Golden Light In My Life

May 25, 2020

Six years in the context of an average human lifespan is not very long. Six years to a dog is quite a long time especially when that dog’s life span is 12 or 13 years on average. Six years for Kali and I is both a flash and an eternity.

A flash in that it seems like just the other day I was sitting in the international terminal at San Francisco International Airport waiting for my precious cargo to be unloaded. Waiting with two months of accumulated anticipation since first seeing Kali’s picture on the Facebook page called “Rescued Love From Taiwan”. This group coordinates with True Love Rescue to bring mostly Golden Retrievers from Taiwan to loving families in Northern California. This was where Kali came from. I’ve documented that story of Kali’s journey from Taiwan to America any times. Newer followers of Golden Kali can read about it here: Meet Kali.

It also feels like an eternity because of the countless experiences Kali and I have had together during the past six years. For much of this time Kali was rarely far from my side. As I write this post she lies sleeping at my feet; a very familiar spot and one that is so natural to both of us. We estimated Kali’s age to be five years when she joined our pack. Now a full fledged senior at 11 her hip dysplasia slows her down quite a bit. Her cataracts impair her vision. She’s developed either acute selective hearing or just plain hearing loss. I believe it is the latter. Still, Kali’s love and devotion remain ever present and stronger than ever. I try every day to live up to that example she sets for me!

Each year Memorial Weekend marks Kali’s Gotcha Day.

So here on the Sunday of the 2020 Memorial Day holiday I sit reflecting on that same weekend in 2014 when we welcomed Kali into our family and into our home in Livermore, CA. Kali adjusted to her new life almost immediately. The bond between us was instant. For two years we carried out an almost daily routine of morning walks, meals, playtime in the afternoon, and cuddles in the evening.

In 2016 we added a new nine-week old puppy to the pack and named her Kloe. Kali welcomed her with open paws and became a great big sister and teacher. Within two weeks we moved to the Sierra Nevada Foothill town of Tuolumne, CA. Kali took it all in stride welcoming her new surroundings and new baby sister. “But wait Kali – there’s more…”

In 2018 we adopted Koda, a four month old rescue. Koda was, and is, a bundle of energy and moxie! This time around Kali is not as actively involved with the younger pup. She stays above the fray and leaves the heavy lifting to her younger sister Kloe all the while remaining near by and willing to offer advice (woof!) and criticism (“Zzzz”) when necessary.

So on this 2020 Memorial weekend, as we remain mostly sheltered in place, I am feeling blessed that my Golden Kali remains in my life and by my side.

Happy Gotcha Day Kali. You will forever be the Golden light in my life and at The Golden K.

Kali – Memorial Weekend 2014

2015

2016 – Welcome Kloe!

2017

2018 – Welcome Koda!

2019

Golden Kali – 2020

Flags, Dogs, and Wine

July 4, 2018

For all our warts I would not want to live anywhere other than this great country of ours, the US of America.

Ray Charles singing “America” in the background, Oaks and Pines swaying to the warm gentle wind, and Baseball coming on shortly. We are truly blessed at the Golden K.

Whether you stand, sit, or lie down for the flag Kloe, Kali, and cousin Ben wish you the best of bests on this Fourth Of July, Two Thousand and Eighteen.

Snow Day At The Golden K

February 25, 2018

Finally, a snow day with the girls.

Christmas Wishes

December 21, 2017

The Three Wise Pups or Ghosts of Christmas Present?

Whichever it is this Golden K trio comprised of Kali, Smokey, and Kloe are wishing all the followers of the Golden Kali blog the Merriest Christmas possible.

Return of the Black Tailed Deer

March 21, 2017

Spring is in the air and the deer seem to know it.

We got to know “our” black tailed deer during the past year. We enjoyed their visits each morning and evening as we became accustomed to mountain life and our new surroundings. We got to know the regulars – three bucks we named Scratcher, Kicker, and Chester – and the occasional doe who would follow behind in an appropriate amount of distance based on pecking order.

In early summer we gushed when a spotted fawn accompanied a doe and the three bucks down for breakfast. We watched in awe as the bucks antlers grew and made these mature males look all the more powerful and glorious. We mourned the loss of Gimpy, the buck with a broken leg, who we found him dead on our property in early Fall not far from our driveway. He was an older buck who hobbled along on a three legs for at least a few years (per the previous property owners) and apparently died of old age and not because of his injury that he seemed to manage relatively well given the circumstances.

In Fall hunting season is followed by rutting which drive the deer away from the Golden K with only an occasional visit by a stray buck. The mostly absence of deer throughout Winter was striking and I missed them. I wondered where they went, how they were doing, and if they would return back to the Golden K.

And then they did. Last weekend our black tailed beauties returned home in full force.

There were antler-less bucks with foreheads sporting only sockets where their magnificent antlers once were but fell off in the last month or so. There were does, skinny and hungry and presumably preparing for birth later this spring or early summer. And there were the yearlings. Small and skinny but healthy “kids” who survived the winter when the majority of their peers have perished. Fawn mortality rate runs between 50% and 70%.

So as Spring begins friends of the Golden K have returned much to our joy and anticipation. Anticipation of more fawns, more grand buck antlers, and continued health and prosperity that all creatures- man or beast – hope to experience and be blessed upon by Mother Nature.

It’s been almost a year since we arrived at the Golden K. The return of the black Tailed have Deer reinforced the circle of life and most notably my romantic perspective of life at 3100 feet.

A few days of sunshine…

January 30, 2017

We interrupt this weather system to bring you a few days of sunshine….

The Golden K is thawing out. It’s a relief that our reservoirs are finally filling up and the snow pack is at or above average both after five plus years of drought. But I’m looking forward to thawing and drying out for the next few days before the next storm system arrives in a few days.

We have no choice but to take what Mother Nature gives us. Here at the Golden K we’re ok with that as she continues to fuel my romantic perspective of life at 31oo feet.

This was Monday. The Golden K frozen in time.

This was Saturday. The pines look happier and healthier already!

This is Kloe burning off a little energy while sister Kali watches from the deck.

And so it goes with my Golden Kali…

January 26, 2017

Me: “C’mon Kali, do something”.

Kali: “I am. I’m sleeping”

Me: “No I mean, romp, play, give me some fodder for a blog post”.

Kali: “OK, post about this nap I’m taking and wake me when there is a biscuit in your hand with my name on it”.

Me: [sigh…]

And so it goes with my Golden Kali. Since the day Kali arrived in America almost three years ago she has been low key and very content to just hang and be with me and observe the world around her.

So this past weekend, after a few days of steady snow, when we took Kali and Kloe for a walk up to the back section of the Golden K I was smiling to see Kali exhibit a little bit of puppy in her. I’m still very much a kid at heart and it was great to see my Golden Kali, who is just about my contemporary in dog years, act a little bit like a pup as we romped through the snow.

As we got off the path that circles the inner section of the property around the house and began “off roading” to the deeper snow Kali began acting like, well acting like a dog. She romped, she pranced, and she threw herself down on the snow and seemed to make a snow angel, although in reality it was probably something dead she smelled and wanted to roll around on it as she loves to do…

Kali is about eight and I find myself doing the “numbers game” and thinking ahead to the day when Kali will be gone. I know there are still – God willing – four or five years until that inevitable day arrives. For Kali, like with my human kids, I would not ask her be something she is not or doesn’t want to be. She doesn’t have to fetch, she doesn’t have to romp, and if she prefers to nap and just observe this is ok with me because she usually chooses to do these things at my feet, by my side, as a truly loving and devoted companion.

But when she does choose to romp and play, as she did this past weekend in the snow, I will cherish it and be happy for her because I see that she too is very happy to be alive with her pack at the Golden K.

Kali’s Romp In The Snow

Snow day at the Golden K

Kali first snow

The Golden K Dressed In White

January 15, 2017

I imagine that snow and ice is especially unwelcome when one has to dig out, drive to work, and cover every inch of their body including their face as a regular part of their daily routine. I can only imagine because I have never lived in such a place. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, and having lived their all my life until earlier this year, I didn’t experience any extreme weather elements. The temperature was rarely below freezing, there was no real humidity to speak of, and never snow.

I realize that much of this country and others in the Northern Hemisphere get plenty to a lot of snow and that it’s not always a welcome element. I’ve seen pictures of Syracuse, NY in the winter. I’ve heard about Duluth MN in January. Mother Nature is probably not any kinder in Grand Rapids MI and Quebec City in Canada during the winter months. I would probably perish after a winter week in any of these cities.

So when the Golden K gets an inch or two of snow and it all melts by mid-afternoon can I really say, with a straight face, to anyone who lives or has lived where snowfall is 60 or 70 inches per year, that it “snowed”?

We’ve had three days of snow this year which I understand is about average for our area up to this point in the season. I feel very blessed to be living at the Golden K in the middle of a forest covered by pines, oaks, and cedar trees. With each change of season so far (Summer, Fall, and now Winter) I appreciate a different type of beauty on display that I once only dreamed of waking up to each day. This morning after several days of rain and one day of snow the sky is blue, the air is crisp, and leaves and pine needles are shimmering.

The snow day we had this past Thursday was magical to wake up to. I didn’t have to dig out. I didn’t have to bundle up. And I didn’t have to drive anywhere because I work mostly from home. I know I am blessed because instead of digging out I was free to take a walk (OK I did bundle up a bit…) about the Golden K and explore the beauty with a romantic perspective of life at 3100 feet.

Mother Nature was very kind to us on this morning!

200 Pounds Of Dog For Christmas

December 23, 2016

There will be a large group at The Golden K this Christmas! The breakdown of attendees goes like this: three humans, five canines, and one cow. Well, only part of a cow; a prime rib to be more specific.

Meet the humans: Michael, Holly, and Jessica (our daughter).

Meet the Canines: Kali, Kloe, Smokey, Sadie, and Jaynee. Kali and Kloe you already know and Smokey some of you have “met” in past posts. Smokey is an eleven pound Morky (Maltese / Yorkshire mix) of pure cute. Sadie and Jaynee belong to our friends who live nearby and who will be traveling for a few days. Sadie and Jayne will be with us for three days over Christmas. I’m not sure what breeds Sadie is but she is about 45 pounds, 11 years old, fuzzy, and very sweet. Jayne is an Australian Shepard mix about 35 pounds and lighting fast. She and Kloe have become good friends over the past several months. Kloe and Jayne run, chase, and wrestle while Kali and Sadie lay and watch them or sleep in the sun. It’s a good mix and lots of fun to watch.

Meet the Cow: just kidding. I meant eat the cow (sorry PETA advocates but I really love beef…

So this long Christmas weekend will be interesting and fun to say the least. It could be a howl! Smokey arrives tomorrow (Friday) with my daughter, Sadie and Jayne arrive Saturday. They will all leave on Monday. So we’ll have three days with twenty paws running around the… well, probably running around the house because it’s supposed rain and/or snow most of that time.

I sure hope Santa is quiet coming down our chimney Christmas Eve otherwise he’ll be sharing his milk and cookies with 200 pounds of dog!

With a little Mother Nature luck the nine of us (yes, I’m including the cow) may wake up to this on Christmas morning as we did over Thanksgiving weekend. Just enough to look pretty but not so much to have to shovel 🙂

They're Cutting Down Trees

December 18, 2016

It’s coming on Christmas
They’re cutting down trees
They’re putting up reindeer
And singing songs of joy and peace
I wish I had a river I could skate away on

Last weekend Holly and I went to a local nursery looking for a live Christmas tree. What was available was scrawny and very expensive. Then Holly and I came to our senses and remembered that we live on five acres full of trees. We laughed just a little at ourselves.

By the time we arrived back home at the Golden K it was pouring down rain but we were determined to establish a new tradition of cutting down a Christmas tree from our own property. So we put on the best rainproof-cutting-down-Chistmas Tree-gear that we had and headed up the hill to the back side of the Golden K. Back in the days before we went artificial and when we still put up “real” trees we always had pines. It wasn’t likely that we would find a pine small enough so we were hunting for a Cedar.

It didn’t take us too long to find a tree that was suitable. It was a very nicely shaped Cedar about 12 feet high. We carried it to the shop, cut it down to about seven feet and carried it back to the house.

It felt a little bit like when your kids are little and they cook a meal for themselves. They eat the meal as if it was the best food they ever tasted because of the gratification of having cooked it themselves. As we looked at our tree we both felt as though it was the most beautiful tree we have ever had in our 34 years of marriage. I guess because we “cooked it” ourselves…

So like Joni sang, “they’re cutting down trees” at the Golden K and they are in love and they are grateful. And if that’s not a romantic perspective of life at 3100 feet I don’t know what is.

First Christmas at the Golden K