more doggy doin's!

Just a quickie post with some photos taken today with my "new" (thanks Jenny!) camera phone. We were checking out the 1st Annual Bark'n in the Park which was held at the new Community Park. I would venture to say that a good time was had by all. There was one booth that had several balls in a tub of water and the object was the same as bobbing for apples. Some of the balls were marked to indicate which prize would be awarded. I handed over my $2 coupon so Roger could have a go at it. As much as Roger likes balls, and water for that matter, he just wasn't interested (or didn't have a clue) and I was completely surprised. He did, however. make a splash when we stopped to talk to Peggy and Bev at the vaccination table. When Roger is especially thirsty he sticks his whole nose, up to his eyes, into the water. When he is especially frisky he puts his paws, as many as will fit, into the water. Well, he was feeling frisky, so he put both front paws into the water bowl that was right at Peggy's feet and started digging, not just once, but several times! Its a good thing Peggy understands dog behavior and is used to that sort of thing. It would have been a cute video if I would have thought about it.

Notable dogs we saw at the event included an Old English Sheepdog named Toby, Roger's classmate Fargo, Bev's dog Tootsie, at least one basset hound, a beagle, a mastiff, 2 springer spaniels and 2 Irish wolfhounds.

News Flash! This event was just on the 11 o'clock news and it was reported that there were over 100 dogs in attendance and over $2,000 was raised for the Animal Shelter and the Humane Society!

The scarf was included in the goody bag that we received for our $10 donation. I wish I would have positioned it so the logo was more visible.

I think this is a good one of Dawn, despite the shadow from her glasses. Part of the backside of Roger's head was cropped out because something way more interesting caught his attention just as I clicked the shutter.

After numerous attempts we were able to get the next 4 shots. It seems there's a timing thing that must be mastered in order to capture both dog and human looking toward the camera at the same time.

Beth said I should have the last one framed. I guess it is pretty cute, so I went ahead and printed it out.

Problem solved!

Surprisingly, I was able to figure out my computer's malfunction all by myself and can once again upload photos, so I thought I'd share a few. Nothing exciting, just some of my favorites.

Unknown variety of plumbago. I just love the color.

"Brandy"

"Brandy" after a few days in captivity. It ususally opens all the way after its cut, but this one didn't. I like how the shading shows up.

Roger watches the kids playing next door. He so wanted to join them!

Roger contemplates...


Roger on his 2nd birthday (yesterday!)


Action shot! Activity across the street caught his attention just as I clicked the shutter button. He turned his head so fast that I thought the photo would come out a total blur, but I was surprised at how it just caught his ears flying.

I've been tagged!

20 years ago...

1. I had been living in Paradise for 3 years.
2. Reno finally quit his job in the bay area after 3 years of being home only on weekends.
3. we got Bud, our first bullmastiff. He was one-in-a-million and the dog that made me love dogs.
4. My daughter was in 7th grade and my son was a sophomore in high school..

10 years ago...

1. I had been with Paradise PD for 9-1/2 years.
2. Bud had been gone for just over 2 years.
3. Chuck, our second bullmastiff, had just turned 2.
4. Reno and I had been married for 26 years.

5 years ago...

1. is a blur! (I will edit this if/when memories of this time period return!)

3 years ago...

1. I painted our kitchen and dining room yellow and I still love it!
2. I went to Hawaii for the first time.
3. we lost Chuck to lymphoma.
4. was the 40th anniversary of my friendship with Debbie and JoAnne!

1 year ago...

1. I "retired" from Paradise PD.
2. I rescued Roger, the best poodle ever!
3. Married 35 years!

So far this year...

1. I became a grandma!
2. my son graduated from CSU Chico.
3. I had tile put down in the entry, kitchen and dining room.
4. I've created this blog and a MySpace account.

Yesterday...

1. I went to work at Joy Lyn's in the morning and the PD in the evening.
2. I took some photos with my new camera. I thought I would share them here, but my computer is acting up and won't let me upload them. (I'll add them if/when the problem gets fixed.)
3. I had leftover lemon chicken from Moongate for lunch...YUM!
4. I flossed for the 164th consecutive day without fail. (I even flossed when I was camping, when I was sick, and when I was dead tired after working graveyard!)

Today...

1. I had a hard time getting out of bed. Sometimes 6 hours of sleep just isn't enough.
2. I took Roger to his obedience class in Chico. (He did great!)
3. I went back to Chico to go shopping with my daughter and bought a new watch.
4. I had a fun texting back and forth with Beth.

Tomorrow...

1. my daughter and I are taking her 2 dogs (my grand-dogs) to the Canine Carnival at 20th Street Park in Chico.
2. I need to water the roses in the back yard.
3. is the day before Roger's 2nd birthday.
4. will be here in an hour. (It has taken me 2 hours to complete this, due in part to item 2 under Yesterday.)

Next year...

1. my granddaughter will be walking.
2. I will have a 5th great nephew. (he was due 2 days ago!)
3. I will probably still be working part time at Paradise PD and Joy Lyn's.
4. I will still be a daily flosser.

Thanks, Stacie, this was fun.

Dog Days of Summer

Yesterday was the Dog Days of Summer at AT&T park in San Francisco. It is an annual event with a portion of the proceeds of the Dog Zone tickets going to the San Francisco SPCA. There were hundreds of dogs in all shapes and sizes. Roger was the only standard poodle that I saw.
Our experience started with a parade around the field, which I was afraid we might miss. According to the information we received with our tickets, the parade was to begin at 11:20. We left Paradise in plenty of time to make it by the deadline and we didn't have any problem getting to the ballpark. We were following the directions to the parking lot and before we got there, right across from the entrance to the park, we saw a hand written sign that said "Parking Available, $30." Dawn and I looked at each other and remarked about what a rip off that was. We continued on toward the designated ballpark lot, but mistakenly turned in to the permit only lot. No problem, they just directed us through to the entrance to the regular lot. We pulled up to the lot attendant and were shocked to find out that the parking fee was $30! We asked if there was cheaper parking somewhere else and he said yes, but that it was 5 blocks north of the ballpark. He gave us the directions to Embarcadero & Bryant, and we proceeded back the way we came. He had said the lot would be on the left so we were in the left lane. Right close to the intersection there was a sign indicating a right turn into the lot, but we couldn't get over in time. We continued north several blocks, made a legal u-turn, found another lot with plenty of spaces and pulled in. The parking fee...only $20! We parked and embarked on our 5 block trek. By now it was at least 11:35. When we finally got to the park we saw a long line of dogs and their human companions all waiting to go inside for the parade! Although I had already resigned myself to missing the parade, I was glad we got to participate.
Upon entering our assigned section and seeing how crowded our row was, we decided to sit in a lower row that was almost empty. We figured it would be good for as long as it lasted, and it lasted for about 2 innings. Thankfully, the people whose seats we were in were very gracious. We then took our assigned seats and discovered they were actually better, as was the company! We were seated next to a puggle (with whom Roger was enamored and who left before I could take her picture), a beagle, an Airedale, and a couple of chocolate labs.
It was a warm (hot) day in San Francisco. Each dog had been given their own orange water bowl and the SPCA dog monitors came around regularly to make sure that the hydration needs of all the dogs were met.
The only problem with going to a ball game with so many dogs is that it is hard to focus on the action that is taking place on the field. This is the best of what I saw of the game...bottom of the 4th inning, score is tied 2-2, Pablo Sandoval is on 2nd base (after a lead-off double that I'm not sure I actually saw), Barry Zito hits a single & Sandoval scores! We left shortly thereafter. I learned later that the Giants beat the Padres 4-3.
It was a long day, despite seeing less than half of the game. Roger slept almost all of the way home. I told Dawn I didn't think I would do it again, but I'm already reconsidering! If I do go next year I vow to take more photos and perhaps a video or two (or more).

Can't get enough of Lake Tahoe!

If I ever win the Lotto I will be looking into buying a place at Lake Tahoe, but until then renting a house with my gal pals for 5 days and 4 nights every August will have to do. We started this tradition in 1997 and first stayed in a little studio cabin in Tahoma at a place called Tahoe Cedars. A charming place it was, old and well established, with its own private beach and families that returned year after year. We were lucky to get in that year, but decided to try something new the next year. (Tahoe Cedars has since closed and now sits boarded up, looking so forlorn). A reasonably priced motel on the beach in South Lake Tahoe was our choice for 1998. South Lake Tahoe proved to be too crowded for our liking and a motel room also proved to be too crowded. The next year we found a house on a golf course in Incline Village for not much more than the price of either the studio at Tahoe Cedars or the motel on the beach. That spoiled us and we've had either a house or a condo ever since. Most recently we've been staying at a house at the edge of Tahoe City. The location is great, the price is right, and since we've stayed there several years now we feel quite at home from the minute we arrive until its time to leave. This was the first year we extended our stay from 3 nights to 4, though we've talked about it almost from the beginning. We also had company for the first time - JoAnne's sister and cousin came up and spent 2 days and a night (thank you Shelley, for the wonderful fruit platter!). Our days were filled with hiking, relaxing at Calawee Cove, rafting on the Truckee River, lounging around playing Hand and Foot, swimming in the lake at a place we've named Rock Beach, and a little shopping. Our evenings were spent strolling around downtown Tahoe City, going for walks in "our" neighborhood (beware of the bats!), taking in the sunsets at Commons Beach (more bats!) and North Tahoe Beach, playing Hand and Foot, and watching the Olympics. It was a good time as usual and I think I can safely speak for the group and say we all are looking forward to next year. The photos were all taken with my cell phone.

Beautiful blue Lake Tahoe from the Rubicon Trail

(yes, it really is that blue!)

Commons Beach just after sunset

Flowers in "our" neighborhood

Looking north toward Incline Village from "Rock Beach"

"Rock Beach" looking south toward Sand Harbor

Sunset from the highway above "Rock Beach"

Getting ready to leave "Rock Beach" on the last day (so sad!)

Last look at "Rock Beach" until next year

back to work

Today it was back to work for me. I have a lot of hours this week - 45! Not that I'm complaining, though, after all I just had a whole glorious week off. Besides, the early day shift on a Sunday hardly counts (usually, that is, and today was the norm). Tomorrow I only work half a shift (5 hours hardly counts either). Thursday, Friday and Saturday I work graveyard (my favorite) and my partner all 3 days is Dottie and it just just doesn't get any better than that, folks! Next week I'm only scheduled for (2) 5 hour shifts and the week after that its off to Tahoe again! I'd say I've reached the balance I was hoping for when I "retired" 11 months ago.

back to Bliss

Traditions, old or new, are a wonderful thing. They give us something to look forward to and they provide us with a wealth of memories to cherish. This past week my BFFs and I went camping at Lake Tahoe's incomparable D.L. Bliss State Park. We've had the same site in the same campground for three years in a row and have declared it a tradition. A new tradition, by some standards, but a tradition nonetheless. (Among our campground neighbors was a large group of women, some of whom have been camping at Bliss the same week each year for 20 years!) Our reservations were made six months ago in the dead of winter. We started out counting the months, then the weeks, then the days until we could once again behold the beauty of Lake Tahoe and spend quality girlfriend time in the great outdoors. Oh, the joy of cooking over an open fire (and a Coleman stove), playing cards by lantern light and sleeping on an air mattress in a tent. We tried some new things this year, like baking cornbread in a Dutch oven (yumm!) and making ice cream in a coffee can (YUMMM!). And DEBBIE brought the cookies this time. They were so good, its just too bad she didn't bring enough to last the whole week. Oh, wait, she did! I guess we were just a little short on self control seeing as how they were gone by the end of the second day. (Don't forget, Debbie, I want that recipe!) Then there was the kayak. This would be the first time I got to use my second hand kayak and the first time I had ever paddled a sit-on-top type. I learned in a hurry that one doesn't scoot over in the seat when the wind is blowing and the water isn't exactly smooth. To my surprise, I fell into the cold water and my kayak turned upside down! Luckily, I wasn't far from shore and the water was only about waist deep. I was easily able to right the kayak and get back aboard with little fuss. There were no further mishaps. I can't wait to go kayaking again! After some coaxing, both Debbie and JoAnne tried it, and both were pleasantly surprised. When we first got to the beach that morning there were a couple of women getting ready to get their kayaks in the water. Debbie learned that they were a mother and her 16 year old daughter, and they were departing to Emerald Bay to spend the night at Boat Camp (which is where we encountered the below pictured bear). They said it was about a 2 1/2 hour paddle. What a great experience! Hmmm...what else...

When I was lounging in the sand in Calawee Cove I thought of my newly created blog and wrote in my head about this trip. I did the same in my tent, just before slumber. Again, on the long ride home, I went over in my mind all the things that I wanted to convey here. However, as I write this now I'm wishing that I would have had a pen and paper with me on that beach and in the tent, and a tape recorder in the car, because my memory is not to be trusted! Suffice it to say that we had a great time and are already planning for our "Blissful" rendezvous next year.

Lessons learned this trip:

~ Flexibility = Harmony

~ Having a good plan is one thing, properly executing it is something different altogether. Being able to come up with Plan B is the key to success.

~ Sometimes less is more

~ Partial disassembly the night before leaving makes a huge difference (Good idea, Deb)

~ Its OK to grab a burger if its convenient, especially after a long hike

Things to remember for 2009:

~ Do better menu planning and pre-preparing of meals, especially dinner

~ Simple foods should not be overlooked, especially for breakfast

~ Get out of camp early enough to have a whole day at the beach

~ Take a picture of our camp site in full regalia

~ Work on reducing our carbon footprint

BFF JoAnne and BFF Debbie in camp

JoAnne and me in camp

Debbie and JoAnne at Lester Beach

JoAnne and me at Lester Beach

Calawee Cove

JoAnne and Debbie at Calawee Cove

View from my hammock

JoAnne goes a-paddling

Debbie goes a-paddling

We saw this bear while hiking the Rubicon trail

He was trying to get a free lunch and didn't want to take "no" for an answer!

Further along on the Rubicon Trail (too bad JoAnne had to leave us early that morning)

We certainly did enjoy our visit and will return again and again and again!