Rejuvenation

An intense fire swept through the property last summer.  The ecologist in me was ecstatic, the Ponderosa pine and aspen stand needed a good fire.  It's part of the ecology.  Of course, Sage and I, ecologists, have been fascinated in the rejuvenation of the landscape.  Every time we go over we look at the vegetation and also watch for the bird species.  What is growing in and what is flying over.  Simply amazing.  The wonderful thing about being owned by a dog or in my case, two Yellow labs, is they get me outside, every day, no matter the weather.  And since we go to the same spots, it allows me to watch nature change over time and space.  I think it was John Muir who said something to the effect that whenever he walked in nature he felt like he learned more than he asked.

Currently our policy makers are using the word resilience a lot in their speeches.  I think they are using it to try to convince us that we are resilient.  And we are.  But really, we can learn a lot from nature.  The resilience of nature is truly a miracle.  And I think the same thing about Sage, with her knee, with the pain she must feel in her other knee (I know a lot about compensating injuries).  Yet every day she seems to show me rejuvenation.

Murphy's Day.

Gravel

Sage came from pedigree.  Not just her own, but her breeder is the daughter of a former US Senator and the granddaughter of a former US Senator.  She knows a lot of Very Important People...so when I flew to Maryland to pick up Sage I worried that bringing her out to Seattle, for a more pedestrian life style would be hard.  Mary, the breeder, lives in gorgeous old home right on Chesapeake Bay.

I remember after Mary and I talked and I got all of Sage's pedigree paperwork, I walked back to the car and got in.  I realized I had some gravel in my shoe, so I picked it out and saved it.  Mary had laid this beautiful white rock gravel in her driveway.  I still have the two rocks.

Sage, of course, has not seemed to have any obvious problems adjusting to a more "scaled" down lifestyle.  The gravel isn't white, but it's just a nice to lay on and observe the world.

Murphy's Day.

The Nose Knows

I noticed as Murphy aged she relied upon her nose more.  She would lift her head, nose in the air, then trot off into bushes, around the corner in the yard, or into the kitchen (hamburger excited her until the very end).  Sage is 7 1/2 and she is also beginning to rely on her nose.  She has always been an intensely curious dog, watching bugs, looking at birds, and now, she is beginning to follow her nose.  Which is fine until she follows her nose into garbage left on the beach or something that eventually leads to a huge stomach upset.  It's a good thing I am not dealing with baby diapers...Megan???

The nose knows.

Murphy's Day.

Saving Energy

After years of owning gas guzzling SUVs and vans, I finally realized that $70 a tank wasn't doing anything for my bank account and certainly was making someone else a whole lot wealthier.  So, after doing some research, I figured an electric car would never cut it for my ever wandering soul, I have environmental issues with hybrids (think battery), so I looked into diesel.  And after some dithering, Sage and Annie are now the proud owners of a red (nothing says mid-life like red) VW Jetta Sportwagen TDI.  This past weekend was it's first outing outside of the city.  And wow, was I amazed at the gas mileage.

It's a little tighter quarters for the girls, but not too bad, and it's much lower to the ground so Sage seems to be happy not having to leap so high into the car.

Plus, it gives me an excuse to dust off the cargo box and begin using it again.

Saving energy and money.  Pretty good!

Murphy's Day.

Off to Play

Off to play today.  Head for some sun...back on Monday!

Murphy's Day.

As We Age

Sage is 7 1/2.  She is beginning to show signs of being particular.  Something about aging.  For instance, when she is eating, if there is a noise, even a slight rustle, she'll back away from her food, seem to get nervous, look at me, then just stand until I coax her back.  Getting in and out of the car seems tougher, and the last three steps from the upstairs usually gets her panting.

I need to remember this and pay attention to her anxieties.  Dogs can't "sit on the couch" and talk about their fears and stresses, it's up to me to watch, observe, and be sensitive to them.  Sometimes aging does that with dogs, brings out those anxieties...

Sweet Baby Sage.

Murphy's Day.

Quirky Annie

Every dog has their own personalities, which change and evolve over time.  I have a friend who is owned by a Black lab, Lance.  When her Golden died a few months ago, Lance, normally silent and stoic, became quite vocal....Annie has quirks that change over time.

Now she has shifted her sleeping patterns, wanting to sleep downstairs until some magic moment in the middle of the night when she leaps onto my bed.  She also seems perturbed by different cars, not wanting to ride in vehicle she doesn't know...it's a full time job just keeping up with her shifts and changes!

But that's what keeps us together, the interest in how our lives change over time.

Murphy's Day.

Time to Think About Getting Outside

We've been through a fairly dark and gray, and indeed wet, spring.  In fact, I am not sure we even had spring here in the Pacific Northwest.  We're all taking vitamin D like crazy...

That said, it's time to think about getting outside.  If we wait for the "good weather" we may end up waiting a long long time.

Jackets on, head out the door.  It's Summer!

Murphy's Day.

Lakes

In the Northwest we are experiencing an abundance of water.  River flows are at an all time high for this time of year.  Great for white water folks, not so great for fly fisher people and dogs who do not want to end up bumping against a Columbia River dam as they are swept downstream.

So, we're discovering lakes.  Not as much fun to fish in, but for lab swimming?  Just as good!  We try to adapt!

Murphy's Day.

Happy Anniversary

My parents would have been married 64 years today.

I miss them.

Murphy's Day.

Hanging Out

Labs are experts at "hanging out."  My two just love to settle in in the back yard, noses to the air, figuring out who is walking down the alley, getting irritated at bugs flying around, enjoying the "scene."

Really, I think, labs invented "hanging out."

Next thing I know, they will claim they invented "whasup?"

Murphy's Day.

Good Morning!

Recently, Annie has been waking up with me.  Usually she sleeps in (lucky dog).  But I think she is attuned to the lighter mornings.  Or maybe it's the "it's a beautiful day" energy in her, excited about seeing what the day brings.  She wakes up, tail wagging, ready to her day to emerge.

It's a great energy to have in my life.  There are still days when it's hard to drag myself out of bed.  It's tough.  But then Annie puts her face in my face, her tail is wagging, and I laugh, get up, and seek out whatever adventure is heading our way.

Good morning!

Murphy's Day.

Hope Floats

My niece and nephew-in-law (Megan and Peter) had their second child yesterday.  Madeline Anne.  I am sure their son, Joshua, is over the moon with his sister.  I know my brother, "Grampy" is beyond himself.  And my other niece, Brooke, expecting also, is the best auntie...

Having children is such a statement of hope.  The future looks bright, ready to have a child grow...the world is an embracing place, ready for a child.  It truly does "take a village."  So, we now have to make sure Madeline, Joshua, Jacob, Claire and Baby M (coming soon) have a wonderful life.

Hope floats up!

Full of Surprises

Annie is full of surprises.  On Saturday we went to visit a close friend who has a labrador puppy, Hoss (yes, he is a BIG BOY).  I thought Annie was going to be in hog heaven.  Not only with Hoss, but my friend's son also has a puppy, Duke.  And Duke was going to be there.

We had a lovely ferry boat ride to Bainbridge Island, a gorgeous drive....I let Sage and Annie out of the car and Annie freaked out with the puppies.  She started trotting down the road!

Sage, on the other hand, simply let the two boys know who was boss and left it at that.

Full of surprises.  That's what it's all about with labs!

Murphy's Day.

On the Other Hand

This really is the ultimate adventure for a lab.

Murphy's Day.

Trying New Things

Frankly, I am not very adventurous.  And as labs get older, neither are they.  But, after a lot of coaxing, I can get them to try new things, as long as I am constantly reassuring them it's ok....

That's the thing about life.  In some ways, just getting out of bed in the morning is an adventure, it's all new.  We don't really look at it that way.  But I notice Annie does.  Every morning begins with a tail wag, then some contemplating over what kind of mischief she can get into, and finally a sheer delight that it is a new day.

It's dawn.  Lots of tails wagging here...

Murphy's Day.

Keeping Company

Sage keeps company.  Even if she is upstairs and I am working downstairs, if she hears me push back my chair or move, ever so slightly, she comes down the stairs to see what I am doing.  And even though, as she grows older, she is becoming slightly nervous about stairs and, well, er, other things like movement around her food bowl, she is fully committed to keeping company.

And that is, really, what labs do.  There is a myth, and I do think it is a myth, that female dogs are more aloof than males.  My two females are totally attached to me and to each other.  They both keep company...

Murphy's Day.

Weekend at Home

A weekend at home.  Got the back yard weed whacked (don't even ask me about the guy who is supposed to mow), weeded, even cranked up the barbecue on Saturday.  The thermometer actually hit over 70°!

The girls actually seemed to enjoy being home.  They had their routines intact.  And Annie followed me around as I weed whacked.  Ever seen a dog with green paws?

Murphy's Day.

Roll on Columbia

The Columbia River is a massive system.  The water flow and levels are controlled by a series of dams, stretching it's whole length.  Rarely does this river flood because of the massive amounts of reservoirs throughout its length.  But now, it's flooding.  Grand Coulee dam, the "granddaddy" of the dams, is letting water out in rates unseen in a long time.  Wind power operators have been shut down because there is no room on the grid for their power!

Sage and Annie thoroughly enjoyed the flooding.  The water was far closer for them to take a swim over Memorial Weekend.

What struck me is how this river is a focal point for the residents of Wenatchee, where two rivers, the Wenatchee and Columbia converge.  Everyone we met (after commenting on how beautiful Sage and Annie are) talked about the flooding.  How marvelous to live near or on such a magnificent natural resource and know its ebbs and flows so intimately.

Murphy's Day.

In Two Rivers

Last weekend the girls got to swim in both the Columbia and the Wenatchee.  Annie's favorite, I am convinced, is the Wenatchee.  At every "put in" spot, she is there, wagging her tail, waiting for a stick to land in the water.  And while the Wenatchee is flowing high, it's not at flood stage, yet.  There is still a lot of snow in the mountains, so we have a long way to go...hopefully Annie doesn't experience any of the Wenatchee's famous rapids!

Murphy's Day.

Homeward Bound

After a long weekend, the girls are tuckered out.  Heading home, Sage doesn't even object to Annie resting her tail over Sage's neck and head.

Tuesday morning, after sleeping in their own beds at home, the girls were quite reluctant to even get up.  While it's fun to get away and romp to their heart's content, being home is even better.

Murphy's Day.

Maisey McCracken

Dear Maisey:

You were our friend.  We met you walking at our favorite park.  You had knee surgery about the same time Sage did, and we spent afternoons attached to leashes, in re-hab together.  You were always patient with Murphy.  You stole Annie's tennis balls then willingly gave them up because "the game" was oh-so much more important than possession.  You had the best Golden Retriever expression, ever, when you dropped your bunches of sticks and would wait, every so patiently, for your parents to throw one or all of them.  Your love of life, of your family, and yes, even your friends, was evident every day.

Yesterday we received an email from your mom.  On Saturday you collapsed, then rallied at the vet, then it was discovered you had a ruptured tumor.  You were brave, heroic, as you have always been.  You died on Monday, May 30th.

We will miss you.  Your insistent bark.  Your gorgeous stare.  Your holes dug to protect your sticks.  Your ability to find the tennis ball, no matter what or where.  We'll try to cheer your parents and Dexter (Annie will do all her gooney antics and Sage will growl whenever they approach her car), but we know their hearts are really hurting right now.  Our walks will be a lonely...we will miss you.

Sage and Annie