Hello!

There’s something about this picture that I think is so darn cute.  I had just popped around to the back gate to see what the rest of the family was up to, and it took Wally and LuLu a minute to realize it was me approaching.  Wally’s checking me out and LuLu's at the tail end of a bark.  I just love the way they look.  I love them!  So soft.  So friendly and happy and lovable.  So many reasons to smile.



I hope you find many reasons to be happy today, and if you weren’t smiling before, my one wish at this moment is that you’re smiling now.  Wally and LuLu would be so pleased!  Have a great day!

Squinty Eyed in the Sun

Love those sunny days to hang out all squinty eyed on the deck, just soaking it in after the long winter.



I can’t see a thing, but it sure feels good.



That’s last year’s Bacopa beyond Wally, off to a good start without any help from me.



It looks like we’re in for a stretch of good weather and I’m thinking now’s the time to get some flower shopping done and pots planted.  I’m so looking forward to seeing the garden in full bloom again!  I hope you all have a lovely weekend! 

Just Enjoying an Early Spring Day

Hi, all!  Doesn’t our big Wally look like a puppy in this photo?



He’s our action figure.



LuLu finds him very entertaining.



Love how this ribbon of grass clings to his ear.


Guess who’s got the treats?



A lot of play and exercise and happy time keeps us all young.  Wishing you a lot of happy time this weekend.  Take care!

Just Passing Through

This photo was taken with a coworker’s cell phone on a recent Saturday in the parking lot of the medical center where I work.  Elk are not uncommon in this area, but we don’t usually see them strolling through town.  They’re beautiful, powerful animals.



Hope you enjoyed this little snapshot of small town life on the southern Oregon coast!  Have a good day!

Home Away From Home

Hello, friends!  Are you as ready for Saturday as I am?  What a week it’s been… well, let’s just forget about that, shall we?  Today I’m popping in with a quick pic of the kids settling in at our son’s house last weekend.  We haven’t established any permanent sleeping arrangements there yet so we just pull out the inflatable and some old bedding and make our little nest in the spare room.  Not quite the same as home, but it’s a little like camping and we’re comfortable with it.

Sort of.

See, the thing is, Wally and LuLu think it’s a big dog bed and there’s no way they’re going to give up possession of it.  They’re happy to share, but if we try to remove them… oh, the hurt in those faces!  We wouldn’t dream of pushing them off their beds at home, so why would we do it there?  Well, you know how we are when it comes to Wally and LuLu so, of course, all four of us crowd onto that inflatable double bed and just cling to whatever little space we can claim.




The sense of well being they give me is immeasurable, so as far as I’m concerned, nothing’s too good for them during their too short time in this life.

Love to you.  Enjoy your weekend!

Double Decker Doggies

Just riding along in the back of the pickup on their way to someplace fun.



They like to sniff the air between the canopy and cab, and when they smell that they’re approaching one of their favorite outdoor playgrounds they get very excited.  Wally and LuLu know the pick up means play, just as they know when they ride in the SUV it means we’re running errands or going on a trip, and they’ll settle down on their quilt and act all grown up.  We take them pretty much everywhere.  If they weren’t so darn endearing and appreciative we might be able to bear to leave them at home.  As it is, well. . . perish the thought!  Have a happy weekend!

LuLu Gets the Spa Treatment

For such a pretty little girl, LuLu sure does get stinky behind the ears sometimes. Not in her ears, but behind them. I had LuLu’s ears checked at her last vet visit and she was found to be clean and free of infection.  So I did a little research and learned that it’s most likely pond bacteria thriving in the warm, damp environment of her thick fur after a swim and a nap.  The ear area is particularly susceptible and a dog with a heavy double coat like a Golden Retriever can even develop a fungal infection if left too damp for too long.  Well, we can’t have that, can we?



So after a recent swim LuLu got a shampoo and a blow dry.  I’ve never blow dried a dog before and wasn’t sure how she’d tolerate it, but she was very cooperative.  As you can see, Rich did the blow drying while I took the pictures.   “I’m ready for my close up Mr. DeMille. . .”



Mmm, she smells good!  Happy Saturday!

Look Alikes

You know how they say people tend to look like their dogs . . .



I laughed myself silly when I saw this picture.  They have the exact same expression!  What will they look like after a few more years, I wonder?  Hope this tickled your funny bone.  Have a great day!

Wally and LuLu

Wally and LuLu are in the prime of their lives – healthy, vigorous, and very happy.











I’m thinking today of a friend’s family dog, Olivia, also a Golden Retriever, who passed on Thursday.  She was well loved and had a good life, and we know it’s natural for a dog’s life to be relatively short, but it still seems unfair when they’re so good.  My heart hurts for Olivia’s family’s, bless their hearts.  I thought my dedication to Wally and LuLu’s happiness could not be more sincere, but it has just stepped up a notch.  I need to reciprocate that goodness, to let it spread out around me, to be thankful for every moment and for how they’ve enriched my life and filled my heart.  Thank you for being here with us today.  Love.

Peek-A-Boo LuLu

Wally and LuLu both like to pretend that if you toss a blanket over them they completely disappear, and if they hold very, very still you’ll never find them.  “Where’s LuLu?  LuuuuuLuuuu…   Have you seen LuLu?  She was here just a minute ago.  LuuuuuLuuuu…”  Wally likes to toss the blanket off with a flourish and a big smile, so proud of himself for fooling you.  LuLu inches her way out a little at a time.



Just a little Saturday smile.  Enjoy your weekend!