March 2019 – Me and the Doods.com

March Madness

Although I am a huge fan, this title doesn’t refer to the college basketball tournament. This year, some of my top teams were out early but Buffalo, my husband’s alma mater, and UC Irvine made it further than expected. It was very exciting until yesterday when they both lost.

March is always my crazy emotional month. It’s like the mix of winter and spring, the rain and the wildflowers. It’s a time of special remembrance, of sadness and of new beginnings. My dad died on a March morning when I was a senior in high school. Charley passed two years ago this month but Elbee and Gus celebrated March birthdays.

ELBEE I’m afraid to see where this is going.

There were so many ups and downs this month. First we had the bees and our land line was out. Then my cell phone went rogue. It didn’t just break. It locked, never to be opened again, taking everything with it except about 400 text messages. Go figure.

I bought a new phone and two new chargers. I say two because Stanley has a thing for chargers. He chewed the first one. Speaking of Stanley, we had him neutered this month.

ELBEE Is nothing off limits? And let me add, you should see her trying to figure out the new phone! Talk about sad.

Dropping Stanley off for surgery was as stressful as if it was one of the daughters. He has become such a huge presence in the house that it was strangely quiet with him gone overnight. His namesake, my late brother, was also a huge presence. His birthday was March 3rd so this time of year I miss his generous laugh more than ever.

There was only one problem with Stanley’s recovery…the protective collar he had to wear. It’s like a satellite dish. He bumped into everyone and everything in the house. I’m happy to report that, although the husband and I have a few left over bruises, he’s doing great.

This March there was an also an unexpected gift from nature that really lifted my spirits. Millions of orange, painted lady butterflies were migrating from the deserts near the Mexican border to the Pacific Northwest.

They were everywhere for days, in the mountains, on the streets. Sometimes there seemed to be clouds of butterflies overhead. At other times they would flutter around randomly. They were so peaceful and beautiful. Everyone was transfixed. Strangers were actually talking to each other about them.

I found these photos on line. I would have shared the fabulous ones I took but remember my cell phone ate them.

ELBEE Trust me, these are better.

Gus Does Cocktails…Again

This week, Dogs! A Science Tail opened at the California Science Center. It’s an interactive exhibit that explores the unique bond between humans and dogs. It just screams my name. Not sure how it happened, but I was fortunate enough to be contacted when they were in the planning stages.

ELBEE My reputation precedes her.

To make it even better, Gus and I were asked to take part in the Discovery Ball, a black tie gala that’s the annual fundraiser for the center. This year the theme, of course, was dogs. The guests, in their gowns and tuxes, saw K-9 units and search and rescue teams as they arrived.

As they entered the building, there was a green carpet for photos and an incredible wall with dog puppets handing out champagne. Then there was Gus to meet and greet everyone!

The dog can work a room. Gus used to be the sweet, quiet one. Although he is still sweet, he has totally embraced his inner diva. He danced. He offered up tricks on his own. His tail never stopped wagging and I swear he had a smile on his face.

Several people asked if it was okay to pet him. They were delighted when I assured them it was his job and he might take it personally if they didn’t. When I added that this wasn’t his first cocktail party, they laughed and said, “I can see that.”

ELBEE He’s starting to make me look humble.

It struck me that the contrast in dogs in the arrival space so beautifully illustrated a main theme of the exhibit. From police dogs, to service dogs, to sporting dogs, they interact with us in such different ways. Some you may not touch while they’re working. Others work to be petted. Either way, the strong human/canine bonds of trust, understanding and communication are always there.

On another note, the husband was with me for the evening as my “assistant.” Since he was in a suit and a dress shirt rather than a tux, watching from the edge of the crowd, people assumed that he was security.

ELBEE I would have paid to see that.

Up until that evening, he had only seen Gus as a dog, cute and loving, but just a dog.

THE DOODS Just a dog??

Over the years, he’s had slight peeks at what Gus can do but he’s never had the chance to see him in this kind of setting. He was used to the dog who quietly cuddles with us at home or sits on his ottoman “throne” barking at people who walk by the house. He has never seen Gus captivating an elegant but very appreciative crowd. In the husband’s words, he was “delighted, impressed, and mesmerized.”

This photo of Gus relaxing the next day says it all.

Hiking with a Coyote

This may be one of my dumbest posts ever in terms of judgment and subject matter but at the time it seemed brilliant. The daughters would definitely disagree with the latter part of that statement. I was taking one of my mental health hikes to put day to day stress in perspective. Among other things, Stanley was being neutered, the phone line in the house was down and we’d found a huge beehive under the roof.

It was an absolutely spectacular morning. The air was clean and clear after the rain. The spring wildflowers were starting to bloom. The views were breathtaking. I had made it up a steep trail and was on a plateau above dirt Mulholland when I saw what I thought was a dog off leash or maybe one that had gotten lost in the mountains. As I got closer, I realized it was a coyote.

GUS Coyotes off leash! I’m never hiking again.

I’m not trying to minimize what a huge problem they are in the neighborhood, especially for those of us with dogs, but I had to remember that I was in his or her territory. Actually, since it was International Women’s Day this week I’m going with “her.”

She walked along maybe ten feet from me. If I waved my trusty stick or talked to her, she’d move further away or disappear.

ELBEE OMG she thinks she’s the coyote whisperer!

Then, a few moments later, she’d pop up again. This may seem odd, but it was the calmest most natural interaction. She even yawned once or twice. I felt no fear at all, simply curiosity and in a way, lucky to be experiencing that moment in nature.

ELBEE That’s it. I’m calling the daughters. They’re right. She’s “cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs.”

We continued like that for about half an hour, with her appearing and disappearing. I have no idea how long it might have continued if a bike rider hadn’t come up the trail, followed by a hiker. Both of them stopped because they didn’t want to scare her off either. It still must have been too much because she ran off into the mountains.

ELBEE How many crazy people are up there hiking and biking?

The daughters would find so many things wrong with this whole adventure. They don’t even like it when I go hiking with the dogs, let alone a coyote.

ELBEE Let me add that just because I’m unavailable to hike (keeping my hair fabulous for hospital visits) doesn’t mean that she should be hanging out with my mortal enemy.

In my defense, I never tried to take a selfie with her.

ElBEE I rest my case.

Positivity

Recently, driving down Ventura Boulevard in Encino, I saw a large red and white billboard that simply said LOVE. I was so intrigued that I went home and did some extensive research to find out more about it.

ELBEE She googled it.

I learned that John Pogachar, a life and health coach, had launched a “Love On Every Billboard” movement to spread more of that “powerful word in our world. No agenda. Just Love.” The one in Encino was the first in California.

It inspired me to focus on more of the positives this week. I’m talking about the little moments that we may overlook, the moments of kindness and consideration that we should never take for granted.

ELBEE Oh no. I feel another something out of nothing post coming on.

STANLEY I’m just glad she’s not writing about me repeating intermediate obedience was her idea, not mine.

For instance, I was walking Stanley when a chihuahua with a big man complex started barking and lunging at him.

ELBEE Excuse me, that’s a positive?

In the chaos of getting her dog under control, the owner didn’t realize that she’d dropped her pink wallet. Shortly after she’d walked away, a couple, coming up behind us, saw it on the sidewalk and asked if it was mine. When I told them that I thought it belonged to the woman up ahead, the man ran after her to return it.

The other afternoon, as I was coming down from a long hike with Stanley, I ran into Lou, one of our mountain buddies. He waved as he was getting into his car. A few minutes later as Lou was driving by, Stanley, apparently not in the mood to walk to my car, plopped down on the ground and refused to move. Before I knew it, Lou turned his car around and stopped to ask if we needed a ride down. I don’t even know his last name but he went out of his way to see if he could help.

Tuesday, waiting for a friend to go hiking. I was standing at a dog park that’s adjacent to a trailhead.

THE DOODS And hopefully feeling guilty because we were all home.

Suddenly, an older man walked over, smiled, and without a word, handed me a yellow wildflower. Then he walked away with his dog. It was such a quiet, unexpected gesture.

This morning I went to a celebration of life for “mayor” Bruce, the incredible character from the gym who passed away recently. Bruce, like my friend Roberta who passed on New Years Day, lived life to the fullest with love and joy. They both welcomed challenges and refused to give in to negativity. To them, no meant yes. I will look to them and to the simple message on the billboard for inspiration.