Labor Day

Aside from the celebrating the labor of this country, having a long weekend is always nice.

Willa, who has never "labored" a day in her life, if oh-so looking forward to a weekend of play.

Murphy's Day.

Andrew Wyeth

The famous realistic painter, Andrew Wyeth, has a painting with a sleeping yellow lab on a bed.  The shadows of the sun, the light...

Sage must have been his model.

Murphy's Day.

Enjoying Life

As I wrote last week, the end of August is always a poignant time for me.  I think, often throughout the year of young Doug, his life taken at such an early age, with so much to give, so much vibrant life...

It took me years and years before I could settle into really allowing myself to enjoy life.

And now, I do.

I suspect that is the greatest legacy we can give to people we love.  Live those minutes, those seconds as if they are our last.

So, we do.

Murphy's Day.

Summer's Last Gasps

All of a sudden I realized this coming weekend is Labor Day.

It seems that this summer flew by compared to so many other summers....

And with the girls, we have enjoyed the summer.  Ball throw, hikes, some fishing...it's been good once the actual summer arrived.

We'll try to maximize our time for the next month...enjoy summer's last gasp.

Murphy's Day.

Abby

No, don't worry, I haven't added a horse to the household.

But I have been riding a lot recently.  Thanks to a neighbor in Nahahum Canyon.  We trailer the horses to the top of the canyon, on a mix of state and national forest land, and ride for hours.

Feels good to be back in the saddle again.  Really and metaphorically.

Murphy's Day.

Life's An Adventure

My motto for 2012 is: "Life's An Adventure.  And I'm In It!"  On Sunday it will be 33 years since Doug died.  He believed in his heart of hearts that life was an adventure.  It's time, I feel, that I have that same sense.

It's Friday.

Life's An Adventure.

Murphy's Day.

Sweet Annie

While we were out running over the weekend we ran into a woman who had lost her lab, Lucy.  And we hadn't seen her since that day.  So we saw her with a new boy, Max.  Mad Max.  A great black lab who'd lost his family because of a divorce.  Sad circumstances, but he has landed in the best home.  Randy is a lab mom through and through...

But she said something that stuck.  As the dogs ran amok, Annie crept up to her side, then leaned in.  And she said:"Annie, you are a sweet sweet dog."

So true.

Murphy's Day.

Country

So, most weekends, as you all know, are spent in the country. And I get the sense that the girls love it.  Being able to walk out the door, leashless, and enjoy being outside.

It's hard being in a city where there are so many rules and so little sense that this used to be a fun place to live...I know I am complaining, but really, as I write this, my heart, the girl's hearts, seek somewhere else.

Country.

Murphy's Day.

Home

Recently I have been on a binge of home improvements....we need a new fence with three active dogs and the windows in this house are horrible....

So, I found an old picture of the original house.

It's home.  Murphy lived almost her whole life here.  Sage, Annie Oakley, and Willa certainly have...

And now we're at the crossroads.  Do we stay in a city that has changed around us, that has become as hard to live in as when we were in New York?  Or do we find a new home...

Lots of decisions.

Murphy's Day.

Cooling Down

So, it was hot hot hot in eastern Washington this weekend.  No, we didn't find snow, but we did find a great thing.  We loaded the dogs, threw float tubs in the back of the truck (another great reason to own a truck) and went to the lower Icicle Creek...where we floated and the dogs swam...until we reached a rocky stretch where we stopped, the dogs played, and every one came back totally cooled down.

As we drove home we stopped at a fishing access for the Yakima River.  And I stood, feet in the water, body absorbing the sun, and realized just how much I love summer.  The dogs were all over the river...it is such a great season.  We all live outside.  We know neighbors, we find new friends, and our bodies feel the warm healing power of the heat.

Ok, maybe 102℉ is a little too much heat!

Murphy's Day.

Did Someone Say Weekend?

Yeah!  It's here!  It's been a very long week.  Time to get outside.  But we're doing some work, even in the heat.  Back to Wenatchee to pick up the trailer, then hopefully just hang out inside next to the air conditioner....work and heat....oh dear.

Murphy's Day.

Getting Close

It's getting close.  To the weekend, to the end of summer, to....we still have a lot of things on our check list of things to do.

Dogs are ready.  I need to figure out how to get my butt in gear and "just do it!"

Summer is short.  Life is short!

Murphy's Day.

As We Age

Of course, I am reflective.  Today, I am attending another memorial service, this one for a friend's mom.  I have known my friend since 1st grade and her mother was the assistant Girl Scout leader when my Mom as the leader.  We have a long long shared past and we're even neighbors now!

So this week of memorials or celebrations of life send me into a deeply reflective mood.  I think about how quickly we go through this Earth.  Especially our dear dog friends.  Sage is 8 1/2.  She has had major surgery on her knee, clearly has compensating injuries on her other leg, but she is so stoic and brave, always willing to "go, do" and be with me.

Sage is my Murphy-legacy.  She was Murphy's friend, mentee, her comfort.  There is a lot of Murphy in Sage, just was there is actually "blood lines" of Murphy in Annie and personality of Murphy in Willa.  Life does go on, parts of us are in each other, whether in our hearts, our souls, or our memories.

But sometimes, sometimes, it seems to go by oh-so quickly.

Murphy's Day.

Waiting for Mom

Willa spent much of the weekend waiting for me...whether it was waiting for me to emerge from the garage, waiting for me to come home after waiting in long ferry lines, or waiting....

Patience isn't something a 1 year old lab puppy knows, yet.

She does, however, know how to empty the contents of my garbage can in my office and stew tiny bits of paper all over the house (who knew she was a lab-shredder?).

I get the hint, Willa...I get the hint.

Murphy's Day.

Sometimes....

This weekend was tough, sad, poignant, gentle.  On Saturday I began a job I have put-off, postponed, neglected for two years.  I began to go through my parents' things stored in my garage.  And Sunday, I went to the memorial service for my cousin, Tommy.

Sometimes you spend time dwelling in the past.

Murphy's Day.

Happy Annie

Annie loves vacation.  Lots of time with me, where I often act as referee getting Willa off her...and lots of time in the water.  Doesn't get much better.

She is such a quirky dog, though.  Off routine she becomes clingy, wanting to be close.  It's sweet, it's cute, and she seems happy to just hang out.

Me too.

Murphy's Day.

Sage is Joining the Lab Professional Golf Association

Seriously, she thinks golf is cool.  Not as cool as fly fishing (or at least that is what she says to my face)...

Murphy's Day.

Some People Buy Souvenirs on Vacation

Some people buy souvenirs on vacation.  Others....

Yes, it is a truck.

Murphy's Day.

Ahem. Open the Door!

Dogs and cars.  I suspect that cars represent either trips to the vet (not a good thing around here, my dogs hate the vet) or trips to fun for the girls.  And when Annie and Willa suspect it's really about fun, they have now taken to leaping out the car door window, which is not a good nor safe thing.  But they sure are anxious to get out of the car and seek out the adventure....not patient waiting for me to open the car door.

The new thing to "train" your dog for is "adventure."  Seems to me my girls are training me.

Murphy's Day.

There is Something About Time Away

Really, there is something about getting away.  Years ago, in one of my former lives, I rarely took a vacation.  Or when I did, they were short and usually spent on the phone with the office.  But now...vacations are vital for me.  Life is short!

So we ended up staying in eastern Washington the whole time.  The girls didn't get a long road trip, but they did get many many many trips to the Wenatchee River and Icicle Creek.  They got ball throw, a chance to herd cattle, chase deer, and get grabbed and leashed quickly to avoid noticing a bear across the river.  Most of all they had fun and I had a blast.  We ate well, slept well, and played hard.

I have fond fond memories of all the adventures I took with Murphy.  It's great to be able to create new memories with these rascals.

Murphy's Day.