Pug Hugs: August 2011

Saturday

8.13.2011 ~ picking out a puppy!

It's been a long time since Jonathan's gotten to pick out a dog. We had our little beagle/cocker spaniel Nibley dog when we were newlyweds, who became my parents' farm dog when we had to move to Houston for four years of apartment-dwelling residency. After we moved to Oregon I picked out our black Lab puppy Sadie, who died only two years later in a tragic freak accident involving a neighbor's car. Our Border Collie/McNab dog Gracie was given to us when she was several months old by a family friend who had received her as a gift from the breeder but couldn't keep her. For the past year or so we've had my mom's beagle/bassett hound Bailey, and it's been nice to have two dogs. But the reason we got Bailey was that he is a certified chicken killer, and at the time Mom/Grandma had chickens. Her chickens are now gone... and WE have chickens. We already have one chick we call "NoTail" because it snuck through the fence one day and Bailey cornered it... and Jonathan called him off just in time.

SO... I informed Jonathan that Mom would be able to take Bailey back at any time (and how happy Bailey will be to once again be a bed-snuggler!) and then sat back and waited for that to sink in. He had a busy week, and then while we were hanging out on Friday night I asked him a few questions about what kind of dog he thought he might like. I opened the Oregonian online dog classified ads, browsed for a minute, and then shut the laptop and fell into bed. The next morning Jonathan was super excited... he had opened up the page I was on and had stayed up for quite a while researching breeds. After some animated discussion, web surfing, and two phone calls, we changed our plans for the day and happily set off for the two hour drive to Clatskanie to see the English Springer Spaniel puppies that he had decided on.

Oh. my. goodness.

Gracious!!

RAWRRR!!!

"I want this one."

Baby mama. Sweet, sweet girl.

Baby girl kept trying to snuggle under my legs in the shade.

Baby daddy. Sweet, sweet boy.

Such a sweet girl!

("Are you sure we can't take her home NOW?")

Does he look happy or what?? I haven't seen him this excited since... since... I can't remember when. He is positively giddy! I am super excited too, but the best part is seeing him SO over the moon for this puppy. :)

Can you believe all this cuteness?? We have to wait TWO WHOLE WEEKS before she is old enough to leave mama... so we'll be bringing her home on Friday, August 26th. Jonathan wants to give her an English name since she is an English Springer Spaniel, and was trying to think of something from Pride and Prejudice since we like that movie so much (yes, I know I'm outing him, haha) and I suggested "Bingley." That was before he decided on the little girl puppy, so we are trying to decide if that name will still work. Maybe Janie? As in Jane Bingley? Since she is sweet, kind, beautiful and friendly...? :)

Jonathan put a little purple collar on her before we left. She was all tuckered out. It is cracking me up to watch him be so twitterpated over this darling little puppy. We all can hardly wait to have her join our family!!

8.13.2011 ~ North 101 beach trip

After we picked out Jonathan's puppy (see previous post) near Clatskanie, we headed over to Seaside and then down to Cannon Beach. It was an impromptu trip to begin with, so we didn't have any big goals, just go have fun before we ran out of time and daylight.

Which we did.

At the Astoria Column. We found out AFTERwards that you can buy little balsa wood airplanes at the giftshop and fly them from top. DANG IT!!

It seems like a crazy endeavor, but in elementary school I went on an overnight school field trip (I think with grades 5 & 6) to Astoria. We slept overnight in another school's gym, went to Fort Stevens, and climbed the Astoria Column. Doesn't that seem totally nuts to have a bunch of kids sleep overnight in a gym? I don't remember much, but I'm pretty sure I had fun then too...

I was very brave and went to the top.

This is me saying "EEEEEE! I'm totally fine. Really!"

gorgeous views

at the beach in Seaside

I'd like to match Gracie up with a greyhound some day... she is stinking FAST.

And for you Pioneer Woman fans... I think of her Charlie (and now her new Walter) when I see our Bailey's ears go nuts... and they ALWAYS go nuts at the beach.