two dogs and a frog

leopard frog, to be exact.

Ellroy - gopher slayer

Ellroy takes offense to unruly pocket gophers that dig up his dad's lawn...

Instagram Pups

Actually two pups and chick who thinks she's a pup.

Ellroy the Convict

Ellroy vs. Peter

Cottontail, that is.
Strange, but true: a Red-tailed Hawk swooped low, it's talons full and fuzzy. The sun real bright, sky so clear, and PLOP! Out fell a rabbit, cottontail-type, right there off coast of Los Angeles, like an offering from the gods, deus ex machina. And the rabbit fell, still kicking -- just barely. And Ellroy got his first rabbit -- albeit with the help of a very clumsy Red-tailed Hawk...

Along the Craggy Coast

Somewhere between Oregon and Mexico, the pooch had a good swim, battled a few crabs, even confronted a sea lion corpse. Ellroy seemed taken aback, but took it in stride.

Ellroy & the Sar-pent

Friendly stroll along the coast w/the pooches -- off the leash, galloping through high brush, when Ellroy goes ape.
Shit, that is...Ellroy goes ape-shit, as if baby Jesus himself descended from heaven and presented my boy a bloody t-bone.
Now that I think of it, religious overtones were most definitely present.
He caught himself a Sar-pent.

A Pacific Gopher Snake, to be precise.

And before Ellroy administered the final death blow (a maniacal thrashing), I managed to save the beast.
Back to the bush he went.

A beautiful little creature, somehow surviving, hopefully thriving.

God speed...and beware the Ellroy.

Ellroy and I @ Night

the night sky is clear -- street lights humming, bathing the boulevard yellow.

i can hear my breathing.

i can feel my chest rise and fall.

cigarette pursed between the teeth.

the dog is pulling, so i let Ellroy off the leash.

he gallops.

the little guy gets airborne and skids to a stop, sensing something.

looks back to me, like a beacon of safety/security.

so i go to him.

his eyes are big, black and wet.

pick him up, he clings.

literally -- paws curled on my shoulder.

nestles his face against mine.

it's grizzled right now.

haven't shaved in quite some time.

don't need to.

but it's grizzled and cold and numb and the smoke drifts up.

climbs my face and waters my eyes.

Ellory figets.

he licks.

nuzzles.

and i continue down the street, towards the mailbox.

netflix needs to be mailed.

but it's goddamn cold tonight.

nose froze, ears tingling, lips wet with chapstick.

Ellroy nuzzles again.

he's scared.

not sure why, but he's scared.

i'm really not sure.

maybe it's the emptiness of the street.

the asphalt glowing yellow, humming.

maybe that's it.

or the quiet.

it is very quiet tonight, spare the containers down at the docks.

they echo up along the coast, climbing the hill and we hear it.

ships setting sail to faraway ports -- horns blown twice, out the breakwater and over the horizon they go...

not even the ghetto bird is out tonight. no WHOOP WHOOP WHOOP overhead.

no spotlights ablaze among empty thouroufares.

it's just me and Ellroy.

walking.

just me and Ellory and I think I see someone out in the distance.

a dark figure, cutting across the street.

hunched and direct, going somwheres.

but he crosses, i loose him.

Ellroy nuzzles.

Ellroy licks.

I set him down and he just looks up at me.

Just sits his butt down and looks.

I ask him what's up.

his head cocks left, right.

maybe he understands, because he whines.

so I pick him up and we head out under the yellowed halogens, all alone -- the cars off at bars; shopping centers; work; who knows.

the people are gone.

maybe inside their homes.

with family.

friends.

i inhale deep.

hold it.

hold it.

and exhale.

Ellory and I keep walking towards the mailbox.

-- the night very cold. very empty.

Ellroy con Hoodie

Care of my old buddy Andy.

ellroy, the craprobat

he is indeed, dropping a duece.

and i've no clue why.

Ellroy # 7

a dog's life...

He's kind of a big deal.

Ellroy, that is.

genuine spokes-doggie.

http://www.doxidelight.com/dachsie.htm

Annabelle

she was this little furry face behind bars.

pound puppy wanting a touch.

now she's got Annika;

and Ellroy;

and me.

street theatre

man screaming @ woman, right now.
there's a scuffle outside.
woman is yelling...more like yelping.
man; the guy; the peasant-reincarnate, is ordering her into his truck.
but she doesn't wanna go.
"NO!""
and she's up the street now.
he's in hot pursuit.
there's more yelling and i've chambered my .45ACP.
no -- i'm not actually that crazy.
but when you deal with this...jackassery on a near daily basis, you prepare yourself.
and as a matter of fact, it really doesn't bother me much.
not that much.
just the initial realization -- man and woman re-enacting kitchen sink drama on street.
for free.
with really bad dialogue by way of an angry co-ed.
piss and vinegar and some jersey shore.
and woman, well, she's taking cues from Friday the 13th.
yelping loudly.
screeching.
running -- no, not running -- slow jogging away.
mating ritual of sorts?

have half a mind to walk outside and intercede.
but you know what?
Ellroy needs his foodies...

?Ellroy numero cinco...o es de seis?

nonetheless, the lil' guy's growing. inch by inch, day by day. a dachshund shnoz ; a long lean torso; stubs for feet; and an omnipresent tail -- waging @ hyper-speed. tad rambunctious as of late -- SOP for pooch's packing pint-sized prairie oysters, ya dig?

ellroy et annabel en action

ellroy and annabel in the heat of battle.

no really, they actually love each other.

really...

if you zoom in on ellroy, he looks a bit...possessed by the devil.

the little guy

had a good day.

and i even blinked my right eye.

Ellory and the Park

he's a digger

ellroy # 4

few days ago @ japs cove, ellroy sloshed through the tide pools. pooch slept real good that night...

it was bound to happen

and it did.

ellroy.

a cigar.

a good cigar.

$10.99 cigar.

celebration of sorts.

a little splurge. and i was planning on puff puff puffing away as i wrote tonight.

but little ole' ellroy somehow managed to chomp the goddamn thing.

my $10.99 arturo fuente grand reserva cigar.

trying to smoke it as we speak.

this mangled piece of tobacco.

terrible.

-- frayed and split and looking like an orangutan's penis.

can barely pull smoke.

matter of fact the goddamn thing is basically a fat stick of incense.

tobaccy incense.

smells good enough, i guess.

pepper;

cedar;

and leather.

yeah...leather.

alas, christoff of yesteryear woulda smacked the shit outa ellroy.

there was that second or two where i contemplated knocking him around,

but i just couldn't.

so damn little. so damn vulnerable. me this big galoot.

i yelled though.

loud and angry and little 'ole ellroy looked up @ me.

kid had no clue.

probably wanted to play fetch with it.

"BAD BOY!," i said.

"BAD BOY!"

grabbed him kinda rough, could tell ellroy knew something wasn't kosher.

the jig was up.

put him in the kennel.

shut the lights.

and now little 'ole ellroy's sitting in the dark,

and my ass is sucking away @ this dominican stoogie.

barely pulling smoke.

looking like one of them exploding cigars meant for castro.

hell, it coulda killed him.

ellroy, that is.

but it's been about an hour.

in the dark.

alone.

and ellroy hasn't said a peep.

checked up on him -- he's curled up.

i looked real hard,

and he averted his eyes.

ashamed maybe?

guilty?

scared?

i dunno.

but it was bound to happen.

and it did.