Coronation to coreopsis

Last week I made two more media appearances in my royal robe. The first was for the “San Antonio Living” show on KMOL TV. The spot was filmed on the River and all six owners of royal doggies got to talk.

My mistress told about how she had been a duchess in a Fiesta Coronation many years ago and how happy she is to be the mother of a duchess. I’ve seen a framed photo of her in her Order of the Alamo duchess gown. It’s green with signs of the zodiac on it. My gown, on the other hand, is bright pink with dog toys on it. It's the creation of Mistress of the Grrobes Cheryl Trevor, who managed to make it as comfortable as it is pretty.

When I’m not wearing it, my mistress puts it on a Staffordshire statue of a dog that sits on her mantel. It’s a perfect fit. She has been thinking about giving it to the Witte Museum, who got her gown. But since they have never displayed it, she may just keep mine on permanent display on the mantel.

My second media appearance of the week was at WOAI Radio, where C.J. Cruz interviewed the three royal doggie owners who came. C.J. served as mistress of ceremonies at our coronation so we all felt quite at home with her. Again my mistress told her duchess-to-mother-of-a-duchess story.

On Saturday, I made my last Fiesta appearance in my robe. Unfortunately, it was almost my undoing. The problem was that the velvet gown is hot and heavy and the Pooch Parade in Alamo Heights was five kilometers long. Some of the smaller dogs had their own conveyances, including one that looked like a flying saucer. (Another year, a Chihuahua was carried by helium balloons). But I hoofed it all the way with only one stop, at the house of Mary’s cousins, John and Jamie Bloodsworth. They have a Pooch Parade party every year since they live along the route.

When we got home I was limp as a rag, too droopy to even drink water. In fact, I’d been offered water on the walk but had refused. My mistress was kind of freaked out but after awhile I took some water from a bowl that she put next to me on the bed. I began to revive.

By the time we drove up to the country in the afternoon I was back to my old self and able to enjoy the amazing sight (and smell) of fields of coreopsis. Our place on Hondo Creek just outside of Tarpley was covered in a glorious golden carpet of those bright yellow wildflowers and all of us reveled in the beauty of it. Needless to say, Mary took a zillion photos of me running through the flowers until she got the one she wanted. I was just glad I didn't have to wear my robe during THAT photo shoot.

Trixie's in Tall Cotton

How many dogs get hugs from a member of Fiesta royalty and two TV personalities in the space of three days? The answer to this rhetorical question is... ta dah... moi. Yes, as the Duchess of the Indestructible Chew Toy in the Humane Society’s El Rey Fido Court I’ve been consorting with some of San Antonio’s prettiest celebrities.

It started with a trip across town to the Fox News TV Station on Thursday in a blinding rain. I met up with my fellow royals there and we were filmed with reporter Mileka Lincoln for future broadcast. After it was over she gave me a hug and I gave her a kiss. (The trick to kissing humans, by the way, is to do it quickly so they don’t have a chance to say no. A man should never ask a lady for a kiss beforehand and neither should a dog.)

This morning, we crossed town again in the rain to KENS 5 TV for their morning show. By this time I was used to the klieg lights and huge moving cameras. Guests were there to promote Fiesta events ranging from A Night In San Antonio to the St. Mary’s Oyster Bake. Of course the Humane Society’s Royal Court fit right in, with our colorful robes. Did I forget to mention that we wear our robes to all media events?

This time I got to be cuddled by two lovely ladies: Miss Fiesta, Virginia Eliott (who, like me, was there to be on the show) and the TV hostess, Stacia Willson. I was truly in tall cotton.

But my biggest ego stroke has come via email after Kay Smith, a friend of Mary’s who lives in Austin, saw a photo of me in my royal robe. Kay wrote, “She’s really a hottie.” Now THAT’S what a girl likes to hear, even if she's already a duchess.

Brisk walk followed by Ego Boosts

This morning four WWTs walked too briskly for my taste. They power walked up and down hills in Olmos Park for an hour. Judging from the decorations we passed, people are gearing up for Fiesta there.

One gate was festooned with bright colored fabrics and flowers. Meanwhile WWT Susan Gragg--who will become mayor next month since she is unopposed--dressed up the pug statues that flank her front entrance in serapes with Fiesta medals. She changes their outfits seasonally, but these are my favorites so far.

On the way home my mistress and I stopped by the house of another WWT, Mary Ann Franzke, to drop of one of my master’s books for a charity auction she is involved with. Her husband Chuck, a biz whiz who retired as head of the entire southern region of Dillard’s Department Stores, came out to greet me. He even picked me up, which made me feel soooo important.

The ego boost continued today when Mary took me out to a photography studio just for dogs, where I sat for an official court portrait in my royal Duchess of the Indestructible Chew Toy grrrobe. Photographer Renee Spade set me up on a white footstool and gave me organic doggy treats so I wouldn’t jump down.

She spent all kinds of time taking photos of me in different poses and even took a few of me with my mistress. The best photo will be framed and displayed with the rest of this year’s doggy court at the Humane Society headquarters.

Tomorrow I am going for a media appearance at Fox TV. I’ll go on TV again on Saturday and several times next week. It’s taking a lot of my time, but that’s part of the life of a VIP, no? All I can say is be careful what you ask for.

Coronation to Cascaron

Today was the day I’ve always dreamed of, given that it was all about me.

At noon, my master, mistress and I boarded a San Antonio River barge along with the rest of the Humane Society's doggy court, and headed to the coronation site. Along the riverside, people gasped and waved at our finery. Oh--I forget to say that just after we got on the boat the Mistress of the Grrrobes gave each of us our velvet gowns. Mine was hot pink with a stand up collar. It was edged with faux ermine and sewn with shiny images of "chew toys."

Now I always try to shake off any kind of clothing my mistress puts on me. This time I didn’t. It was quite comfortable, but even if it hadn’t been, I wouldn’t have. As Mary’s mother used to ask, “What price beauty?”

When we got to the patio aside the Grand Hyatt Hotel, our subjects were seated in front of a stage. Each of the six members of the court was called up individually and the master of ceremonies, C.J. Cruz of 94.1 KTFM Radio, read our biography. Of course mine told of my rescue from the streets of Austin and that I’ve be come a writer since moving into a household of writers. She even gave the address of my blog.

My entrance was made dramatic when two of Mary and Lewis’s friends, Bruce and Jill McDougall, shot off confetti guns over my head. Since Bruce is the executive director of the San Antonio Conservation Society, which puts on A Night in Old San Antonio during Fiesta week, he knows all things festive. Other friends who came to my coronation included two WWTs—Pat Semmes and Susan Gragg; and Bonnie McCormick with her daughter Kate Lathrop and her granddaughter, Sophia. Several friends brought their doggies: Buffy Montgomery and the Jesse Fernandezes.

After it was over, Mary was interviewed by a San Antonio Express-News reporter who asked, among other things, what she thought about the Rey Feo/Rey Fido controversy. The brouhaha erupted yesterday when it was revealed in the newspaper that the Rey Feo Scholarship Committee, a group run by LULAC Council No. 2, was taking legal trademark infringement action against the Humane Society over the use of a name similar to theirs.

Virtually everyone who has written in on the E-N website has defended the Rey Fido folks, saying that in no way would people confuse the two fund-raising organizations. Who after all would confuse a human king with a dog king?

When Mary said: “It looks like the MALDEF folks have laid an egg…and unfortunately, it wasn’t a cascaron,” the reporter cracked up. A cascaron, for those of you not from San Antonio, is a confetti-filled eggshell that is cracked on someone’s head for fun.

Well, fun is what I had today, and I’m looking forward to having more of it at the Pooch Parade the Saturday after Fiesta Week, April 24. Stay tuned.

All Hail the Duchess!!!

All hail the duchess of the Indestructible Chew Toy!! That’s me, since I came in third in the Humane Society of San Antonio’s El Rey Fido fundraiser.

Thanks to my supporters—who number more than 100, I raised more than $5,000. The other two top contenders had four-digit infusions in the last week, taking them to more than $7,000. But hey, I get to wear a royal robe just like they do. And besides, I like my catchy title.

Last Friday, my mistress took me to the Humane Society for a fitting. The Mistress of the Royal Grrrobes measured my girth and body length and Mary let her granddaughter, Christina, choose the color: bright pink. Well, I just can’t wait to see if that color works with my lovely amber brown coat.

I’ll be wearing the outfit this Saturday, April 10, at the coronation. It will be at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in downtown San Antonio at 1:00 p.m. and is open to the public--and their dogs. Members of the canine court will arrive on a river barge. Well, I just can’t wait to take part in the pageantry.

Those who miss the coronation will have another chance to see us in our finery at the Pooch Parade. It will be on Saturday morning, April 24 at 8:00 a.m. It starts at the Alamo Heights Swimming Pool and passes through Alamo Heights. Well, I just can’t wait to strut my stuff on the streets.

Before I sign off, I want to thank the person who suggested I run for El Rey Fido: Anita Flores. Well, I just can’t wait to see her at the Coronation so I can thank her in person.

So who's more Famous?

Today the Wednesday Walkie Talkies met with a member who works at Trinity University. Lyn Belisle, who teachers in the computer science department there, toured us around the campus. It was drizzling, but four stalwarts came and got to hear about Lyn’s just-completed trip to New York.

She went there with her son, Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson series of books for young readers. Rick met with his editors and spoke to a sold-out crowd of pre teens at the Metropolitan Museum of Art before he and Mom Lyn took a behind-the-scenes tour at the museum. One of his books, “The Lightening Thief,” has recently been made into a movie.

But enough about him. What about my growing fame as a candidate for El Rey Fido? Right now I’m ahead in on-line giving, having raised $2,310 for the Humane Society of San Antonio. That doesn’t include off-line giving though. And with the stroke of a pen in a checkbook I could be knocked off the pedestal. So please support me at www.firstgiving.com/maryfisher1. Remember: the deadline is April 1 at 5:00 p.m.

Trixie: What a Woman!

After a one-week hiatus The WWTs resumed walking (and talking) this week. It was a gorgeous spring morning and the air was redolent with blooming mountain laurel.

Four members hoofed it to Olmos Basin Park and back to Olmos Park. (Did I mention that WWT member Susan Gragg is now running unopposed for mayor of O.P.? Hooray!) I like to walk in Olmos Park since they have a well-enforced stray dog ordinance. (Did I mention that last week my Mistress took a petition to the Terrell Hills City Council and got a favorable response? Hope they follow through.)

But what I really want to talk about today is what people have been saying about me as they have donated to my El Rey Fido campaign. Here are some of the comments:

“You would look great in a tiara”

“You deserve to be top dog, Trix”

“Wow—You Da Dog, Girl!”

“Good looking and above average”

“Trixie rocks”

“What a woman!”

Two of my favorites came from my vet and from a neighbor. Dr. Kothmann said, “Trixie is a great patient and will make a great queen.” A neighbor who was a Fiesta King the year before last said, “King Anchovie XLI wishes you the best in your quest for royalty!!”

Help me get there with your donation to the Humane Society at www.firstgiving.com/maryfisher1. I know you all are tired of me begging every week but guess what? There are only two more weeks until the contest ends, on March 31. So please let your friends and neighbors know “what a woman” I really am.