Sid has decided to start his own business; a snow removal business.

Yep, you heard me correctly. Let me back up a minute and I think you’ll see why it makes perfect sense. It all started when we went outside during my lunch break to check out the freshly fallen snow.

Like usual, Sid just sniffed around, hunting for any pee-mail messages my neighbors’ dogs might have left for him in our apartment building’s back yard.

I decided to make a snow ball to see what Sid would do with it.

Well, like everything else new he encounters, he attempted to eat it.

Once he got a taste for the white fluffy treat, there was no stopping him. He quickly got to work excavating more of this delicious substance.

I tried to explain it was just regular old frozen water but I don’t think he could hear me over the crunch of the snowballs he kept devouring.

The cold didn’t seem to bother him and he was making some significant headway clearing away a path in the middle of the yard.

So now I think you understand the nature of Sid’s new business. Anyone need their driveway plowed??

If you aren’t yet convinced to hire this pug, here’s some video of Sid demonstrating his unwavering commitment to snow removal (and consumption):

After celebrating Sid’s 11th Birthday (for two full weeks, per his instructions!) we are back to continue the recap of our “Have Pug, Will Travel” road-trip from September. If you need to catch up with earlier installments, here’s Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

When we last left you, we had set up camp at Tahquamenon Falls State Park, which is located on the east side of Michigan’s upper peninsula. In the lower falls area, you can row a little boat out to an island that is surround on all sides by several cascading waterfalls. We definitely weren’t going to pass this up!

After acquiring his sea legs, Sid enjoyed the easy rowboat ride to the island. On the island is a trail that winds around the perimeter so you can get right up close to each waterfall. I made a little video of some of the lovely sights that Sid and I observed.

The shots at the end of video are actually of the giant upper falls. With a drop of nearly 50 feet, it is one of the largest waterfalls east of the Mississippi.

I asked Sid if he wanted to try riding over the upper falls in a barrel, and this was his response:

There were quite a few sets of stairs around the upper falls that connected the various viewing locations, and even though I had to carry a 24-pound furball up and down each set, the views were totally worth it!

After a fun day of exploring the falls and some nearby trails, we hopped back into the car and headed south towards the lower peninsula of Michigan. My flat-faced navigator decided to switch to auto-pilot.

We soon approached the enormous suspension bridge, affectionately known as “Mighty Mac“, that connects both the upper and lower parts of Michigan. I was slightly terrified as we crossed, since the roadway is over 200 feet above the water at the midpoint! Eep!

Our next stop was Petoskey State Park, where we set up camp. The campground was fantastic, with lots of tree coverage, and a quick walk right to a lovely beach.

We parked our van, got settled in, lit a campfire, and had some dinner.

After we filled up our bellies, we headed to the beach as the sun was beginning to set.

There was a picture-perfect sunset over Lake Michigan that evening.

The moon was full and bright, making the conditions ideal for some dramatic pug posing.

After a good night’s sleep, we awoke the next morning and headed straight for the beach!

There were lots of smooth round rocks on beach. Sid insisted upon sniffing every one in the event that one of them was actually a disguised treat.

We had a great time exploring the beach and dipping our toes in the soft rolling waves. After we had our fill of sand, we went for a hike on one of the nearby trails: the “Old Baldy” trail. The woods were very beautiful, especially when the soft breeze would make all the leaves flutter.

I wished we could have stayed another day in Petoskey as the campground and beach were lovely. However we had to get back on the road and make way to our next stop: Traverse City and the Sleeping Bear Dunes! We’ll tell you all about it in Part 5!

After lunch, Sid likes to relax with a snore-filled afternoon nap in his cozy green bed. Be sure to turn up your speakers for full “Snore-o-phonic” sound.

Hello to all my PSP’s (Pug Slope Pals)! It’s Sid with you today to close out the week and carry you into the weekend.

I hope everyone has been having a great summer so far and hasn’t been sweltering from the heat. The Chicago summer has been pretty mild so far so I’ve been able to go on a few long walks to the lakefront.

The first time my dad and I strolled to the lakefront this season, my dad brought along the camera and attempted to shoot some video of me enjoying the huge waves, the sand, and the sun. So without further ado:

Hope you liked my movie! Have a relaxing and treat-filled weekend!

Just the other day, Sid got his first taste of jicama and now he’s a full-fledged jicamaniac. Be sure to turn up your speakers for the full “crunch-o-sonic” sound experience!

Yesterday, we did some further experiments in the endless quest to keep a pug cool during the sweltering days of summer.

METHOD 1: COOLING HARNESS – Now this is how you keep cool in style. Sid received this sharp-looking harness from our fellow pug-blogger friend, Christy. It was handmade by her and fits Sid like a well-tailored suit. The main part of the harness is made out of a water-absorbing ShamWow-esque material. You just get the harness nice and wet with cold water, wring it out, and then slip in on. The harness stays nice and cool and the moisture also allows the breezes to provide some cooling action (since dogs don’t produce sweat on their bodies). Sid wore his on his walk and kept cool the whole time. We also stuck to routes along tree-lined streets that provide much-needed shade.

METHOD 2: TUB OF COOL WATER – After some failed attempts by Sid to jump into the tub while I was taking a shower (wish I could have got a photo of that somehow), I put him in the tub by himself with a few inches a cool water. I doused his back and belly using a small bucket. The cool water seemed to help quite a bit, but pretty soon he was counteracting the cooling of the water and working up a sweat by splashing water everywhere like a maniac (he has a strange obsession with water as you might recall).

METHOD 3: BAG OF FROZEN PEAS UNDER A BLANKET – In retrospect, probably the worst idea for a food-crazed pug. He wouldn’t leave the bag alone and furiously kept digging until he unearthed it.

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CONCLUSION: I need to get the A/C unit up from the basement and get it into a window – pronto!

Thank you to everyone for your concerns over Sid’s b.c. stash. After some initial hesitancy, Sid actually got talking to the Easter Bunny and pretty soon they were kicking back, sharing war stories, and both nibbling on baby carrots from Sid’s stash! It was a bit surreal.

I took a little trip for a few days last week so Sid was in the care of Aunt Anna and Uncle Andrew. Anna kept me updated with Sid’s shenanigans and apparently he was on very good behavior. I think was due to the fact that he got to spend lots of time cuddled up on the couch and was also treated to daily KONG’s filled with b.c.’s and peanut butter. I’m pretty such he was hoping that I would extend my trip for a couple more days.

Well, prior to my trip I was able to record Sid doing one of his “signature moves”, which I call “The Citrus Moonwalk”, although the word “Citrus” could probably be replaced with any type of edible, since he’s not very particular and is apt to unleash this same move with the promise of any kind of snack.

Enjoy!