Tracking Warmed-up Hot Dogs

This morning is not so rainy, so the Companion thought it would be fun for us to go tracking. This is me waiting on him to finish laying the trail so I can find that sock. He always wants me to find a sock.

Tracking is possibility the most fun ever! I get so excited when we do it. But I also get tired. It takes a lot of energy to follow a path. But about me finding and following the trail to the prize. I've got to sniff and follow the one trail that will lead to the sock, and a pile of warmed up hot dog. I love warmed up hot dog.

This is a game that uses my natural nose, and is fun. We play in the house to but not with warmed up hot dog, and not like this. Here he lays the trial, I find and follow. And along the way I get a bit of warmed up hot dog. Yuummmm. In the house, he tosses the treat and I have to find it. Some times its in the hallway, sometimes on the stairs, some times on the sofa. In the house I have to focus my nose on the treat, and find it. But since there no trail leading to it, I have to search all the areas and find it.

Here I am tracking. You can tell I'm tracking and not just walking because I've got my red Guardian Angel Basset Rescue leash on. You know how he is with the signals.

Today we did something new with our game. Today he turned a corner. I'm following the trail along the way going forward, suddenly it turned to the right, and went in a new direction. I handled it like a pro.

This is Assumption Catholic Church, at Assumption Village. It is two blocks from my house, and here is were we did our tracking, and I turned the corner like a pro. I'm so glad the Companion insisted I be in the picture. Aren't you?

On Writing

I told the Companion about the comments about writing. This is what he had to say.

"Writing for me is rewriting. I'm a rewriter. I love the phase when I work with a text to shape it more, and to develop more themes and ideas. The first draft is always the hardest for me to accomplish."

So he started this morning reading the my story and reworking it. He does have a bit of a smile on his face. But lets remember what he said, that I posted on my fan page on face book, "I think this text displays my writer's aesthetic and is defiantly from my writing point of view." No more Project Runway for him. NO more.

There will be a war in this house if he uses tired phrases like, out of the box, and push the envelope.

First Draft

Oh poor Companion so tired. He left and went to Starbucks to finish the draft. He came back with a draft completed. As I hoped he would.

He came in, laid on the sofa, my sofa, and pulled the hoodie down and went to take a nap. I'll have to keep my eye on him, so that he doesn't get lazy. A completed draft is not a completed book.

Writing is Memory

I sometimes think it was so long ago that my companion seat-belted me into the contraption, and we started out on the bicycle journey across the country. But it was only six moons ago. The beginning is at times cloudy, like the rainy days that started our journey. While other parts of it are in sweet sunshine, and the memory of it warms like the sun that streams in the window on the sofa I love to sleep and spend my days. The journey was not my idea, and one that I would have originally said no too. But having done it, having seen and smelled so much of America, I’m so glad we did it. I know the Companion feels really proud, and so do I: I’m proud of what we accomplished! But now its time to think back to those early days of journey.

It is time for us to write. To focus and to remember all the stories. The Companion, who prides himself on his memory, is having trouble. He's having trouble remembering so much.

It isn't that. It isn't that at all and he knows it. He knows that when he focuses his mind on remembering, he remembers well. But has he types, I can see changes in him, in his mood. It's not bad, its not even something I worry about. Well worry about too much.

He thinks of this work, as apart of our greatest accomplishment, as the final, the ending of the journey. And like when he diverted to go see Jenifer (150 miles out of the way) he diverts the work, so that he can continue to enjoy the journey.

Because, he felt most alive there alone with me and the bicycle. It was that purpose.

He is learning to find new purposes. Like pictured here: taking dictation. Type on!

A Thank You

This week I received an email from another Dog who blogs. Scoop has a blog called The Daily Dog Scoop. Its really interesting. Scoop Blogs about so much concerning dogs.

Thank you for sharing our story with your readers! This is the best way to encourage others, I think. When humans talk to each other about these issues, suicide and animal rescue, others get involved.

Please be sure to go to Scoop's Blog and check it out. http://dailydogscoop.blogspot.com/. I've also included it in my favorite blogs list.

OH and by the way. If you are on Facebook, become a fan of me, Antigone Puppleupagus.

A Welcoming Oregon

A few Lights ago, an article about us was printed in the Oregonian. This has happened a few times for us before. But this time, we didn't do anything: they came to us! The companion was really excited about it. The article was really nice and both the companion and I liked it.

Since the article was published we've been sent lots of lovely messages of welcome! The companion is feeling really good too. And I know his spirits are lifted. He's been happy a lot but I think he's feeling less important.

I think he misses the purpose we had while on the bike ride. For some reason he doesn't see writing my story as purposeful as the bike ride. I think he needs to get out more and move his body. I've encouraged him to do this . He would work on my blog more when he had been bicycling all day and now that he isn't he works less. Well that is going to change. He's not told you about Dove Lewis at all. My my my!

And he calls me the lazy bum.

But all the welcomes we have received has encouraged him again. And yesterday he got out and went for a run.

Why anyone would want to go running, I don't know. But he said he would enjoy it. But he's not always non crazy.

This picture was drawn by a welcoming Oregonian! She was inspired by our story. I like it, and the companion does too. He loves sketches. I think it looks just like me. The companion said to me: When an artist draws you, it is their greatest compliment. Its like dedicating a book to someone.

We are really touched with the warmth we are receiving here in Oregon. Thank you all for your warm welcomes!

The Companion however, has a few things to learn. One in particular: when I'm sniffing, I'm working, and I need my quiet, space, and most of all not be be dragged away from him, because you got some coffee to drink. Please! And he needs to remember how much we, me and the readers, believe in him.

He's so forgetful! And he needs to get me a new trailer! I'm tired of not bicycling!