Long road ahead

Preparing for a 3 day trip south. Easton has been on my heels all day as I pack and prep. This will be our second long road trip together. He's a very good passenger.

Destination?

Way warmer than it is here.

First stop: The statehouse is geothermally heated by underground hotsprings.

Second stop: The goldmine has reopened. Think I'll stop by for a free sample.

Abarkalypse Now

By popular demand. Easton and my brother Chip goofing off last spring. Its all in fun, plus it gives me a chance to exercise my rudimentary video editing skills.

No more boomers Bud.....

Shame on me, I've been ignoring my Blog, distracted by a million things including Facebook. The Blog venue is much more to my liking, but I have to discipline myself to sit down and write something. My normal motivation seems to be waning, not so much that I don't have material, but more like FB saps it away in teeny-tiny bites every day. This Blog is about my dogs, FB - not so much. I do owe it to Easton to write and photograph him more that I do. He is a special and unique boy in his own right.

Easton's staff photographer Michael got a new camera. The quality of
these photos are nothing short of amazing. I don't remember the camera
details, but maybe I can get him to write a review, which I'll post here.

Last Thursday night / Friday morning, the worst thunderstorm I've ever experienced here in the Northwest came roaring through. Since my first Golden "Sunny" in 1986 (Cosmo 1991, Devo 1997, Lady 2008 and now Easton 2011) none of the dog gave a rip about: Thunder, Lightning or even Coyotes howling right outside our door -- except Easton.

Strike a pose.

Easton and the boomers: Imagine a large herd of prehistoric Mastodons stampeding full speed from the outside towards your backyard fence. That is what Easton imagines when he hears thunder. He blasts through his doggy door and braces, growls and barks, posturing what can only be described as an "I'm going to tear you apart when you come over that fence" defense of his home. Make no mistake, he is not afraid. He shifts to full blown guard dog mode, reaching deep down into his Golden heart for his inner-Rottweiler.

With his always present over-sized tennis ball
A gift from his Aunt Virginia

It is my job to prevent him from keeping our house and the neighborhood awake all night. So I try to distract him, play ball, pet him, reassure him that the Third Reich was defeated in 1945 and is NOT invading our back yard. When I just can't stay awake anymore, I slip his eight foot leather leash on my wrist and fall asleep on the living room couch, hoping he'll do the same. Only when the storm passes will he settle down. It eventually does around 3AM. Its time to get some sleep. There are no more boomers Bud.

Indoor, no flash, just natural light from the window

Go Zags, Easton celebrates a little too much

Easton was invited to cousin Buddy's house to help celebrate the High School graduation of Morgan Green. A good time was had by all, especially the big, red one! Like an over-the-hill, weekend warrior, Easton never stopped playing for 5 straight hours. He is paying the price today. Very stiff with a slight limp, a day of rest and a few aspirins has helped what only time will eventually heal. He did have a damn good time though. The picture below was pretty much the theme of the day.

PS: Buddy will be with us for a week starting Sat. the 22nd. His family is vacationing on the Washington coast. No dogs allowed at the condo. In their defense, they won the trip and didn't want to pass up this gift. We agree and are glad to have Buddy over for a long play date. He is a hoot.

New pictures of Easton

Big Red and I spent almost 3 weeks in Salem, OR. It was not the happiest of times, but Easton always made sure we stayed grounded and attended to his every need! It was a welcome diversion from our grim task at hand. Thanks pal, your Golden smile and happy tail greeted us every time we walked in the door. Seeing the spring in your step and the joy in you eyes when we took our walks lightened my load. You even brought the ball back every time it was thrown. I guess you knew something important was going on. 
Honoring Jim and Jeanne

2700 miles away, but always close to my heart

Just wanted to acknowledge the passing of Toby, one half of the famous Chub brothers residing at the sanctuary known as Golden Pines. I've followed their story from the beginning and became quite invested in these two Senior Goldens; hoping they could live their lives out together and never have to be separated again. These guys were so happy and resilient, making friends all over the world and providing comic relief via the GP blog. Their story is told at the following link: Toby & Bubba's story

Fly Free Toby, you can run and bark with Bubba again. I'll miss you both, but will smile knowing you are together again.

Toby