Dougie's Day Out

Are we having fun yet?

Dougal went to his monthly doxie Meet-up at Pine Lake dog park. There were about 40 dogs and owners there, but it wasn't as much fun as it usually is. Let me elaborate: there were new peeps there with new doxies. One man had two long-haired dachsies, very cute, and one of them very nasty. This dog felt it his right to bark and snap at all comers, including large dogs that didn't appreciate his "assertive" personality. My beef with this hot dog was that when Dougal approached to sniff and be sniffed, this little monster snapped at Dougal and nipped him in the face. Actually, Dougal handled himself with grace, and didn't freak out. The brain-dead owner just looked on benignly at his darling doggies. I was incensed, obviously. That incident was emblematic of the un-cool vibe of that particular meet-up. We didn't see any of our faves, like babies Max and Ogi. Still, there were other lovely specimens to look at. Here are some pictures from Dougal's day out.

Dougal makes a new friend

Dougal in profile

A pretty long-hair



Sniff and be sniffed

Family Matters

Recently, I had the privilege to meet with my Rivero family to honor my father's sister, Anita Miller, who died after a very long and meaningful life. I was there with Pop, Elaine and John, and Pheme. It was such a pleasure to see all my cousins, young and not so young, who have had so many different life experiences, but who have in common with me our membership in the Rivero family. It was great to meet with the lovely and gracious Rockie, the warm and funny Andrea, and so many others. Pop is the last of his siblings still alive, and it was fun to see "Uncle Marky" being greeted by his many nieces and nephews. We're a pretty far flung group, with Jeanette,Julie and Martin holding down the fort for the family on the East Coast, and my sister JoAnn representing from the Northwest. I was impressed with the warmth and welcoming nature of the cousins, even though we don't get to see each other very often. It was a beautiful day in San Franciso, and my cousin Maria gets a big thank you for hosting the shindig at her sailing club. I'm sorry some faves like Auntie Dot, Dona and Linda couldn't attend, but I was thrilled to see my cousin Greg, whom I haven't seen since we were kids, catching lizards in the back yard. All in all, a lovely event, and I appreciated the opportunity to talk about our common memories of Grandma and Grandpa Rivero, the homestead in the Sunset, and all the aunts uncles and cousins. yes, family does matter.