I say it's Spring

According to the calendar, Spring is weeks off but here in Portland it's well ahead of time. It made for a nice walk today for Ralphie and I, especially along Sellwood Blvd, where I found my dream house (or houses). Not only is this a beautiful old home with a beautiful old cherry tree out front (along with a beautiful not-so-old resident), but it offers what might be the best view in Portland. Sellwood Blvd sits on a ridge overlooking Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge and the Willamette River, with a clear view of downtown. Far down below is a walking and biking path, part of the 40-mile Springwater Corridor. The steep wooded hillside between road and path is already packed with songbirds.



I'm just having a little trouble deciding whether the nice lady should give me her house, or if I'd rather have one just down the street, because the other house has a widow's walk and therefore even a better view.



And this house is right next to Sellwood City Park, a real gem tucked away from traffic, while still a short hike to the Bybee-Milwaukie stores and antique row. Maybe the people who live here should give me their house instead.


Ralphie doesn't seem to care, just so long as I shut up and let him walk.


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Passed Out - Yur Doin It Rite

Walkies

Dogs don't ask for much and almost nothing makes a dog happier than going for a walk. Where? Who cares? Walk around a few blocks, sniff all the other dogs' signatures, leave many signatures of your own, wag your tail and just walk. Who needs fancy things when you're a dog?

Dog in the house

Since I'm moving out of this apartment anyway, I figured we could break the rules. NO PETS! NO PET VISITORS! Ralphie is spending the weekend.

He has a nice cedar-filled bed that he loves. Why, then, has he shunned it in favor of my favorite Afghani rug? I may need a stronger vacuum cleaner.

Ha! Did you see those chickens run?

Ralphie and I drove out this morning to visit Bob and the chickens at the farm. Ralphie loves places like the farm because there are so many smells that he never sniffs in town. Bob's gigantic chocolate Labs were interested to have company so short and were very polite.

The chickens are all fully-grown now, and the hens have been cranking out an amazing supply of delicious eggs. White eggs, brown eggs, even green eggs, all delicious. There are currently two roosters, but the Alpha rooster has gotten himself in trouble, attacking Bob and his wife, Pattie, and a threat to the grandkids, who love to visit the chickens. The rooster is headed for the stove, which ought to teach somebody something about the perils of aggression. Should be good eating, too.

Meanwhile, the hens are being productive (yes, I know, that's a golf ball). Here are two of the Leghorns in their boxes. The hen on the right startled and took off, and left an egg behind. Bob reports that they're all regularly producing about an egg a day, which is apparently pretty good for beginners. (More chicken photos here.)

Ralphie thought the chickens were worth running after, and the chickens thought the idea sucked. Ha ha, Ralphie. Now you're on the wrong side of the gate. Obviously, lessons about aggression are lost on a dog.


Later, we wandered down to the pasture to get a look at the new calf, born just yesterday. Unfortunately, the mom and calf were well out in the field, too far away for good viewing, but the distance suited Ralphie just fine, because cattle are BIG. The last time Ralphie visited the farm, he was just a tiny puppy, but the cattle are just as big as ever. On this occasion, having a gate there was welcome.

One is the loneliest number

How pathetic is this? All alone at the dog park? What happened to all those fair-weather dog owners that were around only a week ago. Fooey. Of course, it was cold and gray and wet today and there was a nasty breeze blowing, but we're dogs. What do we care?

Fortunately, Ralphie wasn't alone for too much longer. The park never reached the teaming-horde stage, but eventually there was a quorum of five or six dogs, so we stuck around for an hour. It was a big day for huskies and other furry breeds. Ralphie had a pretty good time after all.

Time to Howl!

Another day at the dog park, with lots of canine buddies to play with. Not blistering heat, but still warm enough to bring out the crowds . . . and no rain. A good day to howl.

Random Photo of the Day

Eh. You try shooting a photo with one hand, out an open window in a moving car (while driving it) to get an image in the rearview mirror. This is Ralphie on his way to the dog park again, on what turned out to be a warmish, sunnyish day, a great break from the recent weather. A zillion dogs were there, ranging from miniature kick dogs to a year-old Great Dane the size of a Clydesdale. Lots of Labs, lots of husky-looking dogs, a couple of Bassetts (yay!), a pair of Labradoodles that looked like wolfhounds, pugs and Shepherds. Running, humping, barking and howling (that'd be Ralphie). A nice change from the previous Saturday with all the slush and rain. Much better.

Weather, bah!

The weather here has been crap. Up in the hills, they got snow; up in the mountains, they got tons of snow; even south in the valley, they got lots of lovely snow. Here? We've gotten rain in abundance and yesterday we got slush. Charming. Ralphie and I wandered off to the Gabriel Park off-leash area in search of buddies and maybe snow and encountered two or three other dogs in an open field of slush and cold nasty rain. After my shoes and socks were thoroughly soaked, we wandered back toward the car on paths deep in running water, past creeks overflowing with rushing water. This little piece of field was the closest Ralphie got to playing in the snow.

On the positive side, Ralphie did get to exercise his big boy outside voice. A lot. One fellow told me he could hear him baying all the way back to the tennis courts. The tennis courts are by the upper blue point and the winter off-leash area is marked by the other blue point.


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Random Photo of the Day

Just a reminder that summer never lasts forever. Some of us really love the snow.

Ralphie the dog

3.5 miles is a much longer walk when your legs are only four inches in length.

My best dog friend, Ralphie, is a bagel. Which is pretty much to say, he's got a basset hound body with a beagle head stuck on the front. He also has a fierce heart and would probably walk until his stumpy legs wore down to nubbins, well after my much-longer legs gave out. Ralphie and I no longer live in the same house, but he's always ready for a ride in the car and a nice long walk.

This photo was shot as we rested up after our walk on Portland's Esplanade on a beautiful weekend morning. We walked north from the Hawthorne Bridge to the Steel Bridge on the east side of the Willamette River, crossed over on the walking path of the bridge (as MAX trains and cars rumbled overhead) and then back south on the west side, amidst scores of runners and bicyclists.