Kess got mail

This came in the post today. It was addressed to my human but look at whose name it was attentioned to - me, Kess!

 

The HK SPCA sent me the annual vaccination reminder...Sigh...Visiting the vet is not on my list of favourite things (no offence, Dr. Nic). But my humans say it's a necessary evil. Last year, after my annual visit to the vet, I ended up having to go for dental surgery to get my teeth cleaned and checked. Whilst I was going for surgery, I also got blood tests done. Thankfully, I was given a clean bill of health. Hopefully, there won't be any nasty surprises after this year's visit to the vet.

 

Admittedly, in the last year, this 11-year old beagle has slowed down quite a fair bit. Before, I used to be able to bound up steps with no problem. Now, I actually have to take one step at a time. In fact, my humans sometimes carry me up and down whenever we come across steps on our walks. My distances have also reduced. In fact, I sometimes worry my human on our daily walks at Bowen Road when I stop, look at her and then make a U-turn to signal my desire to go home, way before our normal turning point. But when we go on the trails, I could go on and on and on. My humans have to make the executive decision to turn back, despite this beagle's protest, as they realize that I may not be able to take the distance.

Apart from the slow steps climbing and shorter distances, with the old age, I've started to develop little nicks and lumps. When my humans first detected the little lump on the top of my head and the nick near my eye which didn't heal, they took me to the vet. However, it's too small for any biopsy to be carried out. I guess I'll have to see what Dr Nic says this visit. Age is definitely catching up. One good thing though, I haven't lost my appetite ;-)

Shepherd's Pie Birthday Dinner for Kess

I always look forward to my birthday and Christmas. Why? Well, for those of you who know this beagle, you would know that I love to eat! I guess you could say I'm a typical Malaysian - I live to eat... (For those of you who may not be familiar with Malaysians, a typical greeting Malaysians use is "Have you eaten?"

Anyway, my human outdid herself this birthday as she made a dog-friendly version of shepherd's pie. So, whilst my humans had a seasoned version of shepherd's pie for their dinner last night, I enjoyed the same meal, minus the seasoning. It really is a quick, simple, but delicious dish, which can be prepared at the same time as the human version.

 The pie consisted of Ausstralian minced beef and carrots, lightly fried in olive oil. My human had to cook the meat separately from their meat as theirs had onions as well as other seasoning. It was then topped up with a bed of creamy mashed potatoes (with milk and butter), with a sprinkling of dried parsley. For the human version, after you've scooped out the portion for your four-legged best friend, season with salt and pepper. At this stage, you can choose to bake it in the oven for about 10 minutes or so (as it is a small bowl). However, my human had started dinner late and this beagle was hungry, so it was served as is. For the human version, you could sprinke some cheese on top of the shepherd's pie and bake for 20 minutes.

 

 Unfortunately, the shepherd's pie didn't hold up too well during the transfer from the rameikin to my bowl...but I didn't care because it was delicious.

 Is that all? Can I have some more?

 

Pre-Birthday Treat

This beagle turns 11 tomorrow. My humans, who is getting forgetful actually had to check last year's post because they couldn't remember if I was going to be 11 or 12...Now, who is getting older I wonder ;-)

Anyway, since it's the weekend, my human decided to bake me a pre-birthday treat based on a recipe from the internet. Last year, my cookies were made from carrot, banana and apple. This year, my birthday cookies were made from oats, banana and peanut butter.

Now you see it...

Now you don't...Delicious!

 

After enjoying 2 cookies, with another 10 cookies tucked away in the fridge for a week long birthday treat, my humans decided it was time to walk off some calories and we headed to our favourite weekend spot, the Aberdeen Country Park for a hike. With summer fast approaching (it gets early around 6 am now), the hikes will be few and far between due to the hot and humid weather, so we're taking advantage of the tail end cool days for our outings.

 

Can't wait to see what treats are in store for me tomorrow...

 

Here is the recipe my human used for my treat:

1 cup wholemeal flour (or any kind of flour)

1/2 cup oats

2 ripe bananas, mashed

1 egg, beaten

3 tablespoon peanut butter

1 teaspoon dried parsley (supposed to help with bad breath...)

 

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and let it sit for 5 minutes. Using a tablespoon, scoop mixture onto a lined baking tray. Use the back of the spoon to level the cookie. Bake for 40-45 minutes in a preheated 300F (150C) oven. Let it cool before sharing it with your favourite canine friends.



Discover Hong Kong with Kess - Stanley

Stanley is one of my humans' favourite places - a must do for a visitor to Hong Kong. Located on the south eastern part of Hong Kong island, the journey to Stanley from Central Hong Kong is very scenic. If you catch the double decker bus (6, 6X) from Central, grab a front seat on the right side of the upper deck (if you have nerves of steel) - it can be quite scary but fun as you gasp when the driver navigates the narrow winding road.

When my humans visit Stanley with me, we go by car. Unfortunately, although the ferries in HK allow dogs, the buses don't. So what is there at Stanley for humans and dogs to do?

The pier at Stanley is a great place to chill - you can enjoy the view of the sea from the sidewalk or enjoy a meal at the restaurants and cafes (dogs allowed at outdoor seating).

 

 

 You can walk along the pier and discover hidden gems, like the old village houses tucked away from the crowds.

 

Stanley Plaza is a dog-friendly mall and has a lovely view point for photographs.

 

As mentioned in my earlier post, there is dog parking available at the restaurants at Stanley Plaza that did not have outdoor seating.

Last but not least, humans in particular love the street market of Stanley - a haven for souveniers, clothings, shoes, costume jewellery, etc, etc.  So if you're ever in Hong Kong, be sure to pay a visit to Stanley.

 

 

Beagle Dreaming

I wonder what Kess is dreaming about...Is she chasing and barking at the squirrels? Who knows... Sweet dreams Kess!

Kess' Mama

Dog Parking

Dog Parking at Stanley Plaza

It's nice to be able to go out to a suburban mall with my humans. At Stanley Plaza, humans can "park" their dogs whilst enjoying a cup of coffee at a nearby cafe or a quick shopping trip at the supermarket (which doesn't allow dogs in the shops).

P.S. Some of you were concerned about my safety. Thanks you guys! The dog parking is right next to the cafe, so my humans have their eye on me ;-)

A ferry ride to Lamma Island

On New Year's Day, my humans and I went took a ferry across to Lamma Island for a BBQ with their friends. Coming from Malaysia where dogs are not allowed at most places, it is lovely to be able to experience things I was never allowed to in Malaysia (plus KL doesn't really have ferry rides).
One of the conditions of entry on board a ferry is that dogs have to be muzzled. I'm not a big fan of the muzzle but since my humans only put in on me when we board and exit the ferry, I put up with it.

Once on board the ferry, we head to the front, where dogs are supposed to sit. The dreaded muzzle comes off and I get to enjoy the ferry ride.

Lamma Island was a traditional fishing village back in the day. Did you know that the actor, Chow Yuen Fatt grew up on Lamma Island (Chow Yuen Fatt played Captain Sao Feng in the Pirates of the Carribean movie, at World's End)? Now, it's a popular spot for Hong Kong'ers and tourists to visit on weekends and enjoy a seafood meal. It was a lovely day and my humans and their friends decided to do some hiking before lighting up the BBQ. We went up a trail that had lovely views of Hong Kong island. On our way back to the village, we bumped into 2 curious Corgis and spent a couple of minutes sniffing each other out. All in all, this was a pretty good new year's day outing!