Roaming Hill 88

Pops said to me a long time ago, "Nikki, if you're a good boy, we can have so much fun together." Now that I'm older, I finally understand. He wanted me to go off leash and hang out with him without him having to worry about me wandering off and not coming back, or not coming when he calls. Well, I don't do any of that anymore, 'cause I really love him and he trusts me more now too. Guess it works both ways.

Today we went up to Hill 88. Pops rode his bike without the Springer, and I just followed or, when I wander off just a little bit, I always caught up to him. At the top, he sat and meditated, while I explored and found a tennis ball! As usual, he took a bunch of pictures. On the way down, he went so fast I could barely keep up, even while running as fast as I could! He waited for me at different turns in the road, and sometimes he gave me water. We had a great time!

Bumming around bunkers

Monday Morning in the Headlands

October Morning at Baker Beach

Wild

It's late October and it's been raining. I wish the rain would turn to snow, when hunger turns to hope. I will freeze my prey in mid step with my icy blue eyes, and go in for the kill.

Pops took me down to Baker Beach today. The surf was pretty rough and got me kinda excited. Everything was cold and grey... and I loved it! It's great that Pops is back and we're doing our morning thing again. He had been gone a week... in LA. I didn't really miss him till today, when we started doing our old things again. Funny, huh? His friend Bruce was here staying with me and Trina Jieh-jieh, and I guess I enjoyed the little change in routine and didn't think too much about him or Moms. She was gone too.

When Pops and I came back from the Pilgrimage, he was all cheerful and stuff, but this time, coming back from LA, he's been kinda quiet. I heard him say he had a good time - hangin' out with his sister, seeing some old friends - he lived in LA for a couple of years, it seems - and reading a lot of books. He also met his sister's new dog name Palomino - an American Bulldog (a pit bull, if you ask me!) 'cause he's white with brown patches all over. Somebody says he looks like a cow! HAHAHA! Pops also saw the new Chinese Gardens at the Huntington. All sounds like a good time, to me. Must be the books, 'cause they make him think too much and when he thinks too much he gets all quiet and moody. Maybe you should stay away from the books, Pops!

What was he reading? Well, he really liked the book Uncle Juan gave him by a writer named Some Upset Mom (?huh?) called the Razor's Edge (da heck is that?!)

"I can relate," he said.

Then he read a book about President Kennedy and his brother Bobby.

"Scary how little has changed," he said to Moms. And yet, he's still reading it. Geez...

Anyway, I think our outing this morning to Baker Beach made him feel a lot better. I know, I have that effect on people, thank you...

Another Great Sunday

This morning, Moms, Trina, me and Pops all went walking on the trail at Land's End and we went down to Mile Rock Beach. Another great day!

Moon Ride

Yesterday was the Mid Autumn Moon Festival. Pops took me and a couple of his friends up to the top of Hawk Hill in the Marin Headlands at night! Boy, was that cool! We rode across the Golden Gate Bridge while there was still light out and I pulled Pops all the way up Conzelman Rd! Yeah! It was nice and cool and his friend Juan was up front leading while Charlie went way ahead. This sure beat running last week in triple digit heat! Speaking of which, that seemed like distant memory already!

When we got to the top, the moon was coming over Mt Diablo and the sun was setting over the Pacific. What a sight! Everyone was just blown away by the beauty of it all. Then Pops brought his moon cake and shared the story of Chang-e and the Ming Rebellion while we ate the cake.

The way back was completely in the dark. It got too cold for Pops but not for me! We go home and Pops was starving. I wasn't even hungry. We Huskies eat very little, you know. We got efficient bodies. We working dogs! And to think, Pops and I went for a 4-mile hike that same morning... in the Headlands too... up and down hills and everything!