Cousins

We had a very busy day on Saturday. In the morning, we returned to Marymoor to check everyone out at the off-leash dog park. Lucy had a blast chasing (and being chased) by all the fabulous dogs that were there. Steve managed to get a pretty nasty rope burn on the back of his knee. For some reason, someone thought it to be a good idea to leash their dog using a flexi-leash and give the dog a bunch of slack. Well, Steve got caught in the middle and suffered a pretty nasty wound. FYI: If your dog needs to be leashed, don't bring them to an off-leash dog park.

We stopped at Bill and Tracy's in Redmond on our way home to Shoreline. Boone and Kallee have both had nasty cases of kennel cough, so Lucy had to stay in the car. It was great to see everyone and check out the newest member of their family, Kallee. She is a 2 year old blue (gray) Great Dane and is huge! When over at our house, she was able to put her paws on the top of the fence and look over. Quite an amazing site.

The Walther set of parents were in town for the San Diego/WSU football game Saturday afternoon. We headed down to the Exhibition Center around 1:30 to start drinking like all good Cougars. We met up with the Loopers and enjoyed a great win at Qwest field. I'm not sure what the score was, but we sure ate some expensive hotdogs and Jones soda! It was great to see my parents as always. Thanks for a fabulous dinner and tickets to the game!

Sister!

Lucy got to play with her sister Gretchen tonight at the Edmonds dog park. It was really neat to see them play together. They immediately went to each other and played together almost the entire time we were there. I think they could tell they were both part of the same pack. Malcolm our breeder is doing well and we were thinking how fun (crazy) it would be to get all 9 littermates together (at someone else's house).

This picture was probably the only 2 seconds they weren't running at each other or teaming up on another poor unsuspecting dog. Can you tell which is which? Hint - Lucy is eating the log.

My First Hike

On the eve of my 5th-month birthday I finally broke into that silly laptop Mom and Dad keep staring at. Who needs opposable thumbs! Here's my first blog:

Dad took me on my first hike today and I loved it. Instead of the usual nap I take after my 6am breakfast, we packed up the car and set off for some place called Little Mt. Si.

After a tough first part (it was sort of steep) the trail leveled out and we traveled through the lush green forests. I met a few other dogs and people on the way up and they all told me how cute I was and how well trained I was (they really meant how well trained Dad is).

It was a lot of fun sniffing all sorts of new things and jumping over logs and rocks and branches. Speaking of branches, it would take me weeks to chew up all the sticks I saw up there. I'll try that next time.

We kept stopping to look over cliffs and something called "vistas". The view was great, but I prefer to stick my nose to the ground and sniff for... whatever comes by! The top of the mountain did have a great view of Big Mt. Si and the valley. Quite nice. I also got a few more treats for doing my usual tricks for a few people who had gathered to chat with Dad. Dad forgot the water bowl, so he made me drink out of a Ziplock bag. Nice job big guy. I gave him a stern look. I think he got it.

On the way down, we met lots of other dogs. A big Newfoundland and a couple of labs were fun to meet and greet. I kept getting ahead of myself on the downhills and damn near chocked myself a few times on that damn pinch collar. I wish I could get off that silly leash and just run down. I don't think Dad could keep up. I drank a boatload of water when we got to the bottom and wished I could have jumped in the river to cool off.

Good thing we got to the trail early. When we got to the parking lot, there was a lineup of cars to take our spot! I can't wait to go hiking again!

Bumbershoot

Steve, Lucy, and I had a very exciting day today. We took Lucy to Marymoor Park this morning in Redmond where they have an off-leash dog park which is larger than we could have imagined. Lucy met a lot of new friends, got to swim in the water, and overall, was a fantastic puppy. She's learned to listen to Steve's whistle and usually comes back when she hears it. Too bad I have not yet learned to whistle. We also met up with two of my colleagues, Marietta and Mali and their combined 6 dogs. Lucy loved being a part of the pack!

After all the fun in Redmond, we headed home, showered, got a bite to eat and left for downtown Seattle with Lucy. We met up with Steve's "cousin" Matt at his condo and that's where Lucy stayed for the day. We bought tickets for Bumbershoot, which is a 3-day music and arts festival over the Labor Day weekend in Seattle. We saw The Shins, half of the People's Republic of Komedy show, and a fantastic performance by Rodrigo y Gabriela. If you haven't heard of this band, look them up or download some of their music. They are a guitar duo who doesn't do any singing, but their playing makes up for it. They're originally from Mexico, but now live in Ireland.

Tomorrow, we're both planning on going to work for a bit. I have to get my classroom ready for the first day of classes, which is Wed. Sept. 5th. Yikes! It was great to take a year off of work- I stopped grinding my teeth, having dreams about middle school angst, and overall had a lower stress level. Too bad it can't last! Honestly, I'm excited to be back and in the swing of things again. I think if it weren't for Lucy, it all would be much easier!

Big Girl Bed!

Time for Lucy to move on up in the world. We got our family's first dog bed that we hope will last a while. She still isn't quite ready to be sleeping on her own yet, but it is perfect for naps. In the evening when she falls asleep before bedtime, it's difficult to convince her she needs to leave her new soft bed for her little kennel. A dog's life isn't easy.

We put it down and she took right to it. She circled around her new bed and moments later...

Passed out puppy!

Cari Rieckers Morton 1976-2007

Yesterday, we got news that Cari Rieckers Morton, a dear family friend, died early yesterday morning. She had been under Hospice care since January and fought hard for her life until the end. A harpist came Wednesday to play for Cari, which finally allowed her to release her life. She has inspired me in my own life to puruse my dreams and possibilities. She lived a life full of health issues, yet she was an amazing friend, conversationalist, and host. She was interested in the lives of those around her and did not want to leave her loved ones behind. She will be missed, but I am so thankful she is finally at peace and that her struggle is over. Her parents, Keith and Kay, and her husband Keith, are in our prayers.



Cari's obituary from the Spokesman Review is as follows:


RIECKERS-MORTON
Caroline Suzanne (Age 31)
Died on August 23, 2007 after a long struggle from a rare neurologic disease. She is survived by her grandmother Pat Herda of Chewelah, WA; parents Kay and Keith Rieckers; and husband Keith Morton. Cari was born on January 28, 1976 at Deaconess Hospital and was raised in Spokane, WA on the South Hill. While growing up, she enjoyed skiing at Schweitzer, swimming with friends, traveling with her family, and visiting her many relatives in Chewelah/Colville. She graduated from Lewis & Clark High School (1994), and later obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art from the University of Redlands (1998). It was at the University of Redlands, while running on the cross country team, that she met her future husband Keith. They were married in Spokane in 1995. Cari returned to Spokane in 2002, and, while her health allowed, taught at Cataldo Elementary School. Though she had no children of her own, Cari, who was adopted at birth, served as a role-model to children in California, Virginia, and Washington as a teacher, nanny, and baby-sitter. Cari had a special place in her heart for those children who were less fortunate. Cari was an inspiration to us as she perservered through the tribulations of her life. While her body was weak in the end, she maintained a sense of humor and kept on shopping! We know that Cari is in a beautiful place with those who have passed on before.

In the words of Benjamin Franklin: "I have often … looked at that sun behind the President without being able to tell whether it was rising or setting. But now at length I have the happiness to know it is a rising and not a setting sun."

From 2 Timothy 4:7: "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith."

A Memorial Service will be held for Cari at Sacred Heart Parish Church, 219 E. Rockwood Blvd, Spokane WA at 1:00 PM on Tuesday, August 28, 2007. Donations in Cari's name may be made to Horizon Hospice, 123 West Cascade Way, Suite E, Spokane, WA 99208, or to The Hutton Settlement, 422 W. Riverside #931, Spokane, WA 99201.

Newman Lake

As a current grad student, I only had 1 week off between the end of my finals at Seattle U and the beginning of my internship at Explorer Middle. Steve set off for Spokane with a bunch of his buddies to celebrate Grant's bachelor party at Schweitzer. He met up with me in Spokane on Sunday evening and we spent the rest of the week at my parent's cabin at Newman Lake, which is just outside of Spokane (38 minutes door-to-door). We had an incredible time relaxing, swimming, eating wonderful breakfasts, walking, talking, drinking morning coffee on the dock, and introducing Lucy to lake life. She proved to be a great swimmer and loved wading in and chasing her chicken squeaker toy into the water. She hasn't yet realized ducks are for chasing, so they were safe this year. She enjoyed long naps in the sun and swatting the bugs away that interrupted her sleep. She got some training in a big field at the end of the road and went after the grasshoppers, which confused her beyond belief. We hope to spend more time at the lake in the future- I believe it's good for the soul. We miss our families already...

Lucy and her cousin Boone at Steve's parents' house before we left for Newman. Lucy looks up to and learns a great deal from Boone. She also enjoys tormenting him. Poor Boonie.

Lucy swimming after her chicken.

Steve and I both enjoyed Grant's wakeboard and the Connelly "Big Daddy" ski. It took me a while to get used to wakeboarding- I never figured out how to turn and spent the entire time screaming. Steve was much better at it and he got up on 1 ski for the first time! Bravo!

Did we mention Lucy got big?