Spring

We had our first taste of spring this week. It was short, but it still gave me something to look forward to. One afternoon I went down to the Clark Fork River with Max and Evan. Max is one of Erik and Kendra’s dogs and he has been a great dog-friend in Buck’s absence. His excitement could not be contained when Evan would break a branch off of driftwood to throw for him. He would start this anxious barking as he danced around on the sand, desperately needing the stick that was about to be broken off and thrown into the water for his retrieval. The river was still low, and as a result a wide bank was exposed that Max could run along, and made for perfect walks and explorations of the riverside. Unfortunately, the water level is already creeping up and eating away at the exposed sand destroying my precious haven. For me there is nothing more peaceful and rejuvenating than walking next to the water, so close I could enter if I wanted to. I am sure there will be new retreats found, but probably not as close to home as this one.

Clark Fork is mostly clear of snow, but in Montana, where the school is, there is still a good foot on the ground in places. Some days it seems like spring will never come, namely today. Just looking outside at the overcast skies and lighting a fire in the woodstove to keep warm reminds me that it is not yet here.

Rosco & Max

A lot of people have been asking me if I am getting a new dog. After the short stint with Chloe I was all set to get a purebred Wheaten Terrier puppy in the spring, regardless of the ridiculous amount of money it was going to cost me. Why a Wheaten Terrier? They have fluffy coats (which I love), but they do not shed. This was the same case with Buck. I did not realize it until I had him for awhile, but it was definitely a benefit. My Aunt and Uncle have also had a few Wheaten Terriers and I loved the temperament, particularly the never ending energy. This was something that would usually get to me about Buck, but the annoyance usually quickly passed and his spunk would rub off on me. Although I do remember the time I was down with the flu and he wanted to play so bad. I went out and got him a few new toys and it gave me the peace and quiet to take a nap. The other big reasons for going with a puppy was that I wanted to start from the beginning and not worry about whatever baggage the dog might be bringing into the relationship that I was unaware of and really did not know how to deal with.

With the new stress of my new position at work, I decided to go against getting a puppy at this moment. I just started to realize that I did not have the time or energy to spend entertaining and training a puppy as much as I wanted to. My solution became very clear to me soon after moving in with Erik and Kendra. Their two dogs Rosco and Max are always ready for a walk, or to force me to come out of a funk and just love them. Rosco is an 10 month old Doberman-golden retriever mix, or in other words a very large, dumb puppy who will do anything for a little attention, including shove Max out of the way. Max is an eight year old Whippet mix with a very calm temperament. His eyes are soulful and he looks wise beyond his years. The dogs were quick to accept me as part of the household. In the mornings, Rosco will sometimes bark at the bathroom door because he has not yet had a chance to say good morning, or received a scratch behind the ears from me. Max is much more patient and will lie down in my room, right by the door to get his morning butt scratch. In the evenings, Max tries to persuade me into letting him up on the bed. He will come into my room at night, turn his eyes up to me, lay his ears back and give little sad moans as if to say, “Can I please come up there, please?” Occasionally, I agree.

Until I am ready for a new puppy, Rosco and Max are more than willing to fill the hole that Buck left in my life.

My Moose

Meet my moose. It is just a baby, but it is mine. I was busy in the kitchen making a mushroom, artichoke, bacon frittata from Bon Appetit for Erik, Kendra and I when I got the call. Kendra was on the phone with a neighbor who mentioned the moose across the street. I left Kendra in charge of the frittata, grabbed my boots and camera and was out the door. “Watch out for the momma!” Erik called after me. I rushed down the stairs imaging a large moose charging my car. I drove down Main Street to Third Street and low and behold, there was my moose sitting in someone’s backyard munching away on some poor yard that had barely made it through the winter itself. It is important to note that yes, the moose was spotted on Main Street and Third Street. My point being that is was spotted in the center of town, and not on the outskirts of town. Quite the change from metro Detroit…

P.S. The frittata still turned out great.