Passing of Kate Kopprasch

Suddenly, on July 5th, 2010, Kate Kopprasch passed away. She won't be updating Cali's page or acknowledging any e-mails and we wanted to let everyone know.

The Family of Kate Kopprasch and Cali

VALENTINE"S DAY...HMMM?

I seem to be at a loss. Valentine's Day is just around the corner. I've seen the commercials and none of that stuff suits me.
What use do I have for roses? I can't eat them and I can't play with them. Useless is what I think about roses.
Chocolates sound good but I'm afraid I can't eat them. I've heard some real horror stories in regard to canines and chocolates. Not for me is my thought on chocolate.
Who began this tradition of chocolates and roses on Valentine's Day? You can bet your Wooba it wasn't a dog.
Can we change this?
I myself would prefer a pepper. A red pepper would go well with the Valentine theme.
If I do have a secret admirer out there please remember... no roses, no chocolates. A lot of love and a crate of peppers would be most appreciated.

IT NEVER RAINS IN CALIFORNIA!

Rain is not something I am used to anymore. I consider myself a true Southern Cali-fornia schnauzer easily adjusting to sun, sand and palm trees, warm breezes nudging the palm fronds that line the beaches of the blue Pacific.

That all changed on Sunday...and Monday...and Tuesday...and today.
The Pacific has not been blue, it has been grey and angry, rolling and turning with waves over 25 feet. The pier was closed because the waves could wash over the sides and pull someone out to sea. Tomorrow's storms are supposed to be the worst of the week with heavy rain and the possibility of tornados. Tornados in Southern Cali-fornia.

When it rains, it pours!

SCENT-A-MENTALS

As another year comes to a close humans tend to get scent-a-mental.
No need I say. Don't look back, I don't. Get pleasure from the small stuff. That first stretch I make when I wake up...that is joy. The smell of eggs cooking on the range...that is contentment. An unexplored street in front of you...that is challenge. The friends I have made that make my day...that is sheer bliss.
Happy 2010 to all my friends. I wish you good times, good foods and good news. That's not scent-a-mental is it?

MY HIPPO AND ME

I am now the proud owner of a hippopotamus! He is now my best friend. He is just about the only friend I have that will sit and watch me eat a bully stick without wanting one for himself. He is a magnanimous hippopotamus.

I went to a party at my school last week and there were twelve dogs in attendance. My trainer coaxed each of us to try to walk through an eight foot long tube that moved from side to side as we approached. Well I did it! Yeah, me! I walked through that tube without looking back and I won...a hippopotamus. He's a petite hippo that fits in my toy box, he doesn't eat much food and only squeaks when I want him to. I wonder if he's single?

NAUGHTY OR NICE...DOES IT MATTER?

As I enter my first cognizant Christmas holiday, I need some advice. Does it matter how nice I've been? I mean I am nice sometimes, but good gravy, nice all the time would be boring. I am a miniature schnauzer, I bark at everything I see. I have been known to rip apart every toy I have ever possessed. I ate my new leash and tore apart my new harness. But I am very lovable and cute, really cute. Does cute trump nice? Please answer as soon as possible...I'm on a deadline.

MY NEW LEASH

My Mom put my new Coach red leather leash on me today. It matches the collar I have, very chic if I must say so myself.
We had lots of errands to run and I had to wait in the car in some places that don't welcome schnauzers, even chic schnauzers.
Well, back to the story. It seemed extremely boring to this little dog to have to wait in the car and so somewhere between PetSmart and the park I needed a source of entertainment. Viola! That new Coach leash not only looks good but it tastes even better! That leather tasted better than any rawhide bone I ever chewed, almost as good as a bully stick!
My new six foot leather leash is now three feet long. I'm going to have to walk close.

UH-OH

I lived a quiet puppy life in New York, my biggest worry was the squirrels that ran up the trees. I am now a dog living life in the west.
The wild west would be a more accurate description.
Last night at 4 pm I was sitting at my usual post, the glass patio doors, and I saw a cat. This was not a regular kitty, it was big, biggest cat I ever saw. I growled, Mom turned and she saw it too. It was a bobcat.
Squirrels are no longer the threat. I might need help pups. This yard no longer seems like a one schnauzer job.

CALI-Fornia gives me a present!

You have all heard of Cali-fornia, it is the state that is named after me.
Well in honor of my first birthday, the great state of Cali-fornia gave me a surprise present. A rainstorm... it is raining in Southern Cali-fornia, a real rainstorm, the likes of which we haven't seen since we moved here. The wind is blowing, the palms are bending, and the rain is pouring down.
Thank you Cali-fornia for the best water party this schnauzer has ever seen!

ME? NOT A PUPPY?

Today I am one year old. Am I now supposed to be a mature and responsible little schnauzer that carries herself with dignity and grace?
I am sorry pups, I can't do that!
I am not quite ready to give up my confetti making or the destruction of all stuffed toys large or small. I still love to zoom all over my house, in circles and zig zags to confuse my imaginary enemies. I love to sneak in on a target using a special puppy method that I employ when I steal something that I am not supposed to have and hide it under the bed for my later enjoyment, like Mom's hair clip, the one she really loves. I may give it to her for Christmas.
The calendar says that I am one but I still feel like the same puppy. Anybody want to play?