New slideshow!

Here is my latest slideshow about my adventures in northern Georgia.

It took me HOURS of my precious time so I hope you will spend five minutes viewing it.

After clicking on the link below, click on the 4 Paws Farm slideshow.

There is music so turn up the volume and if you right click after the show has started, you can sit back and watch it full screen.

Enjoy!

http://www.photodex.com/sharing/viewalbum.html?bm=51226

Back to L.A. safely

It was a REALLY long flight.

Actually it was only four and a half hours but it felt much, much longer. I found out that there were TWO kids (in one seat, I might add) that were kicking the back of my chair the whole way.

Thankfully I had my awesome iPhone with which to spend some quality time.

Now it's time to pay the bills.

Ugh.

Technology at 10,000 feet

How amazing is it that I can post to my blog while flying on a plane?

In the last half hour I have also downloaded a Kings of Leon song, played with my Army of Darkness app and read about Mackenzie Phillips' shameful life (note to Mac: I think you're great but some things should be kept between you and your shrink).

But it isn't all peaches and cream at this altitude. I have a four year old behind me that is kicking the back of my chair at regular intervals, I am sandwiched in my seat like a canned sardine and every so often I smell something a little odd; I suspect emissions from an older guy sleeping in the chair next to mine.

Before I even got on the plane I was off to a bad start. Like a complete moron I packed a bottle of gourmet honey (costing $30) in my carry-on. It was confiscated by an angry security agent.

She should be happy; now she has something to sweeten her damn tea with!

And if you haven't travelled recently, be prepared to pay for checked luggage. Delta charged me $20 for one suitcase one way. Air Canada charged me the same amount but they managed to screw up the transfer in Denver leaving me without my clothes for 24 hours.

Okay back to checking out more iTunes.



-- Posted from my iPhone

Bonaventure cemetery

One of the most interesting things you can do in Savannah is visit Bonaventure cemetary. It has become a bit of a tourist attraction after the success of the book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil but on a day like today it is practically deserted.

Most of the tourists come to visit the graves of Conrad Aiken, the poet and Johnny Mercer, the lyricist who penned Moon River but I enjoy the gothic atmosphere. Maybe one day I'll visit at midnight under a full moon.

Now it's off to Tybee island to have a drink on the beach ...






-- Posted from my iPhone

Savannah afternoon

After two days of filming in northern Georgia, I made the drive to Savannah.

I can't tell you how good it feels to be back here. Yesterday I walked around for eight hours enjoying the houses, the squares, the oak trees with their Spanish moss and the boats arriving on the Savannah river.

Right now I'm sitting in Forsyth Park watching the tourists take pictures in front of the fountain.

It rained a little this morning but the sun is trying hard to come out. Seems like a good day to have a martini in Bonaventure cemetary.


-- Posted from my iPhone

Return to Georgia

Georgia is on my mind once again.

I'll be spending some time on my friend's organic farm where we'll be doing some shooting.

I know what yer thinking--Dr. Phil is going to be sharp shootin' some turkey pheasant but that ain't the case at'all.

We're shooting some film about the farm.

After a couple of days eating pesticide-free veggies, I'm taking off to Savannah which is one of my favorite places ON EARTH.

Stay tuned. I'll be sure to post some awesome photos.

Find Daisy!

Some very unfortunate news ...

Daisy, Jessica Simpson's beloved Cockapoo was snatched up by a coyote yesterday and is, most likely, gone.

If you are a dog lover, a pet lover or even a sympathetic human being, you can understand what Jessica must be going through right now.

I've had the pleasure of meeting Daisy and she was a very gentle, sweeet little dog. A perfect patient in every way.

Unfortunately coyote attacks in this area are not that uncommon. I recently saw a little kitten who survived an attack but that was highly unusual. Most pets get carried away and are never seen again.

I'm sure there is a large reward for any information. Let's hope somebody has some good news.

Veterinary medicine made simple

I had an owner come in with a very sick cat today. Arthur was older, coming in around 13 years and wasn't doing very well at home. No vomiting or diarrhea. Just seemed lethargic.

The owner told me that she had a rule to tell if a cat was not going to do well.

"If it won't eat tuna or drink milk, then it's going to die."

So much for expensive tests!

This is a simple yet elegant approach to animal health care.

With the economy the way it is, I gotta go get me some tuna for my next patient ...

Death Hike

What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger, right?

I didn't think this applied to hiking!

Like some sort of idiotic angeleno, I decided to get some exercise in Runyon Canyon at noon in near 100 degree heat. Although the exercise was probably good for me, the near death experience from heat stroke was not. In case you are wondering, I DID have water with me but after 10 minutes it was starting to boil and it lost its appeal.

The big problem with Runyon is that it isn't flat. It has quite a steep slope considering that it is nestled in the Hollywood hills. I consider myself in good shape but the 80 degree climb was a little strenuous in the full sun. I wanted to lie down several times but I was afraid that the vultures would think of me as a freshly warmed up snack. I forged ahead and after an hour and a half, I made the full circle. A sweaty hog is pretty much how I would describe myself.

During the hike, I had to keep my mind off my imminent death so I started to think about other things.

For example:

Why in the hell do people take their dogs on this hike in this weather? This is officially a "dog park" but it is not a wise idea to bring your BULL DOG out in this heat. These dogs can't breathe at the best of times (try breathing through a straw and you get an idea of what it is like) and some owners expect them to keep up as they march up the slopes. The same goes for the northern breeds like Huskies and Akitas. These dogs should be running around in snow and not the over baked terrain of southern California.

I felt especially sorry for an obviously older Cocker Spaniel. His owner was in perfect shape but what she failed to realize was that while she is at the gym 7 days out of the week, her canine companion is likely sleeping on the couch. Making him get some fresh air in this kind of weather is not the kindest of ideas. At least she had water for him which she probably needed when his body spontaneously combusted.

The other thing that was bothering me was that there are no bathrooms on this hike unless you count a hidden corner and trust me, there are not a lot of those. Forget it if you are a female. Even for a male, you have to whip it out, get it done and get the hell out of there before the next hiker passes by. This leads to the inevitable conundrum; don't drink a lot of water while hiking and risk dehydration OR hold your bladder and hope it doesn't burst. For the love of all SoCal bladders, when are they going to get port-a-poos on this hike?

Admittedly, it wasn't all bad. Angelenos have some of the best bodies in the world (fake or not) and everyone was in varying stages of undress as they sweated their asses off. The eye candy was the energy drink which kept me going.

I was able to snap some pictures. They aren't up to my usual standard but I was feeling faint and my camera was burning my hands. You can get an idea of the place. It is actually quite beautiful and a nice respite from the overcrowded city.

On a clear day you can see forever.

But not in Hollywood.

Photoshop fun

Just trying out some new techniques in photoshop ...

Malibu Dusty

Dusty had his first trip to the ocean today.

Not sure if he liked it. The waves tried to suck him in, a bigger dog tried to mow him down and the sand was a challenge to walk on but it's important to give him new experiences when he is this old.

It keeps him interested. Otherwise he just sits and stares at the walls all day long.

Be free, Dusty. Be free.

Is it time to go home yet? I think my peke is feeling a little tired.

Dusty escaping the clutches of the ocean.

Next up: skydiving.

Yes, I know what you're thinking. He can't possibly pull the ripcord by himself.

But don't worry, I have decided that Dusty and I are going tandem.

I'm sure we'll be fine.

What is summer

Sitting on a dock in a Canadian lake. Warm weather, quiet water. The stress of L.A. is a thousand miles away.

The dog days. Thinking the season will last forever.

Friendly chipmunks. This guy has collected peanuts since the spring. By now, he must have a mountain of food for a much colder day.

Getting bitch tits from drinking too much beer.

Water skiing. My trick skiis have been with me for nearly 30 years.

Fresh tomatoes. Fresh corn. I had forgotten what they taste like.

And everything is green.

The Canadian flag. You can go home again and everything is pretty much the same as it was.

The cottage life. Things may be worn but they just feel comfortable.

Till next year.

I can't wait.