“I like dogs
Big dogs
Little dogs
Fat dogs
Doggy dogs
Old dogs
Puppy dogs
I like dogs
A dog that is barking over the hill
A dog that is dreaming very still
A dog that is running wherever he will
I like dogs.”
― Margaret Wise Brown, The Friendly Book
“The night walked down the sky with the moon in her hand.” ~ Frederic Lawrence Knowles
The moon is full tonight and so is my mood. I don’t know if it is the gravitational pull of the “Supermoon” (scientists say ‘no’), or the loss of an important man that is finally sinking in.
Jackson and I ventured out last night to view it, knowing that it would be shielded by clouds this evening.
We enjoyed each other’s company as dark settled in to the field, and the moon did not disappoint.
So many eyes trained upon a single spectacle in one weekend; a reminder of just how small our world really is.
“Those are the same stars, and that is the same moon, that look down upon your brothers and sisters, and which they see as they look up to them, though they are ever so far away from us, and each other.” ~ Sojourner Truth
You see the marks on its surface from collisions made centuries ago. They are a reminder of just how fragile this planet of our is. It’s a pity that we can’t seem to find a way to appreciate its beauty in peaceful co-existence.
“There is nothing you can see that is not a flower;
there is nothing you can think that is not the moon.” ~ Matsuo Basho
Many dogs travel lengthy distances to get to Homeward Bound, transported by our dedicated Golden Taxi team. But a group of dogs, including new arrivals Dimple and Moose, take that journey to an extreme.
Their arrival last weekend at the rescue was the last leg of a very long trip; a 6,449 mile trip – from Taipei, Taiwan to San Francisco.
Dogs are not equally valued in all cultures. Suffice to say, Taiwan may not be the best place to be born a dog. Johanna Quinn, an American native, and her teammates in Taiwan have made the rescue of Taiwanese dogs their life’s work. They recently formed their own group called “HOTAC” which stands for Heart of Taiwan Animal Care. Johanna pulls dogs from shelters in Taiwan and raises the funds needed to fly them to a network of rescue partners in the United States and other western countries.
The dogs’ journey begins with a long drive and wait at the airport, followed by an 11-hour flight. Upon arrival, they are met at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) by our transport team; in this case, John, his wife Beatrice and Rowena.
John and Beatrice – Homeward Bound adopters – have been part of the transport team for several years. They live in the Bay Area and wanted to find a way to contribute. Our network of caring individuals like them across the state is invaluable. In addition to transport, John and Beatrice also do home visits for adoption applicants in the area allowing us to extend our reach with confidence.
Dimple and Moose stayed overnight with them, then traveled in style to Homeward Bound in the morning.
Dimple was a breeder dog – “used up” by the age of six.
Moose is handsome boy,
but in desperate need of medical attention which has already begun.
Their arrival marks the end of a nightmare and the beginning of a journey ‘homeward bound’ for these lucky two.
Our sincere thanks to Johanna, her HOTAC team, and our own Golden Taxi transport team for giving them both a chance for a better life.
We are accustomed to loss at our rescue, Homeward Bound. It is an inevitable part of what we do and so we prepare for the sadness while focusing on the joy. But this week was different. We lost one of our own, a member of our team – a true friend.
Dick Brothers, a long-time volunteer, a board member, and our Vice President had a sudden heart attack and passed away at the rescue. He was taken from us suddenly and much too soon.
Dick and his wife Jean have been involved with Homeward Bound for more than ten years. He was the kindest, smartest, most modest and soft-spoken man you will ever meet. And as our president says with love “he was the ‘honey’ for all of our ‘honey-do’s.’ ” He literally had a hand in everything, from raising buildings and funds – to raising hope.
Our hearts go out to his wife, Jean and to his family. He is mourned by our Homeward Bound family and the entire community to which he gave so generously of his talents and time.
How we go on without him we do not yet know, but he would insist we do. I read that he was a fan of the Cat Stevens. I don’t know if it’s true; I never got a chance to ask him. But I have a feeling that gratitude for the beauty of each and every day as expressed in this hymn memorialized by Cat Stevens would express his wish for us as we attempt to carry on and ensure his legacy is sustained.
“Morning has broken like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for them springing fresh from the world
Sweet the rains new fall, sunlit from Heaven
Like the first dewfall on the first grass
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden
Sprung in completeness where His feet pass
Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning
Born of the one light, Eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning
God’s recreation of the new day”
Saturday, it was 111-degrees in the Homeward Bound Memorial Garden by 2PM. The birds were seeking water…
and shade.
The Coreopsis was wilting…
Even the flowers were sweating! Kidding…but they would if they could!
White looks magnificent and cooling when it’s hotter than hades.
Kondos had the right idea. He makes a kiddie pool look dignified and cool.
We keep these little pools in each yard exactly for days like Saturday. When it is even too hot to trek the dogs to the big swimming pool, we bring the water to them before returning them to the air conditioning to nap away the afternoon. The pools are dual purpose; they double Steve’s Scuba Training Center. He taught Scrubs how to scuba by slyly placing his cookies at the bottom of the pool. We think he’s a natural!
The Delta Breeze mercifully kicked in Saturday night, and today we enjoyed a cool breeze while we worked, letting out a collective….ahhh.
Have a great week all!
At 9:42 pm, the thermometer reads 89-degrees.
I made a quick check-up on the Homeward Bound Memorial Garden tonight – when the thermometer still read 106.
I discovered Rob mowing despite his promise not to if it was too hot. He lied. Out of respect, I will not share a photo of him dripping sweat. The fresh cut looks lovely though.
It is too hot for man, woman, beast, or bunny.
“Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it.” ~ Russel Baker
The plants and flowers surprised me; they have held up amazingly well.
In their second season, they are taller providing shade for their roots which are better mulched this year as well.
The dogs are tucked in. The only sounds are those of nature’s creatures scurrying to feed and drink before night blankets the garden.
“If a June night could talk, it would probably boast it invented romance.” ~ Bern Williams
Tomorrow’s forecast: 108. Sigh. I think it will be a good day to spend hosing down doggies.
Until this weekend, the bees and I had an understanding.
I deadhead the flowers, which produces more for them to enjoy.
I leave them alone; they leave me alone.
Someone didn’t get the message.
A honeybee stung me, stuck in me and wouldn’t let go. I read later that honeybees sting only once, leaving their stinger and venon sac in the victim. This results in their own premature death. Bumblebees, yellow jackets and wasps on the other hand can sting multiple times. That’s just wrong.
The justice of a strike for a life seems fair.
Like the knats that have invaded the garden this year, the spiders have their revenge.
With temperatures already approaching the century mark, the bees, butterflies, dogs and dog walkers were moving slow – easy prey for my camera.
Even the killdeer is too hot to sit on her babies – so she shades them instead.
The pups took their walkers to their favorite shady spots. Lily has this down.
Jack too.
And Bobo.
Lucky pups. Not so lucky walkers and gardeners. Jody worked on sprinklers in the west yard, Maria fixed the drip in the Willow garden, and Rob mowed. I think I got the better end of the deal this weekend, except for the stinging bee.
If it is this hot in the spring, I think we’re in for a long summer. No complaints though, when surrounded by good dogs,
good friends and beautiful flowers…
with mostly well-behaved bees.
