued by a passerby a few hours later and is prescribed bed rest for the remainder of the holiday till his bruises subside. Poor Wally.....

Constance in Ireland

2008-09-15T09:46:00.000-07:00

Constance has been holidaying in Ireland but it was not be an uneventful vacation. Her owner Emily has done a fantastic job of recording her stay there and I have taken a bit of artistic licence with the text. Enjoy.

Constance boarding the plane to Dublin, she is a bit worried as her owner looks like being the last to board and she really doesn't want to miss the flight.

Constance is relieved to arrive at Dublin airport but where o where is her luggage ?

Constance can only look on as her fellow travellers wheel their suitcases into the Ramada hotel. What is a hairstylist to do without her tools ?

Constance tries to relax and not think about her misfortune at the meeting of the waters.

Thankfully Constance doesn't need her sunblock or towel at Bray beach. If there's one thing to make Constance smile it's shopping. Fortunately she had travel insurance so she is able to replace some of her missing items one of which is her Frizz Ease. What is a girl to do without straightening irons ?

At the heather fields Constance is glad to not have to encounter another living soul.

The sheep don't seem to mind Constance's frizzy hair, there's no way she's putting her snaps up on facebook that's for sure.

Constance gets a phonecall at the Ramada inn asking her to appear at the local police station. Her suitcase has turned up.

But wait, Constance's baggage it seems contained some Hair Dye which is on the prohibited item list. It seems Constance's suitcase was blown up at Gatwick Airport as a precaution and Constance is arrested !!
Inside Wicklow Gaol. " There's been a terrible mistake, I'm innocent, she says." No, one pays her any attention.
Her loud screams and protest land her into more trouble and she is locked up.

This is not turning out to be the holiday she was hoping for as Constance contemplates a night in Jail.

To be Continued ..........

Herman The German

2008-09-12T15:59:00.001-07:00

Herman makes his first appearance on the FTB blog and does so in style. He has been to Austria and his owner Sophy has provided both the pictures and accompanying text so a big thank you. Austria seems like a very nice holiday destination with plenty to see and do.

I hear that a few of the FTB's will be going to Paris together as Ethel visits the home of fashion with a few of her friends. As part of the marketing for the FTB revolution I have some exclusive FTB postcards which I will be happy to send to readers of this blog. Please send an email to coolcrafter@gmail.com and I will send you some as a thank-you for supporting me and the FTB's.

Meet Herman the German suitably renamed for this trip seeing as Austrian's speak German. Herman is staying in two locations on this trip: Bad Hofgastein and then Bad Ischl.

Herman takes a look at his home for the first week of his trip, which includes the beautiful church spire and backdrop of the Alps.

Bad Hofgenstein Park. Herman rides a giant chess knight while his owner Sophy plays against her sister. Herman is very excited about the next two weeks !
Herman looks down on the town from the mountainside.
Halfway up the mountain, Herman sees a bird who seems strangely silent to him !
Krimmler Wasserfall ( Krimml Waterfall in English!) Herman tries not to get wet at the highest waterfall in Europe ! It is so powerful, the spray from it goes everywhere !
Dorfgastein Solarbad ( Dorgenstein outdoor pool in English!) Herman loves swimming in this little warm pool at the outdoor swimming complex in the heart of the mountains ( The Alps) but like his owner, Sophy, he is not brave enough to try the much bigger cold pool!

Grossglockner Berg' (Grossglockner Mountain in English!) Herman loved visiting the ice glacier at the summit of the tallest mountain in Austria, but was suprised the glacier didn't melt in the blazing sun! Gmunden' Herman looks across Lake Traunsee to the
other side of Gmunden, and a beautiful mountain.

The Home of Mozart' Herman enjoyed visiting Mozart's House and the Mirabell Gardens in Salzburg. He thought that this water fountain was very pretty.

Wolfgangsee' Herman sits at the bow of the boat looking out over Lake Wolfgangsee, and giving instructions to Sophy on how to drive the boat better.

'Zauners' Herman hangs out at Zauners, THE place to go in Bad Ischl (only the best is good enough for a perfectionist like Herman!). It is a Konditorei (coffee and cake place - they are everywhere in Austria) which sells delicious traditional Austrian cakes. (Yum!)

Zauners' Herman makes freinds with a native snail.

'Zauners' Herman befreinds a chocolate hedgehog.

Jasper in New York

2008-09-10T14:56:00.000-07:00

Jasper was lucky enough to be whisked away to New York with his owner Thyme, having never left Orange County he was overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle of the big apple.

Jasper in Central Park, he wishes he had bought his comfy walking shoes.Jasper thoroughly exhausted is relieved to get in a cab to his next destination, safety first he grasps the strap as the driver weaves his way through the city traffic.

At the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Jasper is fascinated by the fallen angels and tries to figure out how they got into that strange position.

After a hard days sightseeing, Jasper relaxes in a bar, being underage he orders a lime and soda careful to avoid the burning candle.

Jasper is given a goodnight kiss as its his bedtime. He can't wait for his next adventure.
Thanks to Thyme for the great photos.

Wally in Le Havre, France - Part 1

2008-09-08T09:31:00.000-07:00

Wally has had a very busy Summer, you may recall he took in and brought back to health the fairy bear in his last blog. In the first of a two part blog Sophie reveals what he's been up to in France. Wally is obviously a keen horticulturalist who appreciates the finer things in life and isn't afraid of a bit of an adventure. Thanks to Sophie for her terrific pictures and captions. Only one question did the fairy bear get left behind ?

Wally arrives at La Mesangerie just outside Le Havre In Normandy,France where Sophie's grandparents live.

He is amazed at the variety in colour!

He is impressed by the number of different plant types!
Wally gets in a fix as he tries to ring the old fashioned door bell.

He is overwhelmed by the choice of refreshing drinks after his long journey. What should he choose?

Wally meets the handsome ginger cat,Chpounz who invites him to nap with him but there is much to explore...

Beauford's MIniature Donkey Debut

2008-09-04T09:34:00.000-07:00

Beauford has been adopted by a miniature donkey enthusiast and has taken to the sport like a duck to water. Thanks to Sarah for the pictures and if you are wondering why your pictures haven't made it to a blog, apologies I have a bit of a backlog but rest assured they'll be coming soon. If you haven't already subscribed, you can now become a follower of the blog and will be notified each time there's a new blog and other news. So please do !!

Beauford makes his debut at the Coastal Oaks Miniature Donkey Show. It was 112 degrees the first time he came out to play so he tries to find a spot of shade as he was previously living in a cooler climate .

Beauford finds a donkey he can actually ride at his neighbours house.

Beauford makes his miniature donkey show debut with the National Champion and his owner Sarah. He has the job of giving pep talks to calm the Champion's nerves.

Constance holiday's in Barry, Wales

2008-09-01T09:26:00.001-07:00

Constance appears to have had a great time in Wales, thanks to Emily for her great pictures and captions.

Wally settles in

2008-09-01T08:22:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Sophie for the wonderful story and pictures. Wally has obviously made many friends and has a very considerate owner. Have you got a photo of your monster at home if so email it to me at coolcrafter@gmail.com.

Feeling lonely Wally decides to visit his new neighbours in Rose Cottage.

They turn their noses up at him and leave him on his own.

Feeling down Wally tries the neighbours on the other side who
thankfully give him a cheerful warm welcome. He stays till late talking with them.

When Wally eventually got into bed and fell asleep he was suddenly awakened by a terrible bump.He went out to investigate and found a beautiful but unconcious fairy bear outside his door.

He brings her into his house and cares for her alll through the night, even though he is exhausted,until she is breathing steadily.

Wally is now very happy in his neighbourhood as he has made friends and has Lillia living with him who is gaining strength eveery day.

Wally found out she was called Lillia and he introduced her to his friendly neighbours who took to her immediately.They now go out for walks together as one big group with Lillia on a sledge as she is quite weak after her crash landing.

Ethel goes to Spain - Part 2

2008-09-01T08:14:00.000-07:00

Ethel had more adventures in Spain than her previous post would suggest, she also visited some rural spots looking for inspiration for her next fashion collection. She is going rustic this season .Ethel contemplates life.

Ethel wonders how she got here, she misses the buzz of the big city and her minions waiting on her hand and foot.

Ethel spots the perfect rustic getaway and takes a closer peek.
So the path would definitely need fixing, she thinks. This just wouldn't do.
She spies a window and can't resist a peek.This place needs a little work but with a bit of imagination........Ethel's creative mind starts racing. Overcome with excitement at the prospect of this bijou dwelling she loses her footing.

Ethel lands with a thud and bangs her head. What was I thinking, I can't live in the sticks, she says to herself. She realises the perfect rustic getaway is not so perfect after all.
Ethel takes one last look before biding farewell to the countryside.

Back to the city at last Ethel breathes a sigh of relief, pavement, transport, shopping..... Ethel decides the rustic life is not for her. She is a city girl.

She takes a stroll through the city, admiring the marvellous fountain and thinking about her next trip to Paris.

Thanks again to Ciara for her fabulous photos, I look forward to the Paris adventure.

Ethel goes to Spain - Part 1

2008-08-28T13:37:00.000-07:00

Although I hadn't heard from Ethel since her fashion trip it seems that in between her hectic schedule as a fashion designer she's managed to get away from it all for a bit of rest and recuperation. These are her latest pictures, she made sure she was wearing SPF50 so that she wouldn't burn her flawless skin.

Ethel and co-ordinating towel on the beach.

Ethel spies some fashion disasters in the swimwear department. "Too tight, too bright,no, no,no" she mutters under her breath. She regrets leaving her sunglasses behind.

Ethel doesn't show much enthusiasm when it comes to sand castle building. She enjoys managing others.

After a hard day at the beach, Ethel stops by at the Churreria to some hot chocolate with churros. She is on holiday and is not calorie counting !

Thanks to Ciara Hughes for her fantastic portraits, stay tuned for part 2 of Ethel's Vacation coming soon. If you have been on holiday with your FTB don't forget to email me some pictures to: coolcrafter@gmail.com

Constance in her new home

2008-07-28T11:08:00.000-07:00

Its been a while since the last post but just when I was beginning to lose faith in the Furry Travel Buddy revolution. News came in from England about Constance and my faith was restored ! Along with the email, there is also exciting news that Wally will be going to Mallorca, Herman will be visiting Austria and Ethel will be sunning herself in Vigo.

But back to the fantastic pictures taken by Emily of the very pink Constance at the hair salon and in her very plush home (colour co-ordinating of course).

Constance contemplates her new look.

She decides against it after realising the effort it would take to maintain it.

Constance enjoys a cup of tea at home.

Constance does her hair before bed.

Constance gets some well deserved beauty sleep.