TBK Tells- Chester's 2023 calendar is complete!

 

The first month of Chester's Calendar was January 2023 but Chester ( the Hooman) and I started work on it in August 2022! My idea was to show Chester's growth from a 9 month old Puppy to a 1 yr 8 month old dog. We also wanted to show off Palawan's beauty as 2023 was my first full year here. We decided to theme the calendar ( New year Party in January, Chester's Birthday in April and so on). Chester the Hooman and I came up with the venues, themes and costumes and, as usual, set it all out in a spreadsheet. Elay arranged all the costumes and I took Chester the dawg around Palawan and took the photos . Then I sent them to Marikina where Chester the Hooman worked his magic to design each calendar page. ( You can read more about the start of the calendar in my earlier blog:

https://thebritishkabayan.blogspot.com/2022/11/tbk-tours-palawan-filming-chesters-2023.html )

   February , the month of love, and who better to feature on the calendar than Chester's loves, Fry and Noel. They used to take him for walks and play games with him and now he waits at the window when  they come to clean and gets so excited when he sees them. We went to Balayong park in Puerto to take the photos for February and had to get a permit from the people who run the park!

We displayed the calendar pages in my office, sent them to the people involved each month , and then put them on my Facebook pages ( TBK and Personal) and eventually in my window. Now Chester looks out of the window next to his pictures and all the nearby kids come each day to say hello to him and stroke and play with him. 

Whilst there are usually 4 photos each month on the calendar we usually take about 20 photos to find the best . There is usually a picture of Chester and I so each month I found someone else to help take the photos. Fry and Noel took some of the February pictures, Darwen took the October ones for Halloween at San Vicente and so on. So my thanks to everyone who helped take photos this year.

At the end of 2022 we started advertising the calendar on the social media and Blog with the teaser above created by Chester the Hooman with the picture of Chester the dawg when he was a puppy from our Christmas cards and banners.

Chester, the Hooman, even found pictures for each month so Elay knew what costumes she needed to find

Chester the Hooman even gave us artistic direction , of what photos we should aim for ! However Chester the dawg is not very good at following artistic direction , especially when he was trying to get out of the costume!

Our first calendar shoot at Alimanguan was a load of fun. Thanks to Jack who got us matching Alimanguan skimmers tee shirts for Chester and I and helped take the photos with his skim board and posed in one with Chester. Chester loved chasing Jack as he skimmed across the water. The next day we headed to San Vicente to take the long beach photos for Halloween with Darwen, another of the Alimanguan Skimmers. 

So how did the idea for the calendar come about. This was my first mock up in August 2022 when Chester was just 4 months old and a tiny puppy:

      Below was my first idea for the calendar I sent Chester in August 2022

My original idea was to use a baby mat ( I borrowed this one from Ran and Geralyn!) to show how Chester was growing

Finally Chester reached one year old in April and we celebrated with popsicles, dog cake, a hat and necktie and Jhoanne and Jullymar and I went to Tagkawayan beach and had a birthday party for him! To have the calendar ready for April we took the photos in March! It's all been very confusing this year!

Time for a confession. May was the only month we did not get Chester's the dawgs costume ready in time so Chester the human photoshopped the photo to add flowers for the floral vibes of spring! We also reused some of the photos we took at Alimanguan earlier in the year!

                                     The photo at the bottom right is one of my favourites!

In June we decided to include Johanna's sister Elay in the calendar as she helps get Chester's food and treats each week and plays with him when she visits, as well as getting all his costumes. So to celebrate Philippine Independence day on June 12 we headed to Baywalk in Puerto Princessa where Elay and Jhoanna took some great pictures of Chester with his Philippine flag necktie. They also took one of my favourite pictures of Chester and me! 

For July we headed off to Nacpan and although we filmed it before the rainy season officially started it started pouring with rain and so Chester needed his raincoat for real. We were staying there alone and so I had to put his costume on , take the photos and got soaking wet in the process. So that's why there is no picture of Chester and I in July! I thought he looked great in his raincoat but he hated it!

            

       The August Calendar shows Chester racing through the sea at Lio beach

We actually took the July and August pictures in January! One day it rained so we took the July picture and the next the sun was out so we went to Lio beach with our big doggy bone for National Dog month! Chester loved racing up and down in the sea while the sun was out and did some sunbathing. Again no selfie of Chester and I.

The only month we nearly did not get done in time was September. Chester's idea was to celebrate my Birthday with Chester and for us to wear identical clothes. Elay had bought me a pink polo shirt for Christmas so I asked her to get one the same colour for Chester but in a smaller size. Then disaster struck when a friend stayed at the blue house unexpectedly. He had no clean clothes to wear the next day and as he was a lot smaller than me the only thing that fitted was Chester's Tee shirt! He asked if he could borrow it and never returned it. He lives a 5 hour drive away in the south of the island so I had to ask Elay to buy me another one and we had to drive 7 hours to Nacpan to take the September photos in August! Very annoying as I will be going back there in September when my friend Mike, from Bahrain , is visiting.

My favourite months calendar is October which had a Halloween theme. When we took it we were staying in Alimanguan so I asked one of the Skimmers, Darwen, if he would come with me to take the photos on long beach. He told me after he had never used a Cannon camera before so I am particularly pleased with the photos. Elay got some very spooky Halloween props and for once Chester enjoyed dressing up and posing ! Luckily there was no one around as it all looked very strange taking Halloween shots in January!

Darwen playing with Chester on the 14 km white sand deserted beach at San Vicente 

The other problematic month was November when we had planned to go to Bato Ni NingNing with Chester. The first time we tried to go to track was very muddy and impassible for the car. We set off to walk but it was hot and steep and Chester was still small back then ( January!) so he jumped under a tree into a ditch and refused to come out! We returned in September with Mike by which time they had concreted the last part of the road so we were able to drive up there.

You can read all about our first attempt by clicking the link below- there is also a Vlog on You Tube :

https://thebritishkabayan.blogspot.com/2022/11/tbk-travels-conquering-bato-ni-ningning.html

Another time we ordered a 4 x 4 to take us up the track but he did not show up. I was going to buy a Toyota Hilux but changed my mind due to the expense and the few times I needed it . I decided to stay in Puerto rather than move beside the sea. Alvin suggested we go to Secret beach to take photos but my car got stuck in the mud so we had to turn back.  

Instead of Secret beach I decided to take the December Calendar pictures at home and Joven took some great photos of Chester and I at our window where the calendar pictures are on display. We also added a picture of the kids greeting Chester that I had taken earlier and Chester, the Hooman, gave them a festive makeover. 

I hope you like our Calendar and once again thanks to both Chester's, all the photographers and Chester's friends, and everyone who gave us permission to take the photos on their property ( Daluyon, Balayong etc)

Although we did not have printing and distribution costs for the calendar this year we still spent a lot of money on design , props, hotels and petrol getting around Palawan! So I apologise for a lack of a 2024 Calendar in advance! It will be my first year in 5 years that I did not produce a calendar!

Nearly forgot to add the original schedule ...

Maybe when we are really bored and have more money we will do another Calendar or Recipe book like we did in 2023. Until then we have the Blogs and Vlogs to keep us busy!

Happy reading and if you did not do so already please like and subscribe- just click on Chester's magic links below!