Nahahum Canyon Olympics, 2012

It was luge time at Nahahum Canyon, and Deb Willard did a few practice runs with her coaches, Sage, Annie, and Willa.

Murphy's Day.

It's Another Weekend

It's another weekend, with snow.  Not here in Seattle, but we'll be on the east side.  And that means snow.  Finally.   There is snow here in Washington.

But we'll have to take it easy.  Stitches.  Willa's stitches.

And so we will.  A little play.  A little quiet.  A whole lot of love.

Murphy's Day.

Annie Oakley

When we were coming home from snowshoeing, Annie licked Willa dry, as if Willa was one of her pups.  I know I have been perplexed by Annie, a very spirited girl.  But recently, I have been realizing that Annie is a remarkable dog.  In many ways she channels Murphy.  The love of life, the spirit, the silliness...and the loving.  The loving.

Annie Oakley.  Nothing better than a walk in a field on a brisk morning with three great dogs (to paraphrase the human Annie Oakley).

Murphy's Day.

Tuckered Pup

Willa's first snowshoe.  Not too terribly long.  But boy, was she was tuckered out...she got spayed yesterday, so it's quiet time for the next week or so.

Murphy's Day.

Leaving Sage at Home

Sunday we decided to snowshoe.  By the time the car was packed and we were ready to go, Sage was still snugly asleep on a bed (yes, a human bed).  So, at age 8, she got a "pass," and stayed home.  Off went Annie and Willa (for Willa's first snowshoe).

When we got home Sage was still sleeping but seemed happy to see us.  She got her own walk around the neighborhood, special treats at dinner, and seemed content watching the end of the 49s v. Giants game.

We all age.  There are times I want to stay home, laying around in bed.

Murphy's Day.

Change of Plans

So after our last post, Carol and I decided it was not a good time for her to come, so we postponed.  Too much ice.  Then we thought about heading east, but after a long and gusty wind storm on Friday night which I didn't sleep because I spent the whole night wondering whether I would have a roof by sun-up....we decided to stay home, at least on Saturday.  Sunday, we'd ski or snowshoe or something....

I wonder whether the girls know about plans.  They certainly understand their routine and when the routine changes it startles them.  Annie has spent the past few days on a terror, mostly, I think, because her routine was changed with the snow.  So she "lost her pawing" as we say.  Plus, I suspect the winds scared her.  They did me!

This week the weather should be back to a bit of normal.  In other words, in Seattle, lots o' rain.  And tomorrow, Willa goes in for her spay.  So, we'll hunker down with work and quiet time...

Murphy's Day.

Off to Find Snow

We're off with our friend Carol to find snow.

Back on Monday.

Murphy's Day.

Rogues

As I have said, Annie really didn't have a puppyhood.  Most of it was shuttling back and forth between home and my parents, sitting in the back of the Honda Pilot,

So the best thing for her renewed sense of puppyhood is Willa.  She is challenging Annie in the crazy, zany, silly things that puppies do.  They come inside and run around like it's a huge field.  They go outside and continue.  They play with toys, tug, chase, "king of the mountain."  It's a delight to watch.

I am grateful, but worried I now have two rogues!  And you should see them in the snow we have!  The snow will be gone probably by the end of today, but in the meantime, these two have been going nuts.  Snow days!

Murphy's Day.

Drive Through Tellers

I have been with this one particular bank for ions,  Before it was this one particular bank, when it was actually "locally" owned.  In fact, when it was a whole other bank before being gobbled up by the locally owned larger bank....and I keep thinking I should change because it is now so large that really it is a warehouse for the small amount of money I keep in an account.

But the girls won't let me change because of Kelli.  Kelli is the teller at the drive through bank in my neighborhood.  And she loves the girls.  If I tell them they are going to the bank, they rush to the back door and hop into the car.  Kelli sends dozens of biscuits through the vacuum tube, meows at Sage through the intercom, and if she is not too busy, comes out to tease them all.  It is quite the scene.

And Kelli is wonderful.  She has helped a homeless man who is owned by two Parson Russell terriers who was sleeping in his truck at her parking lot.  She has managed to work with Sage to the point Sage will not bite her hand off as she reaches in the car.  How can I  change banks when there is Kelli.

And that is what it's all about, isn't it?

I thought about writing the head of the bank, who is so far removed from this small neighborhood world, to tell him about Kelli.  Then I realized that he doesn't care.  It's not big money to him.  It won't solve his problems of daily stock quotes and eking out pennies from every customer.  In fact, she might be fired if he knew how personable she is....

And that is also what it has become....which is terribly sad.

In the meantime, we love visiting Kelli.

Murphy's Day.

Waiting for the Snow

There are several requirements for living in this neck of the woods.  One is to laugh at the breathlessness of the news when it comes to significant weather changes.   Since our weather is usually 47℉ and  a dull grey drizzle, anything other than that brings out the excitement and hyperbole in our weather "forecasters."  So this weekend, the newspapers were all a buzz about snow.

I happen to love snow.  I really love snow in the city.  It changes the landscape of our daily life, slows us down, makes everything look different.

So we waited for snow this weekend.

Murphy's Day.

I Have A Dream

Still as relevant today as it was in 1963.  I have a dream....

Martin Luther King.

Murphy's Day.

Happy Birthday Megan (one day late) !!!!!!

If we could sing "Happy Birthday," we would.

We hope you enjoyed the day!

Murphy's Day.

Future?

I dunno, I seem fixated on this part of the world.  My key question is whether I could keep three labs from running across a field to chase the Snow geese?  There probably is a Migratory Bird Act or Waterfowl Preservation Act that they would be violating....

But....

Murphy's Day.

Skagit Valley

When we moved back here from New York, my father really wanted me to live in the Skagit Valley.  Both of my parents had a life-long love affair with that neck of the woods.  The artists enthralled them (Gilkey, Anderson) and they landscapes somehow spoke to both of their souls.  But for me, the commute to Seattle where I was attending graduate school seemed long and arduous.

Now, I return to the Valley, thinking maybe this is where we should land...a landscape of the soul?

Murphy's Day.

Snow Geese

So majestic.  The Snow geese in the Skagit Valley are simply majestic.  It was a magical day showing the girls this neck of the woods.  Of course, the minute Annie heard shotguns, she headed for the car....so much for that hunting pedigree....

But what a wonderful sight.

Murphy's Day.

Birding

I am owned by three labs.  One was weaned in a pen with a dead duck.  Her father (this is Annie) is a hunting champion.  Sage was bred in duck hunting heaven, Easton, Maryland.  Surrounded by water, she was born to look gorgeous, but also to hunt.  Willa's parents, both of them, are flushers of upland game.

With this in mind, we set off to go birding.  Not just any birding, Snow geese.  The Skagit Valley, north of us from Seattle, is known for attracting migrating Snow geese.  They love the seeds in the fallow fields.  Along with the geese there are usually Bald eagles, down from Alaska finished feeding on Alaskan salmon, looking now for spawning steelhead.  And various other waterfowl....

It was about time to teach my bird dogs how to bird.

Murphy's Day.

Three?

People keep asking me what it is like to have three big dogs.  I have to admit it's work, but really, all three of them are going out of their way to make this easy for me.  Willa is a character, full of the ol' Nick as my mother used to say.  It helps that Sage is a very mature dog, she is, in a sense, able to take care of herself.  She loves attention, her belly rubs are vital, but she walks without a leash almost every where, and is patient when it comes to food, chews....plus, she lets Willa and Annie for that matter, know who is top dog.  It's Sage!

Annie is having a puppyhood.  She really didn't get a lot of time with playing with other dogs when she was a pup.  So every day the house withstands chases, catch-me-if-you-cans between both dogs.  They wrestle, play, and nip with amazing energy.

And Willa?  Well, she is a fast learner.  She is finding her place in the hierarchy.  It's great.  I love watching her figure it out.  She has the "scratching her head" look perfected.

Three?

It's not easy, but it's absolutely worth it!

Murphy's Day.

Sometimes We Think About Other Places

I know I keep saying this, but sometimes we sit here in Seattle and think about being east of the mountains.  The girls can go out the door and into a gorgeous Aspen stand.  In the mornings we can take walks with vistas like this.  Does it get much better?

Murphy's Day.

Figuring It Out

Willa is an amazingly sassy pup.  She has figured out how to connive her way into Annie's sacred space (otherwise formerly known as my bed), she gets her choice of toys, is now a connoisseur of chewies and will let me know exactly which ones she wants and doesn't want.

Gotta' love that attitude.  She has the whole house whipped into shape.   It really is a joy to watch her figure things out.

I think we're all falling in love...ok, well Sage is learning how to tolerate....

Murphy's Day.

Into January

Poor Willa didn't quite understand all the activity yesterday as we went from one cleaning-up project to another in the house.  Counters, fridge, dog toys, desk (ok, not really, but I thought about it), stacks of papers, stacks of magazines, stacks of catalogs....into the new year with clean....or so I hope.

Annie just found a soft bed and hid, while Sage thought about supervising then thought the better of that.

It's the beginning of a "work week," so off we go....more home schooling for Annie and Willa and sometime this month, gulp, the spay.  Ugh.

But for now, it's all looking a little cleaner!

Murphy's Day.

Looking Forward

• New calendars hung?  Check
• List made for today including cleaning and writing resolutions?  Check
• Christmas decorations to come down?  Check
• Football to watch?  Check (go Wisconsin, beat Oregon....sorry Les and Ann).

As always we're feeling a little frisky at the beginning of the new year.  Thinking that anything is possible (aside from the HUGE bruise on my butt from attempting to skate ski on solid ice which should tell me that maybe I am not cut out to be a skate skier????).  

Not only do we look forward to this year, the changes and challenges, including our on-going thinking about whether to stay in Seattle or finally get on the road to being a trout/ski bum, we also think back to last year.  The great fun of meeting "old friends for the first time" as Richard said, a new great niece and great nephew (welcome Madeline and Connor), and of course this bundle of black fur, Willa.  The girls are reminders of what we can do if we march into each day, confident that we'll be loved and cared for, that we can find adventure and fun, and by the end of the day, a warm, soft bed.  

Happy New Year!

Murphy's Day.