Sunny San Fran

Today started out cloudy but then got beautifuly sunny. We went to Alamo Park to meet with Amelia. She has a blog about dog in the city called Tails in the City. I've linked in my blogs box. But we arrived and waited for her, sitting on these steps and feeling the sun! I loved the sun! Plus there were plenty of dogs walking around and I could smell so many!


We are going to be in the bay area for another week. So here is a typical street in San Fran. See the hills. This is a nice one because it is long and not too steep. But it is steep. And when we turned off it we went straight up! Coming down them is a bit scary, I feel like I'm going to fall forward and out of the contraption. Thank Goodness (see grandmom I remembered) I had the belt!

The companion is a bit nervous about these hills I can tell. He bikes with the breaks and we go slowly down the hill. And he goes back and forth. I like that it helps me feel better.

We received this picture today. It is when we arrived at the Golden Gate Bridge. Look the companion looks so haggard!

Sofa, An Announcement

We are currently staying with The companion's friends Sam and Rusty. They are both nice guys and Sam will take me out for a walk when the Companion is out. The sofa used to belong to Sam, but now it's mine. This is Sam and my sofa. Poor Sam, sad because he knows I won.

I like the feel of the sofa. I can lay around on it for hours. Sometimes I lay on the floor just to remind me how much I love that sofa. I've always been a fan of a sofa. Even bad sofas are likable. The companion is always worried about where we are going to live and a job.

I don't care where we live really. As long as there is a sofa. A sofa must be in the top ten, top three things in everyone's life.

It has been a few days since we arrived in San Francisco. A lovely, lovely city. So many dogs around and all so friendly. So much for me to smell in one or two city blocks. It was never like this in Chicago. I like the city and so does the Companion.

He was thinking yesterday about staying. Its so nice here why not? But after the debate, he realized that it would be a distraction from the goal and dream he has of living in the Pacific Northwest.

So while we might try to stay as long as we can, we will not be staying forever, and we will be going to Oregon or Washington soon.

I am now announcing that the blog and adventure is still going. We made to the Pacific and reached that goal! But now we have to find a home, and the companion has to find a job. A different goal, and one I still will blog about!

Arriving at Golden Gate Bridge, New Music

I want to tell you about arriving at the Golden Gate Bridge some. Last night I was so excited to tell everyone we made it, and to celebrate it! I feel really blessed and so thankful for the companion I have!

The biking was in cool temps, with fog hanging over us. We went up some hills and down some hills, and some were steep and some were not. There was little or no wind so the companion maintained good spirits. We were on the road for a long while, and unlike when we biked in Chicago, the cars were polite.

In fact everyone is friendly here. Such a nice place….more on that later.

The road to the Bridge had to cross a mountain first and the companion pushed the bike a lot. He was nervous, and hopefully that someone in the media would call and want to interview us, catch us as we arrived at the bridge. But no such luck.

I was so proud to hear him say: Antigone the neglect of the media does not take away the success of this journey for us! We did it! We did it!

I think he is starting to hear me more.

San Francisco is city, and forest. So much so it’s hard to remember at times that you are in a city, with cars, and trucks, and houses, and people. And this trail is an example of the forest. No cars near by, sounds of the woods, smells of animals all over.

One thing I am smelling a lot, and this makes me really happy, is The Smell of a dog with a companion. All over the place I can smell where a lucky dog and companion have been walking. And I see dogs and their companions all over the place.

We arrived at the bridge, but didn’t cross it because of the fog. Joining us were Jon and Amanda. John learned about us yesterday as we were coming into town from an email from Golden Gate Basset Rescue. John was involved with Guardian Angel Basset Rescue years ago ! Small world

Amanda is the companion to Puglet and Dutch, fun dogs both. She is also working on a project bringing awareness for rescue dogs and advocating for us! We need more people like her! Here we are: Puglet, and Dutch and me. You’ll notice that Puglet is sitting on me. He is a total ham.

But I’m the star!

Today I noticed that the companion has turned the TV, and put on music. This means he is doing something like writing or working on a project, and he uses the music to help him think. Most of the time it is classical. Today is no exception. But what has happened is he has changed the piece he listens to most of the time on the trip.

He’s been listening to “Our Town” because he says we are visiting the American Town on our journey. We are seeing what is America. Today he’s put in something else, that I’ve never heard. And he will play it over and over and over. It will be on working the magic it does, and pull him into some emotion or memory.

The piece is somber, meditative, quiet, at times joyous. But mournful.

Amada had a talk with him yesterday about getting depressed at the end of the journey. This is the second time he’s had that talk. Mark in Fresno did the same. The companion mention when he finished his first novella. How he was so excited for a few days and then felt empty in side, because he didn’t know if he could ever poor himself into another novella.


When the mournful melody starts, he looks out the window or walks out on the balcony and looks down at the bay, the city, and just thinks.

Then he comes back, winks at me, pets me on the head, and gets to work again. But before he does he says: thank you.

The Pacific!

We saw it! It was so huge! And I love it. I can’t talk much right now because it was so exciting to see the ocean, and to see the bridge.

But the fog kept us from seeing much of the bridge, it was still magnificent.

Not like the Pacific. Which we saw for the first time today!

Here we are: The Companion and me with the Pacific behind us! Champions! Pioneers! Frontiersman! Frontiersdog!

We took the picture and he started petting me the way he does when he’s emotional! He pulls me to him and puts our foreheads together.

He says: We made it! Can you believe it! You survived it! We did it!

We did do it and we loved it the whole trip.

Next Light We See the Pacific!

Today is Wednesday, and the companion is in good spirits, but I know him, and he is nervous.

This is our last dark on the journey. While it is true we will be biking more, this is the official ending. And with any ending there is nervousness and sadness. I want to be close to him more today than I normally do

The companion I think doesn’t recognize his own abilities: his ability to face danger to face a challenge and over come it. And I think this journey shows that. And should convince him of it.

But I know him, and I know how he thinks. He will think not about the 3300 miles he did pedal, but feel guilty bout the 300 miles he accepted a ride. I’ve got to get him to change his thinking and to realize that what we have done has been great.

It is something I would have never had done on my own. It is something that was outside of my dreams. An adventure so amazing to me that without the companion I would not have thought about it.

Tonight as we sit in San Bruno waiting for the morning, I am thinking of my own history. Where I started and now here I am with the companion about to see the Pacific Ocean for the first time in either of our lives. Who would have ever dreamed!

Born and raised in a puppy mill. That was my life, the only life I ever knew before the companion. It is the life I put in the past and forget about.

Who would have ever thought that I would see so much of America. When I was in the puppy mill, all I ever saw was the cage. Sometimes we were let out, but not often. At that time it was a dream to lay in the grass in the sunshine. That was a far away dream, and now I get to do it a lot!

And now, I’ve been and seen so many places and things. I’ve been loved on by so many people. I feel so fortunate so happy. So thankful for groups like Guardian Angel Basset Rescue, for foster parents, and for companions who adopt us, and take us on a journey many humans wish they could do.

And along the way, I’ve been come a star!

When I was in the puppy mill, all of us dogs wanted a human. Humans would only feed us and take our babies away. We were not loved on, we were not taken to the vet, we were not recognized for what we can do.

I knew this before we started this journey, but I know it stronger now: I have a companion!

When the companion first started this crazy idea of going to the Pacific, I didn’t understand, I didn’t know what it would mean. But as we stand at the last day, I think it means this.

Not worrying about the rain
Overcoming Steep hills
Joy
Solitude
Enjoying the smells that just come
The Sun helps
Companionship

I can’t wait to see the Pacific in the morning. I hear it is huge! I’m so excited I might get wet. But don’t count on it!

The plan is to cross over to the Pacific side and ride along side of it and look and see it, then get to Crissy Field. We hope to be there around 1pm (but I bet we are late.)

I can’t wait to finish and meet the other dogs who are going to try to meet us at Crissy field.

And I’m excited to see the Golden Gate Bridge, and watch the Companion.

Animal Shelters, Ducks

We passed through Palo Alto on our way to Belmont, CA. As we were biking along we spotted a sign about low cost spay and neutered services. So the companion turns in to get a look at the place.

What it is an animal shelter. And not like one of those where a dog has a deadline to find a home or they will be put down. No this one doesn't do that! So I loved it.

I support basset rescues, and all rescues. And I support Shelters like this one! If you are thinking about a dog, always go rescue! And shelters like this one are also good ideas. These dogs are sometimes strays, or abused in some way. Other times, they are abandoned for reasons like work, or children, or a new apartment that doesn't allow dogs. These are great dogs, and all of them need a home.

We then continued on, and of course got lost a few times. The companion was getting frustrated but I just relaxed cause there were some interesting smells.

Then here was a sign for Ducks.

Ducks!

Really? Really? We really need a sign for ducks.

Help, Mayor, Torture

We biked again in green, and warm sunshine. It was so much fun, and the companion was loving it! The road was mostly downhill. While we were in town, Pleasanton, we biked with a nice woman. She was worried that the road we were going to take was dangerous. The road was curvy and narrow, lots of blind turns. But the companion assured her that we were going to get a ride in a truck down that road. And Golden Gate Basset Rescue picked us up right there at the intersection and got us to safety.

Addy and Steve drove out to help us, and take the companion to lunch. I know he had a good time talking with the because it was non stop chit chat! I slept on Addy’s lap so she and Steve could pet me. They were lots of fun, and showed us the sights around the area. But to the companions dismay, not one roadside attraction in the lot.



One point of interest to me was Sunol. In Sunol, Bosco the black dog was elected mayor in 1981. Mayor! It’s about time! I’m sure there were changes in that town for the best! These humans got it right. Would have been better if he were a basset, but still great times! They have a statue in his honor, and Addy and Steve took us to see it. Cool!

Then we arrived at Don and Lee’s house, where I was subjected to torture. The companion said I need it. He said: you need a bath Antigone. I said: you need a bath. And then I tried to escape. I’m not like other dogs that run away fast. No, I quietly walk away and ignore it. It will go away. But not today.

I don’t favor baths.