Easton=perseverance

When it comes to toys, nothing will dissuade him from his goal. At Jon and Debbie's pool, Tucson, AZ.
I believe that is Mia looking on.

For all my dogs.....

So this is where we part, My Friend,  

and you'll run on, around the bend,

gone from sight, but not from mind, 

new pleasures there you'll surely find

I will go on, I'll find the strength, 

life measures quality, not its length.

One long embrace before you leave, 

share one last look, before I grieve.

There are others, that much is true,

but they be they, and they aren't you.

 

And I, fair, impartial, or so I thought, 

will remember well all you've taught

.

Your place I'll hold, you will be missed,

the fur I stroked, the nose I kissed

. 

And as you journey to your final rest, 

take with you this...I loved you best.

- Jim Willis

Easton even picks out his own toys

A fun Easton video

Easton, fly free big boy

As the time with our Goldens flies by, so many of us go through the "will I know when its time?”  This is a crushing weight that we carry around as our sweet dogs deteriorate from disease or old age. I think about this often, especially now that we have committed to adopting senior Goldens. Their time with us is so abbreviated compared to raising them from pups. It would be too much to ask to have them live even twice as long as they do. As god's personal representative for unconditional love, that would be just too perfect; too much to ask; and as we know, life is not perfect. Choosing to surround ourselves with Golden Retrievers, the perfect creation of  God and man; manufactured with the tools god left on this earth for us to sink or swim as we tweak breeds to serve our needs.

In March of 2011, I lay down beside Lady in the vet's office, her eyes and gums perfectly healthy, it was so hard to send her to the bridge. But I knew within two days, she would endure great suffering from dehydration and/or starvation. I swore after Devo, NEVER to let my dear, sweet Goldens waste away because I couldn't let them go.

With Easton, it presented me a unique puzzle I had not experienced in all my years. He was so brave and stoic, it was impossible to determine how ill he might be. Easton died peacefully during the early morning within a few hours of our vet appointment to evaluate his current lethargy. We discovered him at 6AM when Andi came down for tea and Easton’s breakfast. He lay still, so peaceful and relaxed in his favorite sleeping spot near his doggy door. Lesson learned - and that is our privilege, unquestioned by those who matter, those who get it, those who are as invested in the perfection that is our Golden dogs.

You can't tell most people about the death of your dog, not quite; there is an expectation that you shouldn't overreact, shouldn't place too much weight on this loss. In the whole scheme of thing, shouldn't this be a smaller matter? It's just a dog; get another one. One of the unspoken truths of American life is how deeply people grieve over the animals that live and die with them, how real that emptiness is, how profound the silence is these creatures leave in their wake. Our culture expects us not only to bear these losses alone, but to be ashamed of how deeply we feel them. The death of a pet is, after all, the first death most of us know. I know that is true for me.

Rest in peace my sweet, playful Easton boy. I will never forget you and will wait to hear your bark when we meet again at the Rainbow bridge.

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

Gloomy day, Golden Boy

Windy, rainy Sunday morning, Seahawks in Chicago making me crazy (they won in OT) and Easton hanging out after our very early walk between the rain drops. He loves to have a toy with him at all times just in case play breaks out. He is so mellow and such a good boy. What a joy. How lucky we all are. Happy Monday!

Easton's favorite squeaker ball

I’ve been waiting to catch this part of Easton's playful personality on video for sometime. This weekend he started playing with his squeaker ball right next to my chair. I used my smart phone to capture his "kitty play". Had to hold the phone at an odd angle, so it's a little choppy….sorry. Very lame background noise, so you get music instead!

The dog clock.....

Easton has been with us for a year and a half now. There has not been one day that I can remember when he and I have been apart. Tomorrow I am taking a trip; unfortunately Easton can't go. His well being will be in Andi's capable hands so there are no worries. Needless to say Easton and I have become very attached, but as long as he gets his groceries, a walk and a little attention everyday, he will be just fine. The picture below is the face I get anytime I leave and he can't go. That's pretty much where I find him when I come home. A week is a long time to sit on the landing, so I'm sure he'll find something to do. After all, there are squirrels to chase and toys to honk....he'll be just fine.

Gros Rouge et la pomme (Big Red and the apple)

Easton demos a doggy treadmill

For those of you not on Facebook, here's Easton At the Phoenix Pet Expo, April 28th, 2012. He was the first dog to demo that day. We walked him in and out of this special treadmill three times, treating him each time. This is his fourth trip in, where the ground began to move under his feet. He was a little startled, but recovered nicely. He looked like a newborn fawn trying to get those long legs to adjust to the moving tread. He never panicked and tried real hard to make it work. Thanks to www.dogpacer.com for being so patient and kind.



Click here to view directly on YouTube

Phoenix Pet Expo today

Phoenix Pet Expo today at the fantastic Cardinal Stadium in Glendale. Easton and I are going; we'll be talking to rescue groups about the Animal Rescue Media Wall at Kimbur Pet Wash and Suites (powered by CoCollage). Hope to see you there! If you can't make it, check out the upcoming Expos at a city near you.

Pet Expo web site

Will there be cookies there?
> Yes Easton, more than you could eat in one sitting.
We're taking a trick or treat bag with us!!

Our daily dose of Jack!

As you know, Easton and I were in Tucson last week and had the special privilege of meeting a legend. Yes, I'm talking about Jack; the (almost) four year old Yellow Lab who's sole purpose on this earth is to bring excitement and exercise to The Tall Guy's (Jack's Dad) life.
Jack and The Tall Guy's blog

We met up at McDonald park in NE Tucson. KT, Easton, Debbie (our Tucson hostess), Sophie and Mia piled into the dog bus and headed out for the short 3 mile drive. As we approached the dog park, we noticed a few dogs and humans having a barking good time. There was no mistaking Jack, the only Yellow Lab, running around with a plastic dog bowl in his mouth being pursued by a big guy with a camera around his neck. The rest of our visit was absolutely delightful as we came to this immediate conclusion: the Tall Guy takes no artistic license when he creates his Jack posts and in writing his wonderful BOOK. Jack is all that and then some.

My favorite Jack moments:

• Emptying the large, stainless steel water bowl by planting both front paws in the water filled bowl and digging like crazy until every drop is gone.
• Trotting around, socializing and then suddenly making a beeline for something plastic or wood that he carries off to "modify" as only Jack can.
• Jack is a good natured dog who is very social and loves everybody. He'll share his muddy paws with you, usually around the area of one's er....... underwear!
• Just being around Jack's energy will put a smile on anyone's face. He truly is one of a kind.

Here are a few pictures that I took. Thanks for the play date Jack. We'll never forget you.

The park, nice size, grass, pleasant owners, fun dogs - a good time was had by all

- JACK -

Easton and Jack - eyeing the poor, plastic red Frisbee (it had a short life that day)

TG and Jack with Easton - refilling the water bowl one more time!

Refueling the Jack machine, with Easton looking on.

TG and Easton - "smile"

Dog park fun, from L-R, Jack, Daisy, Easton, Dallas (the zoomy king), Sophie and Debbie
(notice the pink poop bag holder, Nice Touch)

Wet Dog in the Desert

Hi everybody. Sorry it's been so long since our last post. Recently, Easton and I were invited to visit some old friends who now live in Tucson. Jon and Debbie have two beautiful Rottweiler girls and a swimming pool. Easton was in heaven. I don't think there was five minutes when he was outside that he wasn't soaking wet from fetching up whatever toy was floating in the pool. We sure had a wonderful time.

This week I will be posting some Tucson pictures that I took, our staff photographer Michael took and a surprise contributor AKA "The Tall Guy" took at the McDonald dog park! Jon, Michael and I go way back to our US West days in Seattle in the late 80s. Jon and I worked together at Thousand Trails before that. Wow, how time flies.

PS: Everything the Tall Guys says about Jack is true. Debbie and I witnessed it first hand. We are available to testify at the Tall Guy's trial when they commit him to the loony bin.

Here are pictures from the swimming hole and the lovely Sophie and Mia. Dog park follies tomorrow.
Will post Michael's pictures when I get them (they are always way better than mine).

Sophie and Mia

Big Girl Sophie - she is so mellow and sweet

The lovely Miss Mia - sassy, full of mischief and sweet as pie

Desert update with Big Red

Yes, the desert agrees with Easton. We have a new feeding routine and a wonderful new kibble (Natural Balance Alpha Dog) that is blended with his regular NB Venison and sweet potato canned food. Combined with big, off-leash romps every day and plenty of brushing really makes him glow. About the only thing I don't indulge is his desire to have you throw every rock he picks up along our walks. Needless to say, there is a never ending supply of racket ball sized rocks here in the Sonoran Desert for Easton to carry around. Don't worry, he has such a soft mouth there is no problem with him chipping his teeth. His previously injured leg is doing so well, I just don't want to take a chance his exuberance gets the best of him. He is very play obsessed, so I try to drain his energy with walks and wrestling matches. He has really loosened up over the past year. Not bad for a nine year old, 95lb Golden. Here are some recent pictures. Sorry about the shadows, but I could not resist that face and the blooming cactus.

The Todd Toy Caper

Don't you just hate it when you "toy-nap" the wrong toy? Our friend Toby at Golden Pines has been complaining about all the annoying noises coming from a variety of toys in the mouth of the ever zealous Todd the Scottish Terrier. Easton was dispatched to toy-nap the offending item, but Mapquest sent him to the wrong farmhouse in Virginia! He brought back a red, squeaky ball and thinking it was Todd's, held it in captivity until Toby got around to sniffing his pee mail at the big oak tree message kiosk to confirm the job was done. Even though a ransom of yummy dog biscuits was paid, Easton is feeling sad (but full of biscuits) that someone ELSE actually toy-napped a quiet, red, puzzle ball belonging to Todd.

K9 toy-napping guide
Noisy balls - OK
Puzzle balls - off limits.

Easton would like to offer up a toy to Todd as a gift to soothe the temporary loss of "red puzzle ball". This toy was handed down to Easton from a Labby friend named Sadie, whose Mom thought Easton was just the most awesome Golden and deserved this fun (but odd looking) toy. Editor's note: as odd as this toy looks, the sound it emits when squeezed will make the hair on the back or your neck stand at attention!

The best description we've heard is: "cow-hippo-worm", along with "weird", "annoying" and "get this GD thing outa here". Legs, arms and other nubs have been nom-nomed off by Easton. So now it's a "custom toy" (it's value has sky-rocketed).

Dear Toby, our most humble apologies. We're thinking you'll still be spending time with your paws over your ears.

I need to learn how to read a compass....BOL