Magellan's trip to the beach

My name is Magellan, and I want to tell about my super fun day at the beach. I got to go to the North Padre Island National Seashore with my pack and we had a long stretch of beach to ourselves because we used our 4 wheel drive. I loved having my head out the window as we scoped out a spot, and then Dad and Lazie showed me how to swim in the waves. I really loved chasing all of the shore birds and I basically ran for about three straight hours. After all that running, I got hungry and I found some crabs along the beach. The birds had eaten most of them, but I still liked having them hang out of my mouth. I finally tired out and just wanted to sit on Mom's lap for a while. It was a super fun day, and I love my new pack.

Jellie

Alaska Trip

Julie and I went to Alaska last week. I was attending the American Water Resources Association conference on Water Supply and Climate Change where I presented a paper with my colleague Laura Stroup. Julie just came along for fun.

The conference was in Anchorage which was nice. We rented bicycles and rode the coastal trail which has a great view of Mt. McKinley. Once the conference ended, we rented a car and drove to Homer which was awesome. On the way to Homer, we had a great view of Mt. Redoubt which is currently an active volcano. It was releasing a decent amount of ash, but it did not affect our travels at all. In Homer, bald eagles were all over the place. Mainly, they just hung out around the beach. We also took a boat ride to Gull Island to see some puffins. After Homer, we drove to Seward and spent most of the day at Exit Glacier and with sled dogs. We even took a sled ride pulled by the dogs. They sure are good at what they do!

We saw four moose, two lynx, beavers, a harbor seal, numerous fish and bird species, but Julie was partial to the dogs! It was a really nice trip.

Kevin

Photos: Julie and I at Exit Glacier. From the dog sled. Biking the coastal trail

Meet Magellan

Meet Magellan Hayes Romig. He is our newest pack member that we adopted last Thursday. We rescued him from the German Shorthair Pointer of North Texas Organization. He is a cross between a German Shorthair and German Wirehair Pointer. We do not know a lot about his previous living arrangements, but he loves to play with Moses and Lazarus, and he is super-interested in Grace. Way too interested in her opinion. He is about 1.5 years old, and he is full of energy, healthy, and is super sweet. He likes sniffing around the yard, going on long walks, and so far he is not too fond of swimming at the river-- although he did try it. We anticipated picking him up after our trip to Alaska, but the rescue organization was in need of opening a slot in foster care so much! We believe this is another situation arising from the economic meltdown, thanks again Bush and Cheney!

You might be wondering how he got the name Magellan? His name had been Charlie, but we did not think that went with his personality. We had explored many biblical names to keep our theme going such as Elijah, Abraham, Obadiah, Solomon but none of those worked. We also considered other names like Angus, Fredrick, Deupree, Granite, and Inspector McBirdie. So, we went for a walk this evening in the canyon, and I had the insane idea of letting all three dogs off leash. Lazarus went off to poop immediately like a super-good boy. Moses, did his small circle route before rejoining the pack after about 15 seconds. Charlie, went tearing off through the woods. We lost sight of him after about 10 seconds. We all went after him and called his name over and over. We walked about a mile through the canyon looking for him. It got dark, so we decided to go home. When we arrived home, here is the dog waiting for us at the garage. He went off exploring and ended up circumnavigating the neighborhood! His name became Magellan. As for the middle name, it celebrates Rutherford Hayes who was one of our most famous bearded presidents.

The pack will be in good hands this week with Kayla house sitting. She already mentioned possibly going tubing with Laz!

Kevin

Doggie Dip Day, Spring 2009

Moses and I got to go to Doggie Dip Day at the spring-fed pool in New Braunfels. I loved it! I got excited when Dad put on my collar that I swim in, and then I got super excited when we exited the freeway in NB. I started barking when we got to the Courthouse, and was focused on swimming and fetching tennis balls. For the next three hours, I swam, I fetched, I jumped in the water, I peed, and swam some more. I was so tired that I slept in the car on the ride home and even let Moses put his head on my hip.

Moses had a different experience than I. He swam and fetched the tennis ball for about 20 minutes, but he preferred the playground and the sand. He was excited to see his veterinarian, Dr. Long. I however, was too busy to really acknowledge her like I usually do. Moses also made friends with the park board workers and they awarded him with a fun toy! Anyway, enjoy the photos from the event and make sure to take time to go swimming this summer!

Your pal,

Lazarus

Mutt Strutt - Guest Contributor

Hello, my name is Prissy and I am available for adoption at the San Marcos Animal Shelter. I just had the best day last Saturday. Myself and 2 other dogs were selected out of all the other dogs at the shelter to attend Mutt Strutt, a fundraiser for the Animal Shelter where I now live. I got to meet lots of great other dogs, and go on a nice walk. I just couldn't wait to meet everyone! I even got to lead the pack for the Mutt Strutt Parade. It was such a great time, and so nice to be out of the shelter for the morning. My friend, Julie, volunteered to hold my leash during the parade, and I minded my manners so well. I walked with my new friend, Lazarus, together with Julie. I even got to wear a special vest.

Well, if you know anyone who wants a loving companion, my name is Prissy, and I'm at the San Marcos Shelter. Love You!

-Prissy

Remembering Bay

Today, my grandmother, Kathryn Beard, died. She was 96 and lived a fascinating life. Born in 1912 in Scotch Ridge, Ohio, she spent much of her early life in Toledo, Ohio before modern sewer and electric infrastructure came to the city. Her father, a John Deere tractor salesman, got a sales position in Portage, Ohio and the family moved about 35 miles south. At school in Portage, she met David Beard and thus began a lifetime together including 73 years of marriage, 3 children, and 5 grandchildren. She was the first in her family to attend college as she spent one year at Bowling Green State Teachers College (later Bowling Green State University) and raised her family in Columbus, Ohio and Adelphi, Maryland. In her lifetime she witnessed, the Great Depression, World War 2, and the Moon Landing, but the important event she discussed most was the Civil Rights March on Washington and how she, along on a business trip in Idaho, participated in an im-promtu singing of "We Shall Overcome." She was a dedicated sister, wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, and died only six weeks after her husband of 73 years.

She received the nickname, "Bay" from her joint ownership of a cabin on the Chesapeake Bay. She relished this name and favored it over her other nickname of "Mother Time" for running late. In a family that favored science over art, work over play, and logic over feelings, Bay was intuitive, spiritual, and dabbled in eastern thought and esoteric Christianity through her friends Shirley (True) Banning and Marilyn Shanks. Using perception, Bay would defend the downtrodden, respect the other, appreciate diversity, and try to make outsiders welcome. She had a knack of finding the silver lining in many clouds and once even said of Charles Manson, "He has a good vocabulary." She was on every sucker mailing list and her heart was at the center of her decisions.
What I remember most about Bay was her unselfishness and commitment to her family. She would always rather spend money taking my brother and I to the toy store than having the latest or greatest consumer item. She never had an answering machine, a microwave oven, or a DVD player. She reluctantly moved to Maryland since her husband got a job with the federal government, and later she dutifully moved into a nursing home to be with her husband who suffered a stroke. She had a wonderful fascination with geography and weather and she read my textbooks from my university courses. She did not know it, but she was a very spatial thinker and recognized beauty at various scales. She mentioned, "I can always find something in my own backyard." That something was often a flower, bird, or squirrel that she tended to.

I miss you and love you Bay, and I hope now that the mystery of Christ is now revealed to you in new and exciting ways.

Kevin

PS: The attached photo was taken in 2004 and pictured is Bay, Julie, Rachel, Rebecca, (great grandchildren), Sandra (my cousin's wife), and Gino (Tim's dog).

UMBC 2009 National Chess Champions!

Most days go without me thinking about my undergraduate university much. I lived at home and did not have a "college experience" like many of my peers. I did get a very good education at the University of Maryland Baltimore County which is an honors University in Maryland. They usually have a good lacrosse team, but during my four years there, even lacrosse was down. However, this year is different. We made the final four in Chess held in Dallas and took home the championship! I would never have known unless my friend Ross had seen a perplexing article about the UT-Brownsville chess team (which was vanquished in the final four) in the San Antonio newspaper. Once we found out about the tournament, we kept abreast of events through electronic means. He called once the final checkmate was documented, and I went outside to celebrate. I gathered my UMBC alumni rock from the front yard, displayed it more prominently, and despite horrible allergies and the lack of a stencil or protractor, I painted a new sign commemorating the big victory for the Chesapeake Bay Retrievers! Here is a photo of the sign, the rock, and a yellow rose in the front of our property.

Kevin

My new Hibiscus Tree

Kevin got me a new hibiscus tree for our back yard. I LOVE IT! It has tons of orange blooms and it just lovely. So far, we seem to be off the mental map of the neighborhood deer. It is located just outside the side door, which is heavily patrolled by Laz and Mos. One good thing about all this humidity in Texas is that we can have beautiful plants.

-Julie

Spring Break Mosi Style

Hey all you Pointer fans out there!

Laz can share his goofball antics in frigid water all he wants, but the way to spend Spring Break is getting out on the pavement and catching some rays. Since, I have control of the blog today, I will go ahead and officially register my disgust at this March Madness nonsense. It is boring and occupying too much of Dad's time. Even my buddy Ross came over yesterday and paid more attention to the basketball than to me! Mom just picked up my leash so it is walk time. Gotta run!

Mosi

P.S. For all the lovely ladies out there, enjoy these two photos. I Mo-see you looking at my svelte physique! Remember that me and Dinah are just friends.

Trip to Oklahoma

It is Spring Break, so our pack (except for Grace) took a trip to Southeastern Oklahoma. While many of my pals at the University prefer warmer spots like Corpus Christi or South Padre, I really enjoyed our trip. I am a true Labrador Retriever, and I prefer the water cold, the air misty, and the temperature slightly above freezing. It was cold and rainy, but that didn't stop me from SWIMMING! It was 42 degrees, perfect for a dip in my opinion. While the car was cramped, I had fun at 2 State Parks and swam at both! I didn't want to get back in the car after all that fun! Moses and I also had tons of fun staying in the hotel. We stayed one night in Muskogee because it was the closest dog friendly place, and we got to run and play in their play-yard, and I barked at the neighboring horse and donkey.

During the travels, we got to stop at fun places like Rudy's BBQ in Waco where Dad shared two ribs with me. We also stopped at the Bass Pro Shop in Dallas. I had a lot of fun but I couldn't figure out how to get out to the reservoir where people test out the boats. I had already been swimming twice that day though. Anyway, it was a great weekend, and a truly beautiful part of the country.

Your Pal,
-Lazie

Annual Bluebonnet Pictures

Don't get me wrong, but sometimes Mom is such a dork! She is always cleaning our ears, wiping the drool off my face, and filing our nails. Every spring, she gets this stupid idea about taking pictures with wildflowers. Lazarus usually participates well and sucks up like usual, but I hate it. We are in a super-massive drought and wildflowers are not even great this year. Mom still is undeterred. Anyway, I would enjoy just playing more ball and having a lot less fuss about my smell, my looks, and lame posed pictures. Doesn't Mom understand I am basically a teenage boy!

Anyway, enjoy the photos and look how un-thrilled I seem about the whole experience. I just keep chillaxing in the sunshine as the temperatures warm up.

Mosi

Grace Update

Meow:

I just wanted to let everyone know that I am doing well. I have discovered a few new places to hang out along with my favorites (barstool, my basket, grass, roof and Laz' bed). I have been sleeping with Moses lately because it is cold at night and I need to warm up - he of course is already in Mom and Dad's bed at the time. Mom and Dad have been tired lately - something about not getting enough sleep. I also enjoy going on walks with everyone around the Circle. That usually tires me out though, and then I need a nap. Mom and Dad don't feed me enough - I am just sure of it. They say I am on something called a diet, and I think this diet idea is totally lame. I let them know too in the morning when I get my food.

Laz is still sorta scared of me, and I have been trying to engage him while he plays fetch. It is very easy to predict where he will go after Mom or Dad throws the ball. I use that knowledge to then pounce toward him and the ball. I find it very entertaining.

Meow
Grace

Fat Tuesday, Lazie Style

I love Lent. It reminds me of the first outdoor church service I attended in Grand Forks. I also love Lent because I remember the time Mom and Dad did that silly fast between Good Friday and Easter. They were so hungry on Saturday that they were eyeing my kibble! My final reason for loving Lent is the pack tradition of Fat Tuesday. While many people eat pancakes, our pack dines on chicken and waffles-- but this year, we had chicken and pound cake! As you can see from the photo, there was no chicken left after Mosi and I got done with it. Dad made the pound cake this morning, and I am so glad I got some. I love sweets. I love my pack!

Your pal,

Lazarus

With respect to my grandfather...

David Beard

b. August 1, 1912
d. February 9, 2009

David Beard, plant geneticist, died Monday February 9 in Adelphi, Maryland. He was born on the family farm in Portage, Ohio. He received bachelors and doctoral degrees from Ohio State University. In 1936, he married his high school sweetheart, Kathryn Gillian also of Portage. He taught in the Agronomy Department at OSU during World War 2, and accepted a position with the US Department of Agriculture in 1950 working at the Beltsville Research Farm in Maryland. As he developed expertise in bolstering forage crop yields, he was lured away from his government post by the Waterman-Loomis Company of Bakersfield, California. Dr. Beard was so instrumental to the success of Waterman-Loomis, that they established a Maryland branch of their company in Fulton, Maryland to accommodate him and his research on alfalfa. He retired in a gradual process during the 1980s and remained in Adelphi, Maryland.

David Beard is survived by his wife Kathryn Beard, his daughters Nancy Bell of Port Republic, Maryland, Joan Romig of Melbourne, Florida, his son Timothy Beard of Melbourne, Florida, five grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by three brothers and one sister.

Post-mortem arrangements have been handled by Upchurch Funeral Home of Cumberland, Maryland, and a memorial service will be held Saturday March 28, 2009 at the Adelphi Presbyterian Church.

Spring in Texas

On this blog, we have generally shared our landscaping projects from the back yard, but when we bought this house every inch of yardspace was an absolute mess. On of the first things I did was to clear out a small garden area in the front of our circular driveway. Everything was over-grown and in bad shape. I had to decide what should stay and what needed to go because not everything could survive in cramped conditions. One of the things I saved was a large mountain laurel. I trimmed it up and allowed it to have some room to grow by taking out some competing bushes. Well, now we are reaping the rewards. This mountain laurel is in full bloom and covered in purple flowers. Julie says that this is its way of saying thanks. The flowers are fragrant and smell like sweet licorice. Enjoy the attached photos.

Kevin