January 2022 – Me and the Doods.com

Go to Your Happy Place

Not for the first time, my title was inspired by the saying on a packet of Truvia.

ELBEE She is no Shakspeare.

As soon as I read, “Go to Your Happy Place,” the mountains popped into my head. And with some of the craziness I’ve seen over the past few weeks, I really needed to go up there.

First there was the woman at the bank. The branch had been closed for a week so on the morning that it reopened there was a long line outside. People were politely social distancing as they waited to go in.

As I walked up with Stanley, I heard an extremely loud voice. It was a woman near the front of the line, who ironically was from another country, mocking people of different nationalities. I’d guess she dropped the f-bomb about twenty times during her ranting and raving.

Eventually a manager calmed her down and got her inside. After doing her banking, she was sitting on a couch refusing to leave until two customers she was pointing at were arrested. Unfortunately, the police arrived shortly after she had been convinced to leave, dropping more f-bombs as she headed out the door.

Then there was the older man with long scraggly hair, sitting in the passenger seat of his car parked near a busy trailhead. The door was open and his bare feet were sticking out. As I walked by with the dogs, I realized that his feet weren’t the only things that were bare. A woman in front of me was so flustered, she said “I’m getting out of here as fast as possible.”

ELBEE She can’t make this stuff up.

When I went to my happy place, it was if the universe knew that I needed a few positive signs. I found heart-shaped rocks embedded in two different trails. A friend told me they were good luck.

I saw a smiling face that someone had drawn in the dirt.

I was delighted to see the first bush sunflowers of the season in bloom, a hint of the glorious explosion of color that will soon cover the hills..

ELBEE Now she’s William Wordsworth.

At home in the evening, what lifted my spirits almost as much as being in the mountains, was hanging out with the Doods and watching the sun set over my happy place.

**Does this picture make my head look small?**

Hobnobbing with Henry

Originally this post was titled Hiking with Henry. Then I thought about the way he interacts with everyone on the trails. It’s more like hobnobbing. It’s as if he’s at a mountain cocktail party.

ELBEE Is she his date?

He takes a moment to assess people rather than running up and jumping all over them like perhaps a Goldendoodle.

ELBEE Excuse me for being gregarious.

His hesitation, which I think might be shyness, apparently comes across as good behavior. Large and calm, he draws a lot of attention. His size makes people more aware of his demeanor. Am I going to argue when someone says it’s nice to see a big dog who’s trained.

Learning that his mom is a Great Pyrenees and his dad a Poodle, countless people have commented that his demeanor is more like the Pyrenees. He’s patient, affectionate when he chooses to be and watchful. A woman saw him from a distance and called out, “He walks like a Great Pyrenees.” By the way, I am amazed at how many people have had Pyrenees in their lives.

Henry is also a hit with the kids. We met an adorable nine year old who’d been begging her mom for a dog. She saw Henry and said “That’s what I want.” Her mom laughed when I asked her daughter if she was going to take care of it and she gave an enthusiastic “yes.”

ELBEE Then she saw the size of Henry’s poop bag.

His hair stays party ready too. Neither Gus, Stanley nor Henry sheds but so far he doesn’t seem to get matted like they do. In the mountains, he shakes his head and the twigs and burrs fall right off of him. For the other two, I’m like a blow dry bar.

ELBEE It’s obvious. Pyrenees are too busy guarding sheep to get their hair done.

Coming down from the trails after one of our hikes, Henry even found the perfect ride. What are the chances we’d run into my friend Lou who was driving a vintage 1971 Corniche! I’ve taken photos of the dogs in my car, but this is how Henry “Rolls.”

ELBEE That was my line.

Reaching Out Again

Lately, on social media, I’ve noticed lots of photos of beautiful sunsets, flowers and lovingly prepared food.

ELBEE She’d have to post a picture of a take out container.

I remember this happening early on in the pandemic when people were trying to cheer each other up with some normalcy and positivity. Now, nearly two years later, with all of the divisiveness and uncertainly, we’re reaching out to each other once again. I’ve even started seeing some of the chalk art on the sidewalk that first appeared in the early days of COVID.

When I walk the dogs, it seems as if almost everyone stops just to say hello or to talk for a few minutes. I’m sure they’ve seen me with the dogs for so many years that there’s the comfort of familiarity. One man told me that I was a landmark in the neighborhood.

ELBEE Isn’t that an old building?

We have such a need to connect and Gus, Stanley and Henry are the bridge to that connection. A woman saw Henry from across the street and called out “I heard you got a new one.” She then ran over to meet him.

A man that I only know casually from the neighborhood was petting the dogs as he shared that his wife’s cancer had recurred. A workman with a U.S Army sticker on his truck hugged Henry as he told me that he had PTSD. These encounters would probably not have been the same before the world turned upside down.

We had a Zoom call this week, that thanks to the dogs, became another moment of connection. When we do virtual visits with the kids in neuropsych at UCLA there’s a lot of activity and interaction. I was a little nervous because one on one with a very ill patient is a different experience.

I was told that the patient loved animals and had requested a visit with one of the PAC dogs. He was very disappointed when told they weren’t allowed in the hospital right now, but agreed to a virtual visit.

Not sure if all three would be too much, I included Henry. As soon as I signed on and saw the smiles on the faces of the patient and his wife, I knew it had been the right decision. They laughed when I told them they were getting “three for the price of one.”

The conversation flowed comfortably as I introduced each dog. I told them about what they do and answered their questions. And yes, I showed them a few accessories.

ELBEE She couldn’t help herself.

As the patient tired and fell asleep, his wife and I chatted for a brief time before we said goodbye. I signed off, grateful that they had reached out.

Hanging with Henry

During all of our very special hospital visits in December, it was hard to imagine that at the same time last year, we were on Zoom. It was even harder for me to believe that last Wednesday we were back on Zoom. The dogs are out of the hospital until at least mid-January so a call with the teens in the neuropsych unit at UCLA was better than nothing.

On the bright side, Henry was able to join in. At seven months, he’s way too young to be certified to go into the hospital, but on Zoom, puppy antics can be pretty entertaining. The kids would rather see a dog chase his tail than do a perfect sit.

ELBEE I wish they’d had zoom when I was a puppy. I could have gone viral if that was a thing.

Competing with his brothers, Henry has become much more patient about accessories. He’s also learned about hogging screen time. Midway through I had to escort him out of the room for a few minutes so that Gus and Stanley could perform uninterrupted.

ELBEE Personally, I thought he was more entertaining.

Last month Henry graduated from beginning obedience. I admit there were moments I had my doubts like when all he wanted to do was was watch the children in the adjacent playground. He was also distracted by an adorable little puppy named Q-Tip. We had to separate them in class.

I was actually amazed at how well he responded to commands. I would like to take the credit but so much of it was from hanging around with Gus and Stanley.

To my husband’s delight, he has also learned how to fetch. Our last dog that would fetch was Cody, a Golden who predated all of the Doods by years. Even Riley, our more recent Golden Retriever, had absolutely zero interest in retrieving.

The way Henry brings the ball and hangs out with him has helped Doug get used to Henry’s size, since he wasn’t expecting him to be quite so large. Speaking of size, at his check up this week he weighed in at 73 pounds, up from 47 in October!

I brought Gus for his check up too to give Henry some moral support but it was totally unnecessary. Once Dr. Sanders dropped down on the floor next to him, Henry loved the attention. He even gave him his goofy smile.

As we were watching a movie last night with the dogs gathered around us, I realized that in these crazy times, I am especially grateful for the way that Henry, Gus and Stanley have integrated into such a copacetic pack. My husband and I have three live-in dog therapists.

Happy New Year…I Hope

In my Thanksgiving post, I shared how grateful I was that Gus and Stanley had been allowed to resume in person hospital visits. I was overwhelmed with joy at all they were doing in the month of December.

Still, there was a part of me that worried every time I heard how quickly the variants of COVID-19 were spreading. Then last week it happened. The other shoe dropped.

ELBEE Is that the appropriate expression?

I received an email from UCLA that the dogs wouldn’t be allowed into the hospital until at least the middle of January when everything would be reassessed. I wasn’t surprised at all, it was inevitable, but I was truly sad. In a way, it was a fitting end to a crazy year.

To continue on the crazy theme, we had more rain than I can remember in what seems like forever. It was welcome considering the drought we’ve been having, but created a few problems as it went on for hours. I received a text from my next door neighbor that a large tree had fallen and was blocking our street. If they hadn’t been out to dinner it would have landed on their car.

And do you know what it’s like to have three dogs who want to stay outside in a steady rain?

ELBEE Excuse me. Then why is she sitting there with them?

When Doodles get wet, they get soaked. It takes a lot of towels to dry them! We had already decided on a quiet New Year’s Eve at home. I just hadn’t planned on doing laundry.

ELBEE Interesting. She did laundry last New Year’s Eve too. Someone needs to get a life.

My husband Doug gets dual credit for this New Year’s picture. He’s already the in-house photographer. Now he’s the stylist. When I suggested the Dollar Store for props, he did so well that I may hire him again next year.

It can be a real challenge getting all three involved but it also brings some much needed laughter. In the chaos of tiaras and boas, they take us away from everything happening in the world. They add so much joy and comfort to our lives.

My hope for 2022 is that they will be back at work, doing what they do best.

Happy New Year!