Thought for the day

                      Sometimes the grass IS greener on the other side!

My first friend in Salem remembered

Today we remember Murphy Watson.  Murphy was the first dog I met in Salem.  Murphy's parents, Marla and Jeff, are great friends with my mom...and in fact, it was Marla who suggested that my mom get a dog from the Guide Dogs and encouraged her to get ME when the Guide Dogs called her (she was thinking about waiting after the Session that year).

I arrived home with my mom on Saturday night, and the next day, on Sunday, the Watsons called and wanted to meet me, so we went over to the West Salem Riverfront.  I met this beautiful yellow lab, spirited and ready to show me how to swim in the river!  They had presents for me -- a rug for the car that I still use to this day and other goodies, plus lots of good advice.   Murphy was so kind to me, and we had fun playing.

So, our hearts with lots of prayers go out to the Watsons.  We are thinking of you.   And Murphy...I know you are in the that great place where there are biscuits all day long and lakes to swim in.

One request, please, Murphy....start stockpiling some biscuits for me when I arrive to see you!

We will miss you, dear friend.. you will always be in our thoughts.

Kennedy the well known dog

So Mom and I are on our after work walk & swim at Minto Brown, and a man walks by, and says, how old is your dog now?  And she replies...turning 9 on 9/9...to which he says, "So I have been seeing you for almost 9 years walking around town!!  That dog should be the mayor of the town".  

We did advise him that it was January of 2001 that he has been walking around town..so 7 1/2 years really...but it seemed like a long time for him.

So, it is nice to be noticed and we do appreciate all the nice comments from everyone that sees us.

Nicknames

My mom loves nicknames -- she calls me "Sparky" a lot ...short for "Sparkle", or "my little black bear".  In fact, she has nicknames for a lot of people.  And some have become quite known to the public.  Many years ago, she privately named these two lobbyists who were opposing her "the chipmunks".  She used the "the code word" only to one or two people. Well, low and behold, about towards the end of the legislative session, a person came up and said that the Senate President (Kitzhaber) told them that the "chipmunks" were just in his office!!  

Then, she nicknamed one other lobbyist "Skippy"...and about a month later, was down at the favorite watering hole, and he walked in, and someone at the table said "Hi Skippy" to this man.

And Jim & Mike...we all know she calls them "the terrorists"...

Today, I think I am "stinky"...

When you cross the street from the Capitol, using the crosswalk, you run right into this!

At the entry to the State Capitol State Park, here is what greets you.. a Kennedy hydrant!

I think I need to (a) clean it up a bitand (b) maybe paint the Kennedy in green letters to stand it out a bit.  I think I will decorate it on my birthday!

blog neglect but not dog neglect

We just read Cousin Megan's blog and she titled her entry "blog neglect" and we must have got the "disease" too...perhaps it is the "dog days" of summer.   Nothing exciting has happened and it is just "hot", so my friends are not there at dog park..and when I do go swimming at the end of the day, I need to stay by the shore, so I don't get carried away by the current.  

But I still get my daily treats...Great Harvest, then Mary Lou Zeek's gallery -- where either Mary Lou, Shelley or Tina...plus some summer help..are there to give me this HUGE biscuit everyday and a big bowl of water.  I run down the street when we turn the corner.  

We did "solve the problem" of the State Capitol State Park.  I DO have a marker there with my name on it.  It has been there all the time, but I think I need to decorate it so it shows KENNEDY more.  I will post the picture.  

And, I hate to complain, but Megan and Curtis gave ME 3 pink cookies, I ate one then and then mom put 2 in the freezer.  Well...for some reason, the other day, there was only one left. I think she ate one in the middle of the night while I was not looking!!