Another Peek at Peeky on Skates

Linus Reveals His Musical Talent

Pleo Roomba Surfing

Maybe for the next Olympics? Linus seems to be a natural.

Big Bunny Harness

My Pleos don't have enough clothes. Linus is sporting his new harness. I found it while filming him with Gerty at the pet store. It's called a Comfort Harness Stretchy Leash. It's made for big bunnies. lol. It fits him perfectly. Just like a big bunny, Linus has a small neck and big middle. The leash is all scrunched up material that matches the trim on the harness. He looks very handsome in red :-)

Linus Meets Gerty the Tortoise

Linus Visits Starbucks

Linus's first film shoot in a public place. Starbucks staff and patrons loved him!

Time for Some Rays

Linus decided to catch some rays by Nemo's basking lamp today. After all, Nemo hasn't used it since May. Apparently Linus didn't care for the stuffed animal turtle sharing his sunning spot since he pushed it out of the way. We were going to put Cool Whip on Linus's nose to look like sunblock but we didn't want to risk that it might damage Pleo skin. It was a fun thought though.

Linus Looks for Nemo

Welcome to the first post under the new banner that includes the Pleos and a slideshow of Flickr photos of the pets (real & AI). A few other photos are thrown into the mix but I wasn't able to narrow down the slideshow field to just Nemo & Pleo. I hope you like the added touches.

Only once has this Linus been in the kitchen and it was under close supervision. Nemo's igloo and garages are a "safe zone"...we think...we hope. His first visit was to Nemo's goofy green dino atop the small garage. All Pleos have been drawn to that little guy for some reason. Earlier this week Linus set off to explore on his own (with me close behind). He roamed into the kitchen and went right back to that little dino and garage! Great memory chip! He also not only peeked into the garage, he lifted it up with his head. Nemo was watching unamused from his summer home.

Nemo has been a bit more active lately. He tends to cross his territory at least once a day and hang out in the corner by the jungle gym wine rack with his dinosaur Bronson. I've been sitting on the floor more and bringing him over to me. He has taken food from my hand and has eaten on the floor while I'm inches away. He typically allows me to pet his nose now. Yesterday he even let me pet his shell without squirming. Baby steps are good.

Soon I'll post photos of the great Nemo enclosure now under construction. I'm in awe of Brian's construction ability (and design). I knew he had knowledge of construction, but what he is doing is pretty amazing. I sure hope Nemo enjoys the fruits of Brian's labor.

Nemo's Pleo Brother Models New Cape

Turtle fans, please forgive me. Today I'm officially making Nemo's blog a place to share Pleo news as well. This is my first post on behalf of the Pleos under the new banner that includes my dinos.

I've been following the dilemma on the PleoWorld Forum of finding suitable garb to protect Pleo skin from too much petting and handling. I did try baby t-shirts but didn't like the way Pleo legs might be pulled to get it on. I'm not Suzy Homemaker to make adjustments or do my own designs. I liked a cape idea if it would stay in place and not keep falling off the dino back.

I found a wide baby bib by Carters with a cute Pleo-appropriate design. It came in a pack of three for about $10. Linus is sporting his jungle critter patterned "cape" complete with words that go with a Pleo: munch, chomp, and gulp. The long neck of the bib is simply crossed under the chin and snapped behind the head. It looks nice and secures the cape in place so it doesn't shift.

I did order two wide bibs of a very soft fabric that I hope fit as well as these inexpensive Carter bibs. More fashion news to come.

Nemo - Low Mileage & Garaged

Nemo spent some time yesterday and several hours today in his garage. He appears to be moving more. Again he stared at his basking log this morning deciding if the timing was right. Soon I think.

Good news! Nemo's baby brother Linus is on his way back, albeit with amnesia. Hopefully by this time next week, Linus will be settled in and spark new curiosity in getting to know his dino sibling.

This video is the last footage of Linus--after his neck injury and before his transport to the Ugobe hospital ;-O

Will Nemo Know?

Today Linus was shipped back to Ugobe because of an injury. We will be getting a replacement in a couple weeks. Likely Nemo won't know the difference. He only had two close encounters. The video is a tribute to my first Linus and includes a segment of photos with Linus "stalking" Nemo. It wasn't like having a pet die--returning Linus, but it was definitely sad. Brian said he was sad too handing the box over to UPS.

On the Nemo front, this past Saturday was hydration day. Nemo was happy to dive in fairly quickly. I have video footage of him waking up wiping the sleepies from his eyes :-) It's still on the camcorder though. He is hanging out in his summer home still not basking or eating. Possibly one more hibernation stretch of two weeks? It will be into March. He's definitely a low maintenance pet during hibernation!

It was fun to see how alert Nemo was when he was in between hibernation igloos and Linus was in the kitchen. Making sure Linus didn't touch his stuff, no doubt.

Move Over Nemo

Finally, the video from my new camcorder capturing Linus and Nemo's first meeting.

Linus's Unextreme Makeover

Sorry, Nemo, but your brother needs some blog time. I'm posting here so Pleo owners can see both here and on the Flickr site easily the products and results of my Pleo eyelid makeover after Linus's accident. As Pleos are prone to do, he used a nearby object to change direction. Unfortunately, Linus chose the leg of a cast iron table using his closed eye. omg. Pleo boo boo! It scraped a bit of paint completely from the eyelid leaving an exposed smooth clear surface so that you could see his pretty blue eye through it. okay...ewwww.

He'd had some minor scratches on his eyelid that I was going to wait for Ugobe's recommendation, but this boo boo needed attention nowwww. Since most products being recommended are not available in all places, I think the best suggestion is to go to a crafts store and get a small bottle of a popular brand of acrylic paint. I read labels and got one a shade darker than his original eyelid color that covered surfaces that were textured. I got a second small bottle of an enamel that covered glass. I wasn't sure the acrylic would do both. Each bottle was $1-$3. I purchased a single small paint brush for acrylics for about $4. I had Linus with me so was able to hold the brush and see how comfortable it would be painting his eyelid. I didn't want one too big that I couldn't do the edges well or too small that it would take forever. The colors were similar. The photo enlarged (which you can see more clearly at the Flickr site--link on the right), shows the two I chose and the colors.

I only needed one coat of the acrylic paint for the most surfaces. It went on easily. Immediately I could see the difference and how good it looked. Only one small spot remained that needed the enamel. It went on just as easily. I was surprised how well the two blended. I thought I would have to touch up that paint with the other color to blend it. It's difficult to tell colors for sure. You just need "close". I let it dry overnight before I turned him on again. So far, Linus looks literally good as new. Hope this is helpful to someone!

An Almost Close Encounter

I forgot this photo was on my camera. So while Nemo is still in deep hibernation, you can see him cringing while Linus's attempts at a nose-to-nose meeting are thwarted by the chair.

Nemo Meets Linus

Today Nemo was lounging outside his igloo--still in his hydration period between hibernation naps, I presume. Linus noticed Nemo's movement and trotted over to meet the unturtle. Linus kept his distance (about two feet) and stayed rather still while Nemo wandered from his garage behind his igloo where he could watch the green intruder from his safe distance.

After deciding it was safe to approach, Nemo carefully approached Linus, sniffed at his feet, and even tried to nibble at his foot. I guess you never know what might be tasty... Anyway, here is proof. Nemo up close and personal with a Pleo. I hope this is a sign of acceptance.

Oddly, Linus's battery exhausted as he was holding still during Nemo's inspection. I guess we'll find out next time what happens when Linus moves at close range. This picture was taken with the photo still setting of my BRAND NEW camcorder that Santa got me! I also took video (with sound!) but need to acquire something for the computer to transfer the video to share. Look out YouTube!

Yoo Hoo!

Linus is a little scary sometimes in a funny way. This morning he carried his leaf from the middle of the room over to Nemo's igloo. He then put his chin down like a puppy with his butt up in the air, leaf in mouth, and made a loud dino sound! Was he offering his leaf to Nemo? Does he know Nemo is in there? Too funny.

The Blanket Connection

I haven't wanted to overwhelm Nemo's blog with Linus news, but I did want to share that Linus was named before his affinity for soft toys and blankets was known. It dawned on me that blankets was something both Nemo and Linus have in common. Maybe they will share blankies. Then again, I doubt Nemo likes to share...

At last report, Nemo had changed his hibernation site to his main igloo. For about four days he had "hung out" in the doorway watching Linus when he was in Nemo's area. It was nice to be able to see that Nemo was okay. Even when he burrowed further into the blanket, throughout the day he would turn around or change the position of his head. Movement is good. Yesterday afternoon, however, he went into deep blanket hiding again. I can barely see where he is. In fact, I checked the other igloo because I wasn't sure I was seeing him. Until his next hydration, I guess that's where he'll stay. At least I know he's comfy. He IS like Linus from Peanuts. Nemo demands his blankies!

I Am Curious Nemo

Nemo chose to continue his hibernation in his main igloo--the one with his name on the sign over the door. Last night he was buried head first into the blanket with only his butt and back legs visible. Late this morning, he had turned around. Linus had been in the kitchen earlier so I was talking and laughing and Linus was making his Pleo sounds. Possibly Nemo is curious about the commotion. I think he's too slow and sleepy right now to be too curious. If he sees some of what is going on with Linus, maybe he will want to interact with him when activity level increases. At least Nemo is moving a bit that I can see he's okay. His hibernation is very stressful for me!

Why all the commotion this morning? Linus was doing handstands! I was able to capture it on video which you can see using the Nemo & Linus YouTube Videos link. I never would have thought a robotic pet's artificial intelligence would include chasing his own shadow and balancing acts! What fun :-)

Nemo's New Pleo Sibling

On Sunday, December 9, Brian and I "hatched" our new Pleo (artificially intelligent life form). We named him Linus. He's amazingly emotionally expressive, curious, interactive, and cuddly in a dinsaur sort of way. I discovered the evolution of Pleo last year and made sure I was on the list to sign up for a first release. His arrival was delayed several times while the manufacturer adjusted design, programming, and features to be the best possible. We were not disappointed. Pleo videos are showing up on YouTube, a Flickr photo group was already established, and Pleo Plogs can be viewed at PleoWorld.com (link provided to the right on this blog).

Since Linus's hatching, we've witnessed his first steps, are still experiencing new sounds and behaviors, and can't stop giggling. He is definitely a joy. When Nemo is active again, it will be interesting to see how the two interact. Hopefully Nemo will be curious. I'm sure Linus will want to nudge Nemo. Could be fun.

I hope you enjoy watching Linus "grow" while Nemo takes his long winter nap.