Our trip to Ruidoso, NM

This summer has been characterized locally by record heat and drought. Because of the relentless heat, we decided to take a trip to the mountains in New Mexico to cool off. We chose Ruidoso because it was not as far as Taos or Santa Fe. Laz and Magellan really liked the crisp mornings and cool breezes. Moses and Brooke were a bit chilly, but liked being along for the ride. Grace stayed home as she prefers not to travel.

Julie's parents also joined us as we rented a cabin. The dogs loved having more people around to pet them, lavish attention on them, and share ice cream cones. Magellan ran around the cabin neighborhood a lot. Brooke made friends up the hill with two other dogs. Moses brought his brand of security to the neighborhood woofing at strange noises, and Laz was good old Laz-- happy, good, and funny!

On our last full day, we took a 8 mile hike in BLM land near Fort Stanton. It was pinon juniper country so it had limited shade but it was not too hot. Magellan ran off for a while, but as a thunderstorm approached and a roaring thunder clapped, he met up with us as a pack of coyotes howled in the distance. Brooke kept up well with the group, but is still tired from the journey. Moses had a good time and proved what excellent shape he is in. He needed the least amount of water and kept a sound and wise pace. We were so proud of Laz for not being too scared of the thunder. We did not get very wet, and we plowed on and finished the hike in about 2.5 hours. We came accross some beautiful bluebirds, one rattlesnake, some baby horny toads sunning themselves, and a ground squirrel that Moses chased up a tree.

The three photos are of: Moses at his lookout post with two lieutenants, Moses with Julie's parents, and Julie and Laz on the trail in the BLM land.

Kevin

Magellan's Musings

Hi everyone! I'm Magellan, and I want to write about how I am fitting in with my new family. I really like it, and I love getting two regular meals per day! Like Lazie and Mosi, I have my bowl raised off the ground. I got a little spaghetti in with my kibble in this photo.

Laz and Mosi like to play baseball in the backyard and run after the ball after it is hit? They seem to like it, but I don't get it? I like chasing the ball a time or two, but I prefer looking in all the trees to see if a cat, squirrel, or bird happens to show themselves. I have entertained other people at the dog park with my ability to jump around the trunk of a tree trying to get squirrels.

I also like the furniture in my new home. Sometimes I sneak up on my Mom and Dad's bed and take a nap. I usually sleep in my crate at night, but the bed is fine for my naps. I also am enjoying the sofas and playing on them. I can leap from one to another and like to show off my athletic talents while playing and wrestling with Moses and Wiggles. Even Laz has played with me a time or two! Anyway, I wanted to let you know how well I like my new home.

MAGELLAN

Best 4th of July EVER!!!

If you have followed this blog, you will see that I do not like loud noises-- especially fireworks! I usually hide in the bathroom and have an awful night on the 4th of July. However, this year was great because we live in a city that had an "official" fireworks display far enough that I did not hear anything. Plus, Mom and Dad knew when the display would begin and end, and during that time, we all had a sing-a-long and danced to different music on the stereo. Our new speakers really helped. We listened to the whole CD soundtrack to "A Mighty Wind", heard selections from the Bee Gees, Everclear, Bruce Springsteen, and The Mamas and Papas. It was so fun that I never even went into the bathroom at all! Moses and Magellan sat by Mom and loved her singing. Brooke sat on the sofa and chewed a bone. I mainly followed Dad around and played some indoor fetch, tug, and other horseplay. Thanks to all my friends and neighbors who refrained from having personal firework shows, and this is definately a positive outcome of our local severe drought.

Your pal,

Lazarus

Surgery

I'm happy to report that so far, Kevin's is recovering well from the surgery to repair his deviated septum he had on Friday. He has had some wonderful support from his "nurses" Brooke and Magellan. Moses has also provided much comforting and support, and Laz, as always has been wonderful. Magellan and Brooke seemed to be the most concerned for Kevin since they have not really seen him "down for the count" before. Kevin doesn't remember much from the surgery day, but the doctor said it went very well, and he should have a significant improvement in his breathing in 3 weeks to a month.

Julie

By the way, Brooke is our Foster Dog for the German Shorthaired Pointer Rescue of North Texas (Dallas, Austin). She is a doll and is particularly smitten with Kevin.

Our new Ford

HI! Magellan here. I want to tell you about our awesome new vehicle. Mom and Dad brought it home and it is so fun. It is called a Ford Flex and I love it. There is room for me and Mosi to play, big windows to stick my face outta, and the air conditioning is nice and cool. We also have a few free months of satellite radio, so we now get to hear "Willie's Place" (XM 13 / Sirius 64) in both cars. I just wish I could convince that CAT Grace to ride along next to me so I can stare at her even more. Anyway, here are some photos! I better get back to playing. I need to keep up my pack cred.

Magellan

Saint Louis Trip

Last weekend, Julie and I took a short vacation to St. Louis, Missouri. We chose to go to St. Louis because neither of us had spent much time there and we could see a lot of the city without renting a car. We went to two baseball games and watched the Colorado Rockies defeat the Cardinals. It was funny for us to witness fans who were very upset seeing their team lose in a blowout fashion. This is just a way of life watching the Rangers! We also visited and went up the Gateway Arch. Julie was very reticent to take the ride, but we made it and had a great view of the city from the observation area. We also toured Forest Park on bicycles because this city park is larger than Central Park in New York. This was also the main staging area for the 1904 World's Fair which is known by our pack as the event where the ice cream cone was invented. The dogs and Grace were very happy to see us when we returned.

Kevin

Photos: Julie at Gateway arch, Busch Stadium as seen from top of arch, Union Train Station.

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.