I might be visiting San Jose

Sometime in August (the dates keep fluctuating) I might be stopping in San Jose for a few days on my way home from a week in Austin. Yes, I know... August in Austin will be deadly hot. The timing wasn't up to me.

I'll try to get together with as many of you as possible. I'll be there a weekend plus the following Monday and Tuesday. It could be the 17th-20th or the 24th-27th.

Poor Sophie will be boarded at Paws for about 12 days.  I know she likes it there and has fun playing with the other dogs, but my worse fear is that she'll think I'm not coming back for her. She's spent 3-4 playdays there, but never stayed over night. Do shelter dogs really have lingering abandonment issues? No doubt, our first long separation will be the hardest. Over time, she'll learn to trust that I will always return for her.

 

Visitors !!

It's summer in Hawaii so, naturally, friends are starting to pop in.
Emma and Ella were here for a few days - long enough for us to enjoy several beach outings and shopping trips and eat ourselves silly.
The highlight of the week was boogie boarding with Ella on Kekaha Kai beach (4 miles from my house)...



The following week, Jocelyn and the entire Blair clan came for dinner and my daily sunset show. They were staying at what sounded like a gorgeous resort up in Waikoloa. Their visit to the island coincided with Tropical Storm Flossie's near miss of the Big Island.
In Hawaiian terms, a 'near miss' means that we got only a LOT of rain and wind. Maui was directly hit and got a FREAKING LOT of rain and wind.

Aloha y'all!

Dinosaur Vertebrae

Like most puppies, Sophie picks up all sorts of trash on our walks. Check out this huge vertebrae she found on one of our off-leash walks.

 

I'm open to suggestions about what kind of creature this came from. Sophie and I are leaning toward a T Rex.

Growing Our Own Bananas

We picked our first bananas! These are "apple bananas" -- smaller than the Chiquitas that you see in the grocery stores with a sweeter apple-ish taste.



I gave away many and still couldn't eat them all so, on a rainy Sunday, I baked banana bread. Mmmmmm.

We have two more trees with developing bananas so I'm guessing there will be much banana bread in our future.

Sexy Sophie

Sophie is now sleeping with me at night. She cuddles so nicely and doesn't take more than her share of the bed. She doesn't seem to understand that sharing a bed means sharing the MAKING of the bed in the morning. I'll keep working on that.




Aloha y'all!

Sophie's Six Month Update

Sophie and I found a new paved road that goes nowhere and is closed to traffic. It's just perfect for our afternoon walks. After several leashed walks, I was brave enough to unhitch her and let her roam free. She never goes far from me and comes back when I call her. STILL... it was a scary thing for me the first few times...



Sophie is 6 months old now and 47 pounds. She's getting really long and tall. There's very little room left for me on the bed. :)



No gardening news or new adventures for Sophie's mom. My project is in the last few weeks before release and, except for Sophie's afternoon walk, I'm working around the clock.

Aloha y'all  !!

Sophie and Makoa Sitting in a Tree

Sophie had her first official date with Makoa, the bad boy from next door. They play really rough, with Makoa demon-growling all the while, and Sophie loves it.

Makoa is a full grown Rottweiler/Labrador mix.
Sophie is only 6 months old, but you can see that she's almost his size.

This is what I mean by "playing rough".

 


Totally making out  -- right in front of her mother!



Aloha y'all!