Pet Costume Contest extended 1 week!

Due to overwhelming suggestions from my readers (ok, one!), I will extend the Pet Costume Contest one more week, till next Wednesday, October 21st, to give people more time to enter. Since I have only 4 contestants, I think we could afford to wait one more week for more participation! IMPORTANT: Be sure and use this e-mail address or else it will get lost or accidentally deleted: HoneyBeeCrochet@live.com Thank you!

Pet Costume Contestant No. 4

This is a Western or European Honey Bee* from a hive belonging to my beekeeper friends Glenn and Jess of The Beneficial Bee. "Bee Farmer" This particular Apis mellifera is dressed as a farmer sitting on her green John Deer. *Western or European Honey Bee: is our number 1 pollinator, because the bee can be domesticated and transported all over the country to pollinate crops that would otherwise go unharvested. We owe every third bite of food to the bees! The average life span of the honey bee is only about 28 to 35 days. Honey bees are in danger because of CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder) which will compromise our food supply. This is what Jess said on her blog about her hubby: "I decided to dress up one of our bees for my friend Doris’s pet costume contest. Did Glenn roll his eyes at my picture of a bee on a tiny John Deere? No. He enhanced the photo with the most amazing bee-sized boots and hat." And that, ladies and gents, is a wrap! I think I've seen it all!

Die Brockenhexe or the Witch of Blocksberg

Growing up in Germany, I have been exposed to a multitude of folklore, sagas, fairy tales and pagan customs and traditions that are uncommon in the "new country." Since this is the season of witches and goblins, I thought some of you might find it interesting, or entertaining at best, to learn about the Brockenhexe, or the witch of the Brocken Mountain (Blocksberg.) DISCLAIMER: Don't worry, my Christian friends, I did not suddenly become demonized or superstitious. I am merely sharing some of my childhood experiences, since - after all - I grew up in Germany for 19 years. This is only for entertainment and educational purposes and in no way am I endorsing witchcraft or sorcery. As I started to say, the Brockenhexe is a fictional character in the Harz mountain range spanning the regions of Thueringen and Sachsen. Just as America is comprised of several states, Germany also has different regions that have their own customs, dialects, foods, music, folklore and traditions. A little trivia about me: I and the BMW (Bavarian Motor Works) come from the region of Bavaria. Everyone who was born and raised in Germany knows of the Brockenhexe, who is, by the way, a kindly spirit and not intimidating and scary to children, since everybody knows that witches generally love to eat young children, as in the case of Hansel and Gretel. In German folklore, the witches gather during Walpurgisnacht, or Walpurgis Night on the Brocken mountain (or Blocksberg) and hold revels with their gods..." Brocken is the highest of the Harz Mountains of north central Germany. It is noted for the phenomenon of the Brocken spectre and for witches' revels, which reputedly took place there on Walpurgis night, the night of April 30 (May Day's eve.) Walpurgis Night (Walpurgisnacht), the night before May Day, is similar to Halloween in that it has to do with supernatural spirits. And like Halloween, Walpurgisnacht is of pagan origin. The bonfires seen in today's celebration reflect those pagan origins and the human desire to drive away the winter cold and welcome spring. The first two days of November are Allerheiligen (Nov. 1) and Allerseelen (Nov. 2). Related to Halloween, these two holy days are devoted to all of the saints (known and unknown) and to all of the “faithful departed,” respectively. In medieval English, All Saints Day (Allerheiligen) was known as All Hallows. All Hallows Eve (Oct. 31) came to be called “Halloween.” Eastern Orthodox Christians celebrate All Saints Day on a different date, on the first Sunday after Whitsunday (Pfingsten). In Protestant areas of Germany, Totensonntag or Ewigkeitssonntag is a similar observance for the dearly departed. This Protestant version of All Soul's Day is observed in November on the Sunday prior to the first Advent Sunday. OK, and now that I have totally confused everyone with TMI, I wish you a wonderful holiday, no matter how you celebrate, as long as nobody gets hurt! If you're feeling particularly adventurous, then buy a ticket and take a ride: Let one of the Brockenhexen fly you over the Harz mountainrange and dance over the fire on Walpurgisnacht ....weeeeeeeee Kittens ride free!!! Happy Halloween, dearies!

Pet Costume Contestant No. 3

This is Echo. Echo is a four year old Boston Terrier* who loves the park, playing fetch and ... going to the moon! "Astromutt" - featuring Echo in his astronaut costume: Aw, just look at that adorable face! * Boston Terrier: Though you couldn't call him either pugnacious or aggressive, the Boston Terrier is a dog able enough to defend himself should the need arise. A Cambridgian charmer, the Boston is a well-bred, highly intelligent dog with no small amount of inbred self-importance. (The Mini-Atlas of Dog Breeds by A. DePrisco and J. B. Johnson) Echo's photo was submitted by David of David Kittle Design. This is a great photo. Thank you so much for entering your Echo in my Pet Costume Contest!

Pet Costume Contestant No. 2

Meet Woody. His photos were submitted by Sandi of Bearly Sane Studio. Sandi says that Woody is 13 and 1/2 year old Shih Tzu-Poodle* mix and he loves to dress up. He suffers from selective deafness, talks to his dinner before eating it, is generally a happy and quiet dog, except for when he wants something. This photo shows Woody in a Santa hat, practicing his Santa Claus impression: "Ho-ho Woody" Here is a picture of Woody wearing his lounging or jogging suit: "Canine Comfort" What a sweetheart! Way to go Woody!!! Thank you for entering my Pet Costume Contest. *Shih Tzu: (aka Chrysanthemum Dog) Described as nearly human in his response to affection, the Shih Tzu is forthcoming and generous. One very tough home companion that is prized for his tremendous resilience and carefree big-dog attitude is described by his owner as "scary." *Poodle: The Miniature Poodle makes the ideal home companion; his small size and lively disposition make him both easy to keep and easy to enjoy. Grooming and coat care are required, but not to the extent that many overboard enthusiasts venture.

Pet Costume Contestant No. 1

I'm so excited. I finally received my FIRST entry for my Pet Costume Contest. Julie is entering her Pembroke Welsh Corgi* named Lucy and since there are no other entries, I'm showing you two photos of her lovely outfits. Lucy is three years old and she has been in training all her life. She is working hard to earn an Agility title. The first photo shows Lucy as a cool ladybug, wearing her sunglasses: "Lucybug" The second picture shows Lucy in her Witch's costume: "Witch Lucy" *Pembroke Welsh Corgi: A bold and kindly expression well befits this home-loving and energetic little dog. Despite his wee size, this Welshman is a vigilant and responsible watchdog. He is affectionate with his own and greatly admired for his superior intelligence... (The Mini-Atlas of Dog Breeds by A. DePrisco and J.B. Johnson) I think Lucy looks adorable! Thank you, Julie, for entering your dear doggy. I hope we'll get more entries, now that you have kick started the contest. You can learn more about Lucy and her family onWorkingonadream-Julie. I'd love to see more critters in their costumes, and remember, it's for any animal, not only for cats and dogs! REMEMBER last day to submit photos of your pet(s) - ANY pets - is Wednesday, October 14th and that's less than a week away. So hurry and send me an e-mail with your photos. Please note that I am changing the rules slightly by entering two photos of your pet(s) to give the readers more choices.

Another Trophy for my Bumble-Boy

Gizzy placed third in the category of "pet/owner look-alike" because the judges liked the fact that I was the beekeeper (with my mosquito net and gardening gloves) and he was the bee. Aside from Gizzy, there were four other dogs dressed in bee costumes, only my boy looked the cutest (but I'm sure all dog owners are saying that today.) I had him in the "best costume" category when the lady asked me to switch to the "dog/owner look alike" since there were so many bee costumes. There were a total of three categories: "best costume", dog/owner look-alike" and "agility" with an obstacle course. It wasn't till I got home that I saw Gizzy's trophy had the wrong category on it, because it says "Agility", but who cares? Gizzy has another trophy! Now he has two on his trophy wall, one from the Honey Bee Festival in 2007 (because we did not go last year.) All the contestants received a goody bag containing information, coupons and samples. Before the actual dog show started, we had a demonstration from some Special Forces dogs, one of which was with President Obama recently to "protect and serve." I was so impressed! There were several Airforce men explaining and demonstrating attack and hold, search and seize maneuvers...it was very interesting! Then they let two dogs loose on that poor fella in that big "bad guy" suit. It actually looked like these dogs and the trainers were having fun. Look on the very lower left hand corner and you'll see that young spectator dog paying very close attention. I bet he was taking notes! Gizzy barked when the chase was on, because he wanted a piece of the action. He could have dangled from that guy's pants leg like an aligator clip, because when we play tug-o-war with Miss Piggy, he's got a grip on her so strong that I can pick him up off the ground and he won't let go...he's mucho macho! He thinks he's a German Shepherd trapped in a Pekingese body ;-) I had to stand back a little, so I could not hear everything that was explained to us, but from what I saw, these dogs really know their business. Here's Gizzy and I in front of the judges...one of them took this picture of us. If Gizzy hadn't been looking up at me so adoringly, I would have cropped myself right out of that photo. I'm as big as a house! I'm also crouching down a little, which does not help, but only makes me look like I'm sitting on the toilet (how embarrassing!) This is what the judges saw, because someone in their tent snapped this endearing photo of my bumble-boy! Looks like the antennae are growing right out of his head, doesn't it? This is Gizzy sitting on his "rig" which is nothing but my rollator walker and a basket full of necessities when going out with the boy. It's just like going out with a baby - you have to be sure you've got enough water, a water bowl, paper towels, disinfectant wet wipes (especially now), some snacks in case he gets hungry, a camera for those "oh so cute" photos and a little money for my fried green tomatoes. I know, I needed those like a hole in the head, but since I was so disappointed with my last batch at the Flatlanders Arts & Crafts Fair, I was determined to get my fried green tomatoes fix here. Then I spotted these two Southern ladies who looked to me like they knew how to cook. Sure enough, they fixed me up with the tastiest batch of fried green tomatoes I've ever had. Cooked through and through, crunchy and seasoned just right. Since life's a trade off, I decided that eating these will be worth the inevitable heartburn later. I also bought a batch of fresh tomatoes to take home and some local honey. There was a climbing rock and pony rides away from Main Street where all the vendors lined the sidewalks. I did not get a chance to take any photos of vendor booths (nor did I find my friend's booth who sells the reborn baby dolls) as it was next to impossible to stop with my rig. I was being sucked into the flow of pedestrian traffic. It reminded me of being on one of Southern California's freeways again when nobody would let me over and I ended up somewhere I didn't want to be. There were so many people that you could barely see all the vendor booths and since the pedestrians had to share the street with the traffic, it got to be very tricky at times. I read on the Honey Bee Festival website that there are over 20,000 people visiting this annual festival in a city that's 2.2 sqaure miles with a population of approximately 2,465. The Fire Department was there - love those firefighters! When the clouds started to look a bit dark, I decided it was a good time to go home. Besides, it was very, very hot and the parade was about to start that was announced would last about two hours - there was no way we would have lasted that long, since Gizzy was beginning to pant and there was no shade to be found as many people lined the streets early to save a good spot. Here's one more silly picture of Gizzy. You would not believe how many people walked up to us asking me if they could photograph my bumble-boy and, of course, I said yes, feeling very, very proud! This is what it looked like driving home. The dark clouds disappeared and it didn't rain on the parade. Gizzy was snoozing on the passenger seat - and is sleeping still. Being cute is so very, very exhausting (not that I would know!) Hope you enjoyed our little trip to Hahira!