(Jake) Tahoe

Whenever possible, Jake goes where we go; especially when we head for the mountains!  Cool weather, hiking, and calm waters make for one of those ideal dog destinations.

Jake loves the water but he's not a big swimmer.  He wades more than anything else.  I think that he prefers the comfort of being able to feel the ground beneath his feet.  The slow slope of King's Beach is ideal.  He could run 50 yards out and still be able to stand.

As they say, variety is the spice of life.  Each day at the beach deserves the balance of a day on the trail.  We did a 5 mile hike to a cluster of five small lakes (appropriately named Five Lakes Trail) that overlook nearby Squaw Valley.  When we got there, Jake was quick to jump in, cool off, and apply a fresh layer of dust and mud.  ...which will later find it's way into the car.

This was considered an easy trail but there were still a few frightening passages.  Big altitudes and steep cliffs make for spectacular views.  Here's Jake and I as we check-in at ~7,400' above sea level with Squaw in the background.

Where the Deer and the Turkey Buzzards Roam

We're settling in!  We're out of the corporate housing and into a proper apartment. Ali's found a new job.  Jake decided on a new dog walker.  There are only 3 moving boxes left.  Go us!

This is the time of year when Ali and I typically make our final trip of the season over to Nantucket.  With fond island memories in our minds, our homesick hearts demand that we go explorin'!  First up?  Carmel.  The bags were packed on Thursday and we were out the door by 7p on Friday. We pulled into Carmel Valley Ranch around 9:30, scarfed some room service, made a fire, and headed for bed.

Whether a hike, (golf) swing doctor, eats, relaxing, beach, or a World Series game...Saturday was full for everyone.  Sunday too; more beach, shops, and lunch with a view.

Jake's favorite part of the weekend was the beach. A close second were the wild turkey buzzards which nearly caused the removal of wifey's arm.  Ali's favorite part of the weekend was lunch at Rocky Point followed by the balcony view and fresh coffee.

I really enjoyed the one-on-one time with Jake, time away with wifey, and the drive home along the California Coast. But most of all, I liked that we made a memory and experienced something new.  It might not sound like a lot but when everythig familiar is over 3000 miles away, every bit makes a difference.

Back to 02116

We landed our butts back on the mainland today. I'm unable to accurately determine who's depression is deeper: Ali or Jake's. They both long for the Nantucket lifestyle.  Ali for the carefree attitude Jake for the lax Leash Law.

Reality is a harsh wakening.  Construction on the Sagamore Bridge slowed us to a 3 mph for 40 minutes. Once we got inside the city limits, it only took four stop lights before we witnessed the first act of roads age between an 18-wheeler and a taxi (totally the taxi's fault).  A police officer briefly stopped all traffic through the intersection while the two drivers sorted it out.

On the upside, Spring has made a lot of progress on our street. Our "privacy screens" have returned in full force.

Life's a Beach

Ali and I rescued Jake in 2007.  Like me, he used to live in North Carolina.  Jake had a bad case of heart worm. His family couldn't afford the treatment and were forced to take him to the local shelter.  The shelter gave Jake the heart worm treatment and, through a relationship with Adopt-A-Lab.org, he moved up to New England in search of a new happy home.  When we met Jake, he was staying at a foster home in Connecticut.

You can take the boy out of the beach but you can't take the beach out of the boy.

This trip to Nantucket is the first time that we've taken Jake to the beach.  Even though it was only 60 degrees, his eyes lit up and he hit that beach like it was an official homecoming.  I don't think I've ever seen him get SO excited SO quickly.  It reminds me of Ali's excitement when we walked into the jewelers to shop for engagement ring diamonds.

I caught this moment on video while Ali and Jake were playing in the surf.  They might have been my favorite moments of the whole week.  My favorite favorite parts are each of his 180's.  And yes, that water is really cold.

Interesting Jake Factoid #1: When we first met Jake, his favorite snack was baby carrots.

Lake Placid Vacation Domination

This just in: Nantucket no longer #1 destination for Ali and David!  That's right, Lake Placid Lodge has replaced Nantucket atop our list of favorite vacation destinations.  It's been a hard fought battle, but we've fallen for the vistas and variety of LPL.

This year's b-day gift to Wifey was a surprise four days and three nights at LPL with the pup(!).  It's our second trip here.  When we visited during the summer, we stayed in the suites. This time around, we rented a cabin because those are the only rooms where dogs are allowed.  We were fortunate enough to get upgraded to Owl's Head, the most private of the lake front cabins.

We both took a vacation day on Friday.  After a delicious husband made b-day breakfast, I delivered the news.  After a brief freakout, our bags got packed and we were on our way west (and north).  Four and a half hours later, we were checking in. We spent some time kibitzing with the welcome committee who were kind enough to give Jake water and a few treats.  We didn't get any snow accumulation while we were there but there was more than enough for us to enjoy it with Jake. He loves playing in the snow so this was a perfect trip for him.

It was very difficult for us to leave on Monday. And even more difficult for me to go into the office on Tuesday. We're already planning our return visit. Next time we plan to stay in the lodge so that we will have experienced each type of room.  Stay tuned for some more posts about the weekend details!

Recycle Bin Igloos

Do you remember the feeling of a first snow when you were a kid?  I was a geeker for that kind of stuff.  As a child, I can remember rushing to all of the different windows in the house to see who got the best visit from Jack Frost...which did little more than only point toward the mere possibility that the environment could sustain snow.  There was more than one winter where I used the recycle bin to make bricks for an igloo!  Granted, I never completed a recycle-bin-brick-igloo...but the effort was there!

There was a corner near the carport at Needle Drive that used to collect snow at a much faster rate than any other part of the yard.  If we were lucky, the snow would pile high enough that we could tunnel into a few feet.  I swear there's a picture floating around of me as a tyke in front of that snow drift...

For the first time this season, it feels like winter has come to Boston.  I think that dogs love the snow just as much as me.  Snow delivers the additional blessing of covering the goose poo (yep) from our young lad's scent detection device.  Which means, he can go off leash during the daylight!

Warmer weather and rain is in the 10-day forecast. It sounds like the snow will be gone just as quickly as it arrived.  Until then, it's game on!