Month: November 2019

November 23rd

November 23rd is a very important date.

CHARLEY I pride myself on being quite the history buff but that doesn’t ring any bells.

This year it was the fourth anniversary of Gus passing his Pet Partners test with a perfect score, the first step in his therapy dog journey. That meant so much to me because the family who had to rehome him as a puppy simply asked me to give him a good life.

It was also Stanley’s year and a half birthday.

ELBEE Excuse me. His half birthday?

 

It’s hard to believe he was that little puppy who fell asleep in my lap the first day I met him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not only is he physically large, but he has developed a huge personality. Stanley does drama. If he gets a leaf or heaven forbid a twig on his paw when we’re walking, he throws himself down on the sidewalk.

ELBEE He’s a regular Sarah Bernhardt.

I know you must be thinking that I  have an incredible memory to recall the dates of these events.

ELBEE Oh yes, that’s just what we were thinking.

The real reason November 23rd means so much to me is because it’s my grandson Ryder’s birthday. I was driving to Gus’s testing at UCLA when I got the exciting news that Ryder had arrived.

CHARLEY  I believe what she just did is called burying the lead.

ELBEE And she’s still desperately hoping for grandma influencer? I have a better chance of getting sainthood.

Ryder was born with Hirschsprung’s disease, a complicated illness that in simple terms causes severe intestinal dysfunction. He has been in and out of the hospital so many times that I’ve lost count. But what a little fighter!

Danielle and her husband Jay, whom we adore despite his being a cat person, have fought for him every step of the way. Through every difficult moment they have offered love and strength. With endless determination, they have found him the best medical care. At only six years old, his big sister Bella has developed true compassion.

Despite still having some health issues to deal with, Ryder has come so far. His birthday party was a true celebration of his turning four. More importantly, it was a celebration of his resilience, his energy, his joy. He’s in constant motion, talks non-stop and is into everything. In short, he’s just what a four year old boy should be. As a bonus, he’s also funny.

ELBEE I’m sure she thinks he gets that from her side of the family.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Mountains, Browned Out but Still Colorful

Thanks to the wild fires and the change of seasons, the profusion of flowers that painted the mountains such vibrant colors is now gone. Except for the lemonade berry, the toyon and a few other trees, everything is more muted. The caterpillar phacelia, once a beautiful lavender, is now grey. The buckwheat has turned from pink to rust.

 

ELBEE Someone is showing off her limited knowledge of plants.

 

Still there are a lot of colorful things happening. Nothing like the naked hiker I saw a few years ago, but enough to keep it interesting. I’ve seen two rattlers lately, a gopher snake the length of a garden hose and a horned toad, very cute in a miniature dinosaur kind of way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHARLEY  She used to scream and take off like an Olympian at the sight of a snake. Now she’s photographing them. I’m quite proud

 

On a trail near my house, I saw an ornate handled knife stuck in the ground. The word “help” had been etched into the dirt around it. It was very disturbing but there was no one in the area and there were no signs of foul play. A day later it was gone.

 

In stark contrast, this graffiti was on a nearby wall. 

CHARLEY Now that’s ironic.

And talk about disturbing, a much older man on a bike rode by with his bike shorts so low that his butt crack was showing.

CHARLEY & ELBEE  Unfortunately we saw it too and won’t be able to unsee it for eternity.

Something on the news a few weeks ago made me think that I could become one of the more intriguing people in the mountains. A woman with a beautiful voice was singing in the subway. A policeman shot a video of her and it went viral, leading to all kinds of opportunities.

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

I sometimes sing to keep myself going when I’m heading up a steep trail. What if a ranger videotaped me and it went viral?

ELBEE Two problems immediately come to mind. She’s tone deaf and only knows about three songs. 

I’d be the singing grandma of the mountains. I’d get so much mileage out of it that I’d reach my dream of becoming an influencer, a hiking influencer, even if I’m still not exactly sure what an influencer is.

ELBEE The only thing she’d influence people to do is to stop hiking. And I think the daughters need to get her one of those senior alert bracelets.

 

 

 

Gus Is a Party

Gus loves a party and the Mattel Children’s Hospital Party on the Pier in Santa Monica was no exception. From the moment he got out of the car, he pranced through the parking lot as if he was the guest of honor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

UCLA People Animal Connection had an area on the pier where people could stop by to meet the dogs. Charley’s photo in the top row of our poster was a bittersweet reminder of past parties.

A few of us decided to mingle and headed down to the main area of the event which was like walking into chaos. There were rides, games, live music, photo booths and a huge dining tent where the food was catered by Wolfgang Puck! Not  that I don’t love a good taco stand, but Wolfgang Puck!

ELBEE Suddenly she’s a foodie. Who knew?

 

Passing the popular Barbie celebrity booth, I was very excited when the photographer suggested that Gus join the celebrities for a picture.

ELBEE She had to ask her granddaughter who they were.

Gus had an up close and personal with the Dodger mascot, who, I later learned, is not really a mascot. Gus is a Dodger fan by proxy and has taken photos with the great big cartoon character at Pups in the Park, but has never looked him in the eye.

ELBEE And probably never will again if he can help it.

In the midst of all the activity, as so often happens, we had some special encounters. A woman approached with her teenage daughter, who had cerebral palsy. The girl loves animals and responded so well to Gus that the mom and I fell into an earnest conversation about how a dog might be really beneficial for her.

A woman at a table in the large food tent waved us over. Her teenage son, who was sitting next to her in a wheel chair, was severely challenged. Incredibly positive and upbeat, she said that he had been in and out of UCLA several times and loved the PAC visits.

I lifted Gus up so that she could put her son’s hand on him. I couldn’t see any response but his mom assured me that he was enjoying the interaction. After a few minutes as I moved to put Gus down, to my shock, the boy’s hand, slightly but surely, reached out for him.

At the mom’s request, I picked Gus up again and put him closer to her son’s face.  As Gus gently kissed his cheek, I saw the slightest trace of a smile. In an afternoon of celebration, the movement of his hand and the joy on his face were what I celebrated the most.

 

 

 

This Is How We Roll

Last Wednesday was the worst of mornings and the best of mornings. California was still reeling from the devastating wild fires. Although we were not in one of the areas that was directly threatened, we had received a 4 a.m. call about evacuations.

With so many roads, canyons and off ramps closed, the traffic was a snarled mess. My drive to UCLA with Gus and Stanley, which takes about an hour with L.A.’s usual terrible traffic, took close to three. A few times I was ready to give up but friends from the hospital called to cheer me on.

When we finally arrived, things did not go quite as smoothly as planned. It was Stanley’s first Halloween event with other dogs plus his first time working with Gus. Since he’s more of a soloist (he even tried a few high pitched barks) who likes the spotlight, it took awhile for him to process what was happening.

ELBEE  He didn’t realize he was going to have back up singers. I had the same issue.

Fortunately, after a few minutes, we collected ourselves and things took a turn for the best. “Aunt” Carol showed up  to help out with Gus and we all went to visit a teenage patient.

 

 

 

 

 

 

ELBEE May I point out that Carol is wearing a fabulous unicorn costume while someone else’s costume consists of a t-shirt with a pumpkin on the front.

As you can see, the boy’s face lit up when we placed the dogs on his bed. I feel so grateful when I have permission to share a photo like this. There’s no way that my words can do justice to the quiet magic that happens. The patient’s expression and his demeanor say it all.

ELBEE I believe what she’s going for is that a picture is worth a thousand words.

After a few more stops, we headed downstairs. It was such a festive scene. Several dogs in Halloween costumes were at a pet visit station outside the glass hospital doors. Not wanting Stanley to think it was playtime, we sat down on a bench in the lobby. It turned out to be the perfect spot.

Patients, families, staff, who wasn’t going to take a break in the day to pet two shaggy dogs dressed as pumpkins? Gus and Stanley did a few tricks to entertain, but mostly they just sat and soaked up all of the attention. Gus also had a sweet moment with his friend Kennedy.

Then suddenly, as if taking a cue from each other, they both flopped down on the floor and rolled over for belly rubs. What had begun as a difficult morning, ended in laughter.