Kaleo

Since I've mentioned Kaleo several times lately, I thought I'd post a photo of him - let y'all know what he looked like. See? Tough act to follow, eh? But I guess this is the point I want to make. Up till now, I felt like I've been living in his shadow. And Pops is always thinking about him, even though - bless is heart - he knows he should see me for who I am and love me for me. But he can't help himself... and then he feels guilty about it.

Well, recently... somehow... we both came to the same realization - that when I was feeling like I'm living in Kaleo's shadow and when Pops thought he was clinging to the past, we were actually just feeling the presence of Kaleo. I mean, he really is here among us. Every time Pops thinks about him it's because Kaleo's spirit bumped into him or somethin'. I know I feel him around all the time. And I know Trina does too. Pops said the day he completed and installed Kaleo's memorial in the garden, Trina went right up to it, sniffed it and laid down in front of it all morning. She and Kaleo were real tight. They were the same age, so she played with him a lot more than she does with me. But she teaches me a lot of cool stuff. I love Trina Jieh-jieh.

Yeah, funny how things come around eventually. I'm glad my patience with Pops paid off. He's a good man and always comes around to the right thing... well, almost always. Sometimes it takes a few years. And now that he and I have both acknowledged and embraced Kaleo as a spirit living among us, we open our hearts to each other more easily. Sure, he still makes comparisons between me and Kaleo every now and then, but it's not a bad thing. It's more like growing the love. Sharing the memories. After all, don't we always see ourselves as reflections in each other's faces? How else are we gonna see ourselves?

Anyway, check out the photos. Whenever Pops and I go out, people we meet always look at me and say, "What a gorgeous dog! Look at those eyes!" Guess Kaleo used to get the same thing. Either way, Pops gets a big swell in his heart when that happens.

PrincessTrina and I

Let the pictures speak for themselves! Oh yeah... and Pops, too, but we don't need to speak too much about him! He did clean his face up though, and looks less like ET with a beard. Ha ha... don't tell him I said that! Well, Moms thought it was funny too. She never did like his silly goatee.

Memory

I've often heard humans say, in their infinite wisdom, that dogs don't remember things. Usually, it comes from dog trainers who rightfully tell people not to scold dogs for something they did two or three actions ago, but wrongly reason that it's because we can't remember past more that one action, that we can't generalize or do abstract thinking. Well, duh! If you tell me to stop doing something and I stop, why are you still yelling about the thing I was doing before I stopped? You do that to your kids? And you wonder why they're neurotic? It's not that we "forgot" what we did, but we're ready to move on. Besides, who's always looking for their keys, or glasses or half-finished cups of coffee? We dogs, on the other hand, know exactly where we buried our bones or where we left our favorite toys months ago.

But I'm not talking about such frivolous things here. Truth is, we remember a lot - all the important things, like kindness, good times. We remember bad times too, but we don't cling to them. Mostly we understand. I was never angry at Pops for remembering Kaleo. Sure, I'd stay away sometimes, when he's really lost in his thoughts. I respect his privacy and I never hold it against him. Because I understand. Someday, he will be remembering me too. I know I'll never forget him. Our bodies don't last, but our memories do. They are what keep us together forever. Some say that we are prisoners of our memories but I say, so what? Who needs freedom when love is what we really want?

The Early Days

Pops birthday yesterday made me think of my birthday, 'xcept I don't even know when it was. All I remember is not being very happy. I was lonely and always hungry, and I guess I must have just wandered off till I got lost. I wound up in some place where people gave me a place to sleep and some food, which felt really good at first but I was locked up with a bunch of other poor suckers and we couldn't go out to play or anything. Then, one day, some really nice people came and took me away in a car. It was my first time in a car and it was awesome. I was taken to see some guy in a white coat where I fell asleep. When I woke up, I was a little sore and missing some parts. Kinda weird, but the people were extra nice to me so I got over it. Then, one day, I was taken with a bunch of other dogs to meet a bunch of people, and that was when I met Pops, Moms and Trina. I was only one year old!

Trina and I started to play right away - right there in the parking lot! Everyone said, "Oh, look! They get along!" Then Pops took me for a walk around the parking lot and talked a lot with the nice people. I was put back in my crate, where I proceeded to chew up my leash - the second one I chewed up that day! Then someone else - a teenage girl - took me out for a walk but I didn't like her much. I had already started to like Pops 'cause he was real strong and he protected me from those other dogs who were trying to bully me. The girl didn't know what she was doing. When Pops took me out of the crate a second time, I sat down and parked my butt right next to his leg and leaned against him. He reached down and petted my head, and shortly after that I was riding in his car with him, Moms and Trina, on my way to my new forever home!

Well, that was over two years ago. The day was March 18. I consider that date to be my birthday.

A Special Ordinary Day

Today's Pops' birthday. Started out pretty normal, just like any other day. That's the way Pops likes it. "Quiet appreciation " is what he calls it. We went to the Presidio where I got to sniff, run and play hide 'n' seek with him. He hides behind a tree and whistles for me and I pretend I can't see him. Then I run towards the tree and pretend to be surprised when he jumps out at me. Then I run around like crazy through the bushes and between the trees and dash past him and run circles around him... Pops - he's so easy to please.

After the Presidio, we stopped to buy dog food and said "Hi" to John at the pet food store. Then we made a last minute detour to Clement Street 'cause Pops got a hankerin' for char shiu baos. He went in to Wing Lee and bought one char shiu bao and one choy yuk bao and we ate them in the car on the way home. I have to agree - simple pleasures are the best.

Then Uncle Pete Almazol came over. He and Pops have the same birthday which, by the way, is the same date they landed on the moon! How cool is that for a couple of Cancer-moonchilds?

Well the rest of the day is turning out kinda dreary, with the fog an'all. Tonight Moms and Pops are going out to some fancy dinner - without us! Boo! Think I'll just go to sleep. Anyway, I've posted some pictures of me and Pops together at different times - all good times!

Pops did more work in the garden today. What a mess, but I love it, 'cause I get to eat bamboo shoots. Bamboo shoots are what I like! I love bamboo shoots! B-b-b-bamboo.... Sh-sh-sh-o-o-o-ts! Grrrr-r-r-r!

In Kaleo's garden

Fuchsias returning in July
remember Kaleo
Was it here that they last saw him
so many summers ago
or was it somewhere
on their long winter journey?

Pops and I went to the Presidio again today. After we came home he went to work in the garden. Boy, he did a lot of work today, pruning some trees - actually bushes that had turned into trees - and all the bamboos in the back. I haven't seen him work this hard in the garden in a long time. Don't know what got into him. He's been out of sorts lately, with his injured lip, and all. Must be feeling better. Anyway, he wanted me to post this poem and picture of the fuchsias next to Kaleo's memorial. They're blooming beautifully. Pops got all teary-eyed. Sometimes I can really feel Kaleo's spirit around here. Guess he always hung out with Pops when he worked in the garden.

Till next time...