The other family members

I think it is time for an update on the two smallest members of the family.

Bugsi is in your left, Missi is on your right.

Missi and Bugsi were condo dogs in Santa Rosa. We took them on 4 scheduled walks a day since we did not have a yard in which they could roam, sniff, play and poop. We tried to make one of those walks a longer one for exercise, but our gang was always on the leash as we tagged our territory with pee so that all the other dog gangs would know that this was OUR hood.

Things are different here in Charlestown. Oh, we still tag our hood up so that all of the homies know whose turf they are on, but we often do so without leashes. First of all, lets talk about the yard. We have one. There is no fence, so we just don't let our gang outside without supervision, but they do not need a leash. Come to think of it, hardly anybody out here has fences, but that may be a topic for another day. Bugsi has been known to run after a cat, but for the most part they stay close and come when called. We live on a culdesac (which sounds much better than "dead end," even if you are not French) so there are no speeding cars going through our gang's neighborhood. When we are outside, Bugsi loves to fetch a tennis ball and Missi loves to fetch Bugsi. Missi is a herding breed, so when Bugsi gets too energized Missi tries to put him in his place. Kayla will sit outside after school sometimes and the dogs will join her. Missi and Bugsi like laying in and sometimes nibbling on the grass while they are out there basking in the sun. Another feature of our yard is that it is attached to Marie's yard. Marie is an animal lover, and has welcomed our dogs to the hood. Sometimes when we get home from a drive in the car, Missi gets out and goes over to Marie's house first.

Whenever we take an actual walk, we put on the leashes. Legally we could go without if our gang was under total voice control, but Bugsi is not quite there. He loves to go after birds, squirrels, cats and bugs. He would never go too far from Karen, but "not go to far from Karen" probably does not fit the legal description of "voice controlled." We have a park in our complex and will let them off leash to run and explore there too.

The other thing that the dogs enjoy (which is a total understatement) is going to Nana and GP's house. We were uncertain of how much mom and dad would would want the dogs over at first. We thought about simply having them stay outside when we were there. They do love their yard too, and often play "Fetch the Bugsi" while there. But inside is where the magic happens. Apparently Mom and Dad love the dogs more than we do. They play the role of grandparents very well. Missi actually cries when we get close to their house because she is so excited. The only other circumstance she has ever done that is when we were arriving at Chris and Kathy's house (or is that Kodi and Thor's house) in Santa Rosa.

Here is a picture of Missi's "Can we go to Nana and GP's house please" face:

While there, they always get a "Hello" treat and a "Good-bye" treat and often get "just because we like to spoil you" treats in the middle of the visit. Karen has to pay attention to how much they get so that we can feed them a little less dinner accordingly. GP also knows how to get Missi in a playful and feisty mood. In addition to the treats, they get lots of loving over there. Between Nana, GP, Lori and Jadon they get almost non stop attention at the magic house across the railroad tracks. And last but not least, there is "the runner." Bugsi was Jadon and Lori's dog in southern CA for a little while before they moved here and Bugsi moved to Santa Rosa. Jadon understandably has a sweet spot for Bugsi. They are a perfect match. Jadon is a very good runner. Bugsi is a very good runner. They go out in the back yard and do their thing. Often, Missi will sit there and play "Fetch a Bugsi" for just a moment as they run their laps in front of her. When we went on a hike last week with Jadon, Lori and the dogs it was quite a show. Jadon and Bugsi would run ... stop and wait for us slow folks ... run ... stop and wait for us slow folks ... run ... well, you get the point.

Overall, it has been a good move for the dogs. Like the rest of us, they miss KJ, Amy, Chris, Kathy, Kodi and Thor. But the Live Free or Die state seems to suit the mutts just fine.

Legal blogging

There is a little known law in New Hampshire. Blogging is illegal in the months of July and August if you have lived in the state for less than a year. Live Free or Die obviously has its limits.

Time to play some catch up.

July and August in 2 pictures each:

Here is a shot taken on the 4th in the evening. We were at a local fireworks display, and Kayla dressed for the occasion.

Now for the shed. Kayla helped me to assemble it. I don’t have a picture of the finished product, but trust me, it looks very shed-like.

Pre Irene picture: The smallmouth bass I caught before the local fishing dock was destroyed.

Post Irene picture: My cute 13 year old playing in a puddle during a lull of the storm.

OK, time for some verbiage:

The last two months have been very full. It has obviously been good to have Karen, Kayla, and the dogs here. The house does not feel so lonely. It is great to come home to a soft and friendly place, rather than an empty makeshift bachelor pad. It has been so comforting to have my partner of 25 years by my side again.

On the more difficult side, missing Katherine, other family, and our church family in Sonoma County has been more difficult. That was hard before, but I think that most of my “missing you” energy went towards Karen. Now that she is here, I feel the sadness of the other losses even more.

I knew that I would miss having in depth conversations and spending quality time with people that I have known and loved for years, but I did not think about something more subtle. It did not occur to me that I would miss out on brief, casual interactions that only take a few minutes. I was at Spring Hills Church for 16 years, and in Sonoma County for over 20 years. Hardly a day would go by in which I would not see somebody in passing that I knew. Sometimes we would only say hello and shake hands with a casual “howzitgoin,” sometimes we would talk for just a moment more than that. On Sunday mornings, I would would greet dozens of people that I knew to varying degrees. Obviously some of these greeting would lead to more meaningful conversations, prayer requests shared or humorous stories shared. These bigger conversations are probably more important, but there is something to be said for the casual, quick interactions with people you have known for a long time. I do not have that anymore, and I miss it.

On a more positive note, some good things are happening out here. We were expected to get hit hard by Irene, and our town did not. The surrounding areas did get hit hard, but not so much here.

Kayla has started school, and we are very proud of how she is doing. She has not been in a traditional school setting since starting home school in the 3rd grade. Going in to a new school, in a new town, will all new friends in the 8th grade would be hard for anybody, even a person who had not home schooled for so long. Kayla has been adjusting very well, and making friends along the way. She is still very sad about leaving her friends and family in Santa Rosa, but she is making the best of it and growing along the way.

Karen has been busy getting the house settled, getting to know our new neighborhood and being a superb support for Kayla and I as we go to school and work. She and I have had a light hearted argument over the years in which she incorrectly tries to take credit from me for first coming up with the name of the Spring Hills class “Jam Packed.” Well, I have to give her full credit for being the first to suggest what is now the name of our new church … “Hope Mountain Church.”

Hope Mountain is still a home church at this time. We meet each week in my in-laws’ living room. We have grown, and not just because Karen and Kayla moved out. Kayla invited two of her friends, who have been coming and we invited our wonderful neighbor Marie, who has been joining us too. Marie lives right next door to us, and has been a great blessing to us in many ways.

Prayer requests (since that 1/2 the reason for which this blog was originally created):

Hope Mountain - please pray that we will find the right place to grow, have the right timing in our “launch,” and for wisdom regarding the official structure and organization of our church.

Health - Please pray for dad (Richard). He had a bout with cancer recently and is still getting his strength back. In the mean time, he had a new growth that had to be cut out last week.

Kayla - Please pray for her as she continues to adjust to her school work and social environment.

Katherine - Please pray for her to have wisdom and strength as she juggles college, work, ministry at church and her social life.

Thanks for your prayers. Now that we are out of July and August, I will be allowed to blog on a regular basis again.