Our sweet, happy puppy is ONE year old today!!!

WE LOVE YOU, MR. GILES!  CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR 1ST BIRTHDAY!

YES!  I have family members in Virginia!  HOORAY!

My cousin Kirk, his wife Amna and their daughter Sarah are only 30 minutes away!  Adam and I went over to their place in Winchester today.  They’re living in a great big house, just the three of them.  It’s gorgeous!  Built in the 1700’s with more rooms that I can count on one hand.  They’ve been Nomads lately, moving from California to Georgia, to London and back, then forth again, and landed smack dab in Virginia.  I’m so happy!

Amna made this amazing home made “Chicken Soup with a Kick” as Kirk called it.  It was spicy with curry and had a sort of Indian cuisine taste to it.  It was fantastic!  She had also made a fresh cucumber and tomato salad and home made hummus.  I was in food heaven.

The five of us… and Mr. Giles… went to the Potomac River near Harper’s Ferry today.  It was gorgeous, though the leaves have pretty much already gone out in a blaze of orange, red, and yellow.  We parked just off 340 and took a little hike down the mountain to the river bank.  Kirk, with Sarah in his arms, jumped across rocks and ventured pretty far out.  They also climbed above the waterfall near by.  Sarah found a dead minnow, a seashell, and some leaves the size of baby elephant ears which she’ll take to Show and Tell tomorrow.  And Mr. Giles had a big old time rustling in all the leaves and digging a hole in the sand.  We had a really fun day.

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Enjoy this little video I made!

Chris and Jess finally got finished packing and set off for Oregon yesterday at 4pm.  I helped Chris load Ollie into the Penski truck and gave Ollie a few last kisses goodbye.  I am really going to miss that dog.  Did I ever tell you about Ollie?

Ollie is Mr. Giles’s best friend.  A beautiful tall, lanky White German Shepard.  Ollie wouldn’t hurt a fly, but he was capable of dragging Jess 6 feet when he lunged for another dog.  He has big brown eyes that can melt anyone’s heart and floppy ears that never quite stand up.  I have a fantastic picture of him posted on here under Pet Photography.  But here are some more that I took yesterday before he left.

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I didn’t walk Ollie often, but when I did it was a great experience.  He’s just so mellow and never  pulls on the leash.  Chris walked Ollie twice a day and did an amazing job raising and training Ollie.  It was a regular occurrence for me to pop over and take Ollie and Peanut out for a potty break.  And most of the times I came to check on them I brought Giles over too and we all hunkered down on the couch and watched “The Dog Whisperer” together.  I always left notes on their fridge letting Chris and Jess know who did what on the potty break, what time it was, how long I walked them, what time I left, etc.

I think that no matter how much I’m going to miss Ollie I know what I’m really going to miss is having Chris and Jess right next door.  It was nice being able to just walk in, unannounced, plop down on the couch and have a smoke and a good conversation whenever I pleased.  Jess and I could never watch TV together because we always ended up talking.  Talking, talking, talking.  And it never bothered Chris.  They’re both very kind and open.  Never guarded.  I like that.  I liked having such great people so close geographically, mentally, and emotionally.  They’re like family to me.  Of course we’ll be in touch, but it won’t be the same.  I can’t just walk next door, pop in, and say hello.  I’m really going to miss them.

I’m kind of depressed.

Thank God for dogs, eh?  I had Snickers over today and she, Giles and I walked Lilo twice, as usual.  Snickers made a mess on my bed and had to be crated at the end of the day, but other than that she was good.  Her mommy, Kim, brought me new glasses to go with the new dishes she bought me last week!  Instead of being paid to walk all these dogs twice a day 4 days a week I’m being gifted.  It’s nice, but then there’s that trip to Japan Adam and I are trying to save for and no matter how beautiful my new dishes by Corell are, they’re not going to get us to Osaka.  Hopefully packing Kathy’s things and getting her moved back to NC will pay off.

Our new neighbors, caddy-corner to our unit, arrived on Sunday from Georgia.  They had made a B-line from Hawaii…. lucky them.  Mike and Adam are already buddy buddy since Mike’s been up here for a couple of weeks getting secured in his new position at work.  But I got to meet his girlfriend, Shamonique, on Sunday for the first time, then got to know her while we walked our dogs on Tuesday.  She has a very cute puppy named Kahlua.  Kuku is part Chahuahua (we think), part poodle, and part ridiculously cute.  She’s got a bit of a dominance problem, but the more time she spends with me and the other pups the less  dominant she’ll be.  Shamo is really cool.  I like her a lot and I’m looking forward to becoming great friend’s with her.  We’ll have plenty of time to bond since we’re both staying at home right now.  Dogs, friends, and books.  It could only be better if I won the lottery and could travel the world, shopping non-stop.  How materialistic of me.

My cousin Kirk and his wife and daughter moved to VA recently.  They’re living about 45 minutes away from me and I hope to see them soon.  I’ve got to call and make dinner plans!

I miss my Mom, Auntie Nay, Coco, Jess, Hannah, and all of my friends.  Geez, if I wrote a list out of all my dear friends it’d be a mile long!  Love you guys!