Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my mother's birthday.  She would have loved today.  Anything England, anything having to do with the monarchy, she was fixated.  I remember the first time she broke her hip the hospital wanted to discharge her but she wanted to stay and watch Prince Charles's wedding to Parker-Bowles.  So, we sat around Swedish watching BBC coverage and then took her home.  So today, on Prince William's wedding to Kate Middleton, my mother would have been ecstatic and calling me every few minutes.  On her birthday no less!

I miss you.  Happy Birthday, Mom.  You are the best.

Murphy's Day.

Where I Want to Be

A picture is worth a blog post.

But let me say this.  Murphy was the perfect drift boat dog.  She would get in the stern of the boat and sleep on the life jackets (oops, those probably should have been on...and now that I am looking at this picture, the boatman is facing the wrong way for a drift boat!!!).  Sage, on the other hand, considered herself the entomologist and would leap out if she saw a hatch to inspect!  Annie?  Well, she has yet to be on a drift boat but may coming soon!

I'd rather be fishing today!

Murphy's Day.

Murphy's Day.

Feeling Lucky

Annie is a handful.  She has, in spades, those qualities we love in labs: silliness and stubbornness.  And she makes me laugh every day.  But she also makes me want to tear out my hair!

Recently I had a revelation: that if she wasn't stubborn she wouldn't be as silly.  And without the silliness, I wouldn't laugh.  And the laughter has been a balm to me the past two years.  I am lucky she is in my life (and lucky I still have my hair!).

Murphy's Day.

Raging Rivers

It's spring run-off, a precursor to early summer run-off.  In other words, the rivers in the PNW are running high.

I remember one of my first lab-spring run-off moments.  Murphy was merely 4 months old. I was still a forestry graduate student at Yale, and loved walking the Appalachian Trail along the Housatonic River in Connecticut.  I was doing a lot of research work on the forests along the trail.  So, one early spring day we took Murphy (and Riley) for a walk.  The river was raging.  Murphy met a Black lab and the two of them began the lab ritual of: chase and leap.

Well, Murphy leapt and ended up in the river.  For one flash moment I saw myself rescuing her in Long Island Sound near Milford, Connecticut.  Her eyes were as big as cookies as I reached into the river to grab her by the collar.

It didn't deter her, though.  She never was scared of water, moving or still.

Now, though, it's me that is more careful.  Some of the rivers out here can really rage during run-off.  But the good news is we had enough snow for a good water year, and that it's been (ok, this is not good news, but...) a cold spring, so we'll have ample snow pack for awhile.

Every time I see a raging river, though, I think of that little Yellow lab pup oh-so many years ago, waiting for a rescue.  Murphy girl.

Murphy's Day.

It's That Time of Year

As I have written, this was my mother's favorite time of year.  Renewal, rejuvenation, rebirth.  The garden clearly misses her attention, but I enjoy being out there, I feel closer to her.  And Annie reminds me of Murphy, dropping her tennis balls in the holes I dig.  My mother would laugh at Murphy when she did that.

It's that time of year.  My memories have the same rhythm as my breathing, in and out.  I keep waiting for the renewal, the rejuvenation of my spirit.  But I'm still tired, worn out from years of emotion...

Murphy's Day.

Good Friday

This was my Mother's favorite time of year.  She would show up on Easter with baskets filled with dog treats, some sort of lemon ice cream (my mother loved ice cream) and an eagerness to get out in my yard to weed.   Murphy would go outside with her, dropping her tennis ball near every weed trying to get my mom to throw it for her.  It was always a heartwarming scene.

Now, I think of her.  I miss my parents.  And it is a good Friday, because I can feel them all around me right now.

Murphy's Day.

Let It Flow

Sage introduced Annie to wading in rivers.  As she gets older she still enjoys getting in, but not hurling herself into the current to fetch, like Annie is doing.

Sage has more of a "let it flow" attitude.  As she gets older she just doesn't find the need to compete and show off, like Annie.

And  you know, it's a good attitude to have.  Let it flow.

Murphy's Day.

Explorations

Over the weekend we went exploring.  A road that takes us to our favorite small fishing stream had a washout, the second in several years.  This time, the washout was maybe 100 yards along the road and we could walk over it to reach the other side.  Of course, since we really haven't had spring yet (ahem) there were also several patches of snow along the shady sides of the road.  Annie instantly found them and demonstrated her luge and toboggan abilities.

I really do enjoy just exploring, not necessarily having a goal in mind other than seeing birds, studying the changes in the landscape, and having time outside with the girls.  It's nice just to wander....the girls seem to enjoy it, too.  For Sage, as she gets older, she wants to spend more time just smelling the air, allowing her nose to direct her path.  Annie is still young enough that everything is new and interesting.  She is, I hope, still learning.  But then, aren't we all?

Murphy's Day.

Streamside With Annie

Annie was despondent over losing the Orvis contest until her ADD kicked in and she found other distractions.  That is the marvelous thing about labs, they don't hold a grudge for more than a few seconds. Then, like Annie they are on to something else, more fun.  So, Annie found water, lots of water to engage her "lab" mind.  She runs down to the stream or river then pivots, looking for a stick or ball to be thrown.  Tail wagging the whole time.

Hopefully as the weather gets warmer, we can be streamside a lot more often (and maybe Mom can be working her fly rod as well).

Murphy's Day.

What Is That Yellow Orb?

Finally, some sun.  Or a bit of sun.  Still, really, it's not Spring in the PNW.  No warmth, no tantalizing days of wearing shorts and feeling like you want to garden.  But, there was some sun.  It's enough for all of us at the moment.

Murphy's Day.

We're Not GE

Recently, the New York Times reported that General Electric hasn't paid taxes in years.  In fact, they get refunds.  Refunds!

Well, we're not GE.

Tax Day, 2011.

Murphy's Day.

What's Spring?

Ok, we're beginning to wonder what is spring.  Maybe we'll find out in July?

In the meantime, it's wonderful to see green grass, daffodils, and the tulips beginning to come up.

But really, do we need all this rain?

Murphy's Day.

Fear

As Sage gets older she begins to show signs of fear. The last three steps from the upstairs.  The stairs down to the back yard.  Thunder.  Strange noises.    I've been here before.  Murphy.  And I know showering Sage with love will help, but it's that aging thing.  Love doesn't stop the fear....it's really a matter of just trying to let her know that her world is really still the same even though the vision or hearing is changing.

And they key trick is to not let her know I am afraid of her aging.

Murphy's Day.

Tuesdays With Annie

Over the weekend we ran at a park and encountered a little girl with Down's Syndrome/  She must have been about 5 or 6.  And even though she was with her mom, brother, and a German Shorthaired, she thought the two girls were coyotes.  We talked, I told her the dog's names, and she laughed at Annie Oakley.  Then Annie, normally skittish around strangers, went up to the little girl and kissed her, nuzzling her face, her hands.  Her mother was totally fine with it and I was amazed.

The sensitivity of labs continues to enthrall me.

Murphy' Day.

Quiet Weekend

Quiet weekend at home.  We cleaned, ran errands, even washed the car (it's really white after all!).  On Friday we worried about whether the federal government would shut down until we realized that if it did, dogs could walk on all the trails in National Parks!

Instead, we mowed, cleaned, ran, walked, enjoyed.  Relaxing!  The girls feel rested and ready for a new week of watching the horrific Mariners...sigh.  Nothing worse than baseball season here in Seattle

Murphy's Day.

Exuberance

Exuberance: Annie Oakley.

I've been quite lethargic recently.  I go through my routines with not a lot of energy or zip.  But Annie, fortunately, keeps me going.  She makes me laugh, gives me love, and shows me, every day, that it's worth hauling myself out of bed.

It's her only job.  And, she is good at it.

Murphy's Day.

Weather Forecasts

Well, the forecasters were probably wrong more than they were right this winter.  But, they are predicting some sun for the weekend.  I know the girls would love it, being able to lolly-gag in the warmth.

Me too.

Murphy's Day.

"She Seems Calmer..."

So much in life is relative.  I still think of Annie as wild and close-to-out-of-control.  But as she encounters people who she hasn't seen (because we have all be avoiding getting out in the rain) people keep telling me they think Annie is calmer. I look down at her, she looks up at me, smiling, as if to say: "see, I keep telling you I am well behaved."

I guess I don't ever want to take the spunk out of Annie, but I would like to be able to stop and talk with folks when we're out and about without having her decide it's time to engage in World Lab Wrestling League with her sister!  Or begin sniffing at someone's pocket, convinced there are treats with her name on it.  Or hurl herself onto the nicely mowed parking strip and begin rolling back and forth...

And occasional calm would be nice....maybe every other day?

Murphy's Day.

56!

Wow.  56!

Happy Birthday Deb!

Murphy's Day.

It's Fishing Season Somewhere

We are oh-so ready to be standing in a stream casting itsy-bitsy flies at trout.  But we're still months away from that here in Washington, so we will continue to amuse ourselves with dreaming about the fact that in most other states, it's fishing season already.

Sage, my entomologist, longs to be searching out caddis and mayflies, pointing me to what is hatching.  And Wild Annie Oakley just wants to be galloping though whatever trout water I am casting my delicate line into...she believes in the scaring fish method.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, rain, rain, rain, and more rain predicted.

Sigh.

It's fishing season somewhere.

Murphy's Day.

April Fools

Why do I have a funny feeling....

April Fools from the biggest pranksters in Seattle!

Murphy's Day.