The First Fourth…

July 4, 2022

…without Kali.

It was the evening of May 24, 2014 when I met that special girl from Taiwan. The door opened, our eyes met, and we instantly fell in love. Well, at least I was immediately taken back and infatuated with her. It took only minutes for that infatuation to turn to love. And we rode off into the sunset to Livermore, CA. and the rest as they say…. well you know.

That girl was Kali.

Long time followers of Golden Kali know that Kali is a rescue from Taiwan. Holly, my daughter Jessi, and I drove to the airport in San Francisco in great anticipation of meeting Kali, then known as Nala. We had only seen pictures and read her bio as we waited for about two months until her Taiwanese caregivers had her in perfect condition to come to America and join our family. Health, happy, and full of love.

I’ve written often about that evening at the airport when Kali and I met. How fate seemed to bring us together. If there really are matches made in heaven this would have been one! There was one special moment that stood out that I am reminded of every Fourth of July.

Kali arrived from Taiwan wearing a brown scarf with markings that were similar to mandarin characters. Once she was uncrated, leashed, and had time to get her land legs we prepared to drive home. A volunteer from the local rescue group, True Love Rescue, stopped us and took off the brown scarf and replaced it with a scarf that bore images of Stars and Stripes and the America Flag. It was a symbolic gesture of Kali’s transition from Taiwan to American where she became a true American Girl.

Kali wore the scarf for the first day home and then I took it off and stored it. I brought the scarf out several weeks later on the Fourth of July. That was 2014. Kali wore the scarf for the day and I again put it away. Since that time the scarf only comes out on the Fourth of July and Kali wears it for the day.

Except this year. This is the first Fourth without Kali.

There will always be two holidays that are special for me and Kali. I will always miss her just a little more on those days than others. One is Memorial Weekend. It was Memorial weekend in 2014 that we picked up Kali from SFO. That will forever be her gotcha day. The other is Fourth of July. The Fourth because of our ritual of taking out the scarf with stars and stripes, adorning it around my beautiful girls golden neck, and seeing her wear it for the day and evening.

So on this first Fourth without Kali, and for the Fourth’s to follow, the stars and stripes scarf will be worn by Kloe. This morning I pulled out the scarf and put it on Kloe, second in line of succession after Kali at the Golden K. Like Kali, she’ll wear it for the day and evening and in the morning it will be put away for another year.

Kloe may never know or appreciate the symbolism of wearing the scarf annually on the Fourth. Certainly she will never know the practical aspect of being a stray in Taiwan, going through rehab with the Taiwanese rescue ~~group~~ angels, or getting on a plane with 23 other Goldens and traveling across the world into the unknown. But I know that Kloe’s Sissy-Mama Kali would appreciate knowing the symbolism of the scarf and her transition from Taiwan to America will live on through her sister Kloe.

Happy Fourth Kali. For the first time in eight years as I write this Fourth of July post you are not laying at my feet. You can no longer warm my feet but will always warm my heart as I sit and write about you, for you, and with you close by in spirit.

Kloe sporting the special stars and stripes scarf handed down to her by Kali.

Golden Kali, July 4, 2015.

Memorial Weekend Eight

May 30, 2022

Long time followers of Golden Kali may recall that she was one of 23 Golden Retrievers that arrived at San Francisco International Airport via China Airlines on Saturday evening, May 24, 2014. Holly, my daughter, and I drove to the airport that evening and waited for her crate to be unloaded from the plane along with 23 others. We took her crate to a staging area in the parking lot and I met her for the first time as I opened the crate door, leashed her, and watched her as she took her first sniffs of America. She had been in the crate for around 14 hours and was very anxious to pee. She took care of business and sniffed around some more. We took care of some formalities with the rescue organizers and volunteers and drove home to Livermore, CA would Kali would begin her New Life in America.

Since then Memorial Weekend has very been special to me. It marked the beginning of Kali’s new life in America, a new chapter in my life, and what turned out to be a seven and a half year journey Kali and I went on together.

That was Memorial Weekend One.

Kali laid by my feet in our backyard in Livermore as I started this blog. I knew during this first weekend and during the weeks to come I would need to be watchful and present to make sure Kali was successful. The rescue group cautioned me to not go to fast and to give Kali time. They said it may take time for her to be comfortable in her new surroundings and that she may have accidents and need to learn what her boundaries were. They suggested no visitors for a few days. This was of course a reasonable expectation. After all, there would be new sounds, new smells, new people, new food, new places to sleep, and on and on… It would take Kali time to adjust and we needed to respect that and give her space and time.

Except she didn’t need it!

Kali was still on Taiwan time when she arrived and it was expected she may have problems the first few nights. Except she didn’t. She slept by my bed tethered to the leg of the bed frame that first night, Saturday. She nuzzled me around two in the morning and I took her out to pee. I brought her back to bed and re-tethered her. She slept the rest of the night and every night after. Kali was respectful of the house from the very first day. She seemed to know her limits before we even had the chance to set them. She greeted visitors with a smile and love. She chewed on her toys but never furniture, shoes, or anything that wasn’t hers. With the exception of leash aggression that I found out about when we started our daily walks, Kali was a model rescue citizen from day one!

This is Memorial Weekend Eight.

The first Memorial Weekend that Kali is not physically laying by my feet as I write this Memorial Weekend post. As the weeks and months pass I miss her more and more. I long for her smell and the feel of her fur. I miss her at night when I wake up and remember she’s not there. I miss her when I’m in my office in the morning. I miss the ritual of walking with her from the back yard gate to my office when she would happily run towards the office door. Even though her physical legs were on their figurative “last legs”. Maybe it was something about going off with Dad in the morning that gave her body some spunk. Just for those few seconds, Kali was puppy-like as she pranced across the driveway.

Life at The Golden K Without Kali

That’s been the tag line of this blog since January First of this year when Kali crossed the bridge. She did so on her terms with the grace and dignity she earned. Kali was a truly special dog who I was blessed to know and love, and to have been loved by her. Kali will always hold a piece of my heart that is hers and hers alone.

So on this Memorial Day Eight, as many of us are remembering and honoring those who gave their lives in service of our country, I am also remembering and honoring my Golden Kali.

Partners

June 26, 2021

About 15 years ago I was sitting in my vet’s waiting room in Livermore, CA with our first Golden Retriever, Bailey. Hanging on the wall was a print of a Firefighter with his arms around a Golden Retriever. The picture captivated me in a deeply emotional way. The firefighter is sitting on the ground, eyes closed looking exhausted and traumatized. He wears knee pads, leather gloves, and a helmet with a mounted flashlight. He is positioned in a way that he can cradle his partner, a Golden Retriever, between his legs. The Golden is wearing an orange vest with an American Flag and the word “Rescue” inside a white cross. With tired eyes the dog looks equally exhausted and sad as his handler.

What struck me about this print was that within the tired eyes of the golden retriever I also saw compassion.

I stood up and got a closer look at the print and learned it was called “Partners”. I later learned that the firefighter’s name was Skip Fernandez and the rescue dog’s name was Aspen. The painting depicted a real life scenario where they sat in the rubble of the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City after the infamous bombing in April of 1995.

During each subsequent visit to the vet I would look at the print of Skip Fernandez and Aspen and be drawn further and further into the scene. A couple of years ago began searching for “Partners” to purchase. l found that it had been out of circulation for many years. There were a few copies on eBay that were framed and very expensive. The two I found were located in the MidWest and East Coast. With shipping and insurance I deemed it cost prohibitive. I was about to give up looking when I found an unframed copy on eBay. I bought it had it framed locally and it now hangs in my office.

The first time I saw the print was many years before my sweet Kloe, now five years old, was born. Years later I now see the same compassion in Kloe’s eyes that I see in Aspen’s eyes. Kloe has lived a blessed life and has never had to sacrifice and serve as Aspen did. But I beleive that Kloe, with the right training, could have been effective in some type of service. Her desire to please, to communicate, and to serve is strong. But mostly it’s her compassion and her ability to feel what the person next to her is feeling; and to react to those feelings. If it’s joy she shares that joy. And if it’s pain I believe she tries to absorb the pain and bring relief to the person who is suffering.

I was honored to have known a search and rescue dog named Indie. Indie, like so many other Golden Retrievers, was diagnosed with cancer. He continued to serve until the end but recently the pain became evident and his owners recently made the difficult decision to put Indie down and take his pain away. As his owner and handler wrote, “The average dog is a better person than the average person; Indie was never average.” So this print of Partners now has an even more special meaning for me. I will always see Kloe in Aspen’s eyes. But this print will now also serve to remind me of Indie and the many search and rescue dogs and their handlers who make so many sacrifices to help others.

RIP Aspen. RIP Indie. Thank you for your service.

“partners”, Skip Fernandez and “Aspen”

“indie”

The Fifth 4th

July 4, 2019

The 4th of July has always been one of my favorite holidays. Not because of any great traditions or specific memories but because its been one of those holidays where I feel ok not doing much and not feeling guilty about it. As a kid the long July days made it hard to wait for fireworks. It seemed as though it would never get dark. I have many fond memories of when our kids were young. There was the annual neighborhood bike parade where the kids would decorate their bikes in red and blue streamers, flags, and whatever else they could come up with. Usually a block party took place later in the day and was followed by volleyball and later fireworks. But more recently, as in the past five years, the 4th has a much more special meaning for me.

Kali arrived from Taiwan on May 24, 2014. She quickly assimilated into our family as in almost instantly. The morning after she arrived I began this Golden Kali blog which at the time had the tag line, “Kali’s New Life in America”. Kali arrived wearing a brown scarf that was put on her at some point before boarding the plane in Taiwan for the trip to America. After greeting her at the airport, taking care of a few formalities, and letting her get her land legs back we headed home to Livermore. But before we did one of the rescue group volunteers took off the brown scarf and replaced it with a scarf that had red, white, and blue stars and strips. It was quite symbolic and a touching gesture that Kali was now an American.

So back to the 4th… Although Kali arrived on a Memorial Day weekend because of this scarf it’s been the 4th of July that marks another year of her life in America. Much of Kali’s life, and mine, has been chronicled in this blog over the past five years. In a 2015 post called Tradition I wrote about how a new tradition began where on the 4th I put that red white and blue scarf on Kali and she wears it for the day. This scarf for Kali and I stands for her journey from Taiwan to America and her her new chance at a good life in a furever home. As important, when I hang the scarf around Kali’s neck, I do it as a tribute to all the rescue groups volunteers in both Taiwan and the US who have done so much good for so many Golden Retrievers like Kali. For them I will always be grateful!

So on this fifth 4th the tradition continues. This morning I took out the scarf and placed it around Kali’s neck and we went for a brief walk. She’s twice as old (ten) as she was when she arrived and the tradition of the scarf becomes more meaningful with each year. She doesn’t want to walk as far, uphill is not her friend, and there are may signs of her slowing and aging. I don’t like to think about it but there will be a 4th of July when Kali is no longer with me. Not physically. But in spirit I know she will never leave my side. And this scarf, her journey, and her time in America will be with her and I forever.

Happy fifth 4th Kali. Thank you Rescued Love From Taiwan and True Love Rescue for brining Kali into our lives.

Cheers from The Golden K!

She was an American girl…. – Tom Petty

Left: Kali on her second 4th. Center: Kali, cousin Ben, and sister Kloe last year, her fourth 4th. Right: Kali this year, her fifth 4th.

Happy Gotcha Day Kloe

May 7, 2019

Three years ago today the sweetest girl I could ever imagine came into our lives forever. At nine weeks old this pouty faced Golden Retriever stole our hearts and has held them close to her own since then. Born in Bakersfield, rescued by True Love Rescue in Lodi, Kloe made her way into our arms and home to Livermore, CA. Three weeks later we moved to the mountains to our home we call the Golden K. Kloe of course is one of those three Golden K’s our home is named after. Kloe weighs almost 80 pounds and I am convinced that the majority of that weight is from a very large heart of gold.

We are blessed that Kloe found her way into our lives and grateful to True Love Rescue for making that a possibility.

Happy Gotcha Day Kloe! You are forever my Klois Marie, Klo-Klo, Kloe Bowie, Sugar Lips, Sweetness, and all the other silly names I have for you. But at the end of the day as you lay on your mat when I kiss you goodnight and I tell you to sleep tight, you are simply my beautiful girl Kloe.

Stare down over the lodged apple

Kloe neck deep

Kloe at one year

A forest and lifetime of sticks!

“Uncle” Smokey letting Kloe know who’s boss

Kloe last winter

Kloe: #2 The reason for the rules

Number Three

September 29, 2018

Why this yearning for dogs?… Maybe it’s the endless feed of Golden Retriever puppy pictures served up in a Facebook group I belong to. Or perhaps it’s because of an Instagram account I follow that posts nothing but Golden Retriever puppy pictures. Or maybe, and most likely, it’s a life force that pulses through my body physically, spiritually, and emotionally. Something in me that guides me and defines me all at the same time. I joke that if I have the chance to hang out with people or dogs I choose dogs. I guess its not completely a joke. I gravitate towards dogs over people if there is a pup anywhere I am. I consider myself to be a very social person so it’s not that I shy away from people. I enjoy people. It’s just that if there is a dog around it usually commands my attention. If there is more than one dog more of my attention (and joy).

So I guess it was inevitable that we would eventually add a third dog to our pack. This morning I picked up “Koda” from True Love Rescue (TLR). TLR is a wonderful rescue group in Northern California. It’s the same group that brought us Kali and Kloe. And yeah, it’s a “K” thing with the girl’s names and we call our mountain home The Golden K where it’s mostly about the pups.

As with many things in our life Holly and I don’t hesitate once we’re ready to do something; buy a car, buy a house, move from the Bay Area to the mountains, and adopt another pup. It was just four days ago that we decided the time was right, especially when we learned that there were two pups remaining from a rescued litter. We called the organizer, told her we wanted to adopt “purple” (the color of the pup’s collar in the picture) and here we four days later with our new pup Koda. The big girls, Kali and Kloe, were very welcoming and there was no drama when I introduced them to Koda. Kali was mostly indifferent but polite and accepting. Kloe, as she is with most new dogs she meets of any age or size, immediately engaged with Koda, with puppy poses, and sniffs of all the usual body parts. Kloe followed Koda around as she explored her new surroundings and ultimately they engaged in some light play. Kloe restrained herself appropriately and was instinctively aware of the 60 pound size difference between her and Koda. I was proud of the the big girls and I know they’ll both be great role models and teachers for Koda in the weeks, months, and years to come.

So yes, number three was inevitable. I can only ignore the aforementioned life force and pulse in me for so long. As I end the post I reflect on some of the things I know about dogs in general and especially my girls. They can lower my blood pressure simply by being nearby. They can calm me after a difficult day or negative experience. They can lick my tears away when I cry, and make me laugh when I’m sad. Sure they can try my patience at times but their patience with me is unlimited. And the unconditional love they have for me is humbling and consistently challenges me to be a better person.

I look down and see that all three are now all asleep at my feet. And for this moment in time I am harmonized with the world, The Golden K, and my girls.

KODA

“Purple”

Day 1 at The Golden K

Kiss face with Kloe

Ready for the ride home to The Golden K

Long Running Story

October 22, 2017

Kali’s new life in America and the mountains is now a long running story.

As most owners of a rescue pet know it’s the pet that usually rescues us and provides us with a more enriched life. So often it is the pet, in my case Kali, who teaches us new ways to love, re-calibrates our priorities, and shows us that the simplest things in life can also be the most rewarding and heartening.

It’s been three and half years since Kali rescued me. I vividly remember the moment her crate was opened and she was released to us at SFO after a 12 hour flight from Taiwan. The bond was instant and was fortified on the drive home and in the ensuing days and weeks.

So while Kali’s adventure is a long running one she herself rarely runs…. or trots, or gallops. Kali is rarely in a hurry to get anywhere except to her food bowl and even then doesn’t run although she does display a remarkable ability to pirouette, bounce, and hop. A main reason for the lack of speed are her hips which, typical of Goldens, are not in great shape. She has dysplasia in one hip and the other, while not diagnosed, is not much better.

So on the rare occasion Kali does “run” it makes me laugh and smile. It’s not the fact that she’s “running” but that it is so darn cute. Because even when Kali is moving fast (for her) it’s not very graceful. If you saw Kali “run” (note the quote marks around the word run and running in the proceeding sentences when referring to Kali) it would not inspire images of racehorses, jack rabbits, or world class athletes. When Kloe runs it might but not Kali. Kali’s motion when moving fast is as much up and down as it is forward. You might say that she runs with her entire body, head to tail, perhaps to compensate for those wonky hips of hers.

Picture a long wavelength and you will get an idea of how Kali runs; it takes a lot of up and down to move forward just a little bit…

Kali’s “running” motion

images-2

There is a gate that leads out of our patio onto the driveway and surrounding land. This is the gate Kali and I usually leave from to go on our walks or across to my office. For Kali walks translate to treats. My office sometimes translates to a bully stick to chew on or at the least a respite from her sister Kloe’s antics and chance to have dad all to herself. There is also an area nearby my office where raccoons and other critters have made a “deposit” the previous night. Much to my chagrin Kali loves to forage for those deposits…

More often than not when we go out the gate Kali begins running with her up and down and up and down motion. As she “runs” she turns back to me with a smile on her face as if to say, “look at me, I’m running – can you believe it?” Or maybe it’s to say, “C’mon, I’ll show you where all the critters pooped last night.” Whatever it is it makes me smile and laugh out loud as Kali reminds me that the simplest things in life can also be the most rewarding and heartening.

And it’s these moments that I am most grateful to have been rescued by my Golden Kali.

A picture of Kali not running…

Golden Kali

Two Years This Weekend

May 30, 2016

Wow – it’s been two years this Memorial weekend that we welcomed Kali to our family with open arms on the Saturday evening of Memorial Day Weekend 2014 We picked up Kali from SFO and drove off into the night to Livemore where she has given us unconditional love and shaped our lives. And for the past three weeks she’s also having a positive and loving impact on the life of her little sister Kloe who joined the pack three weeks ago. Kali has been a wonderful big sister and we are thrilled to see a deep bond developing between Kali and Kloe.

This Memorial Day weekend is a little busier than two years ago. On Friday the moving company loaded 23 years of Livemore into trucks and took it to our new home in the Sierra Nevada Foothills that we call “The Golden K”.

Although we’re quite busy getting unpacked and settled into our new home I had to take a moment to write this brief post to note this anniversary weekend and reflect on how much our Golden Kali has meant to our family. We especially want to thank the volunteers at True Love Dog Rescue here in California and in the volunteers in Taiwan who work tirelessly to save dogs like Kali and bring them to loving homes in the U.S.

Kali watching carefully to make sure her food bin gets unloaded

Enjoying life at the Golden K

Our drive way leading up to The Golden K

FORE!

November 8, 2015

The nine hole golf course that runs along our creek trail has temporarily shut down operations. The course hasn’t been in good shape in forever but it’s always been a good place for kids, seniors, and beginners of all ages to play golf in a casual atmosphere without worry of being too slow or not very good. The course may re-open but for now it is closed down.

Kali and I thought this was a great opportunity to change up our routine and go off course and walk the fairways that parallel the creek trail.

Kali has watched the golfers over the months as we walk along the trail and apparently she has had a greater interest in the game than I was aware of. As we walked onto the fourth hole and passed by the tee box Kali stopped and looked at the yardage sign. She then magically pulled out a driver from thin air. Poof! She sized up the yardage and decided even though she was a lady she could handle the extra 10 yards from the men’s tees and casually walked towards the tee box.

I guess I'll be hitting from the red teas. After all I am a lady...

“I want to be just like dad and hit from the white tees”

Kali is a rule follower So once she spotted the closed sign she began having second thoughts.

Aware now that I was in a magical world where dogs play golf I convinced Kali it would be ok to play the hole and that we wouldn’t get in trouble. After all, who would think that a dog would be playing golf. That’s ridiculous! Anyway, this was more like fetch with graphite sticks…

“I’m a rule follower and maybe we shouldn’t do this dad”

Kali stepped into the tee box gazing down the fairway. A thought bubble appeared over her head: “Grip it and rip it!”. She hits a monster drive about 240 yards down the center of the fairway. Her ball (a “pink lady”) comes to a stop about a hundred feet from the green

We walk the 240 yards to Kali’s ball and since we have the course to ourselves she decides to take a break. She lies down to savor the shot and she’s now getting visions of grandeur. Thought bubble, “a chip and putt and down in three for birdie”!

This game is easy!

As I know all too well after a great shot if one gets too cocky the golf Gods have a way of knocking you down and reminding you that you’re mortal. Golf is a humbling game indeed. Kali stands up, approaches her ball and asks me for her pitching wedge. I realize that an entire set of clubs is now hanging of my shoulder and I’m wearing white overalls. Great! I am now Kali’s daddy-caddy… I hand her the wedge and as Kali addresses the ball another thought bubble appears over her head: “Drop it in from 100 yards for Eagle? No, don’t get greedy. Just get it close for the gimme putt and walk off with the Bird”. Kali swings and shanks her ball into the green side bunker. She looks at me with frustration. The golf Gods snicker. Kali walks to the bunker and shouts out at me orders me, “Sand wedge”…

It turns out, like me, Kali is not very good at getting out of the sand. She takes a hack and the ball shoots straight into the side of the bunker. It’s totally plugged. Uh-oh. Kali growls at the sand and glares at me. Thought bubble: “Don’t say a word”. If I didn’t know better I would have thought I heard a few curse words under those growls. But Kali wouldn’t do that. On the other hand golf has a way of bringing out the worst in casual players like Kali and I…

Dad, I don’t find any humor in your comment ‘Just another day at the beach’.

Kali takes another hack at the ball and it (amazingly) shoots straight up in the air landing on the green with back spin and rolls towards the hole resting about 6 feet from the cup. She’s laying four with a very makeable six foot uphill putt. I think to myself that if this was my first round of golf I’d be very happy with a bogie on this par 4.

Finally on the green. OK, 6 foot uphill with a slight break to the left. I’ve got this.

Kali: “Putter pleeeeeassse”. Thought bubble over my head: “I’m never caddying for her again”.

Kali lines up her putt as the gallery of birds and squirrels watch in anticipation. She addresses the ball, takes a short back stroke and strikes the ball. It rolls gently up the slight uphill and just like she read it the ball breaks ever so slightly to the left. Rolling, rolling, and stopping just 6 inches short of the cup. Kali taps in for double bogie, takes the Pink Lady out of the cup and throws it at the geese assembled near the next tee box. Poor form. And she didn’t even yell “fore”…

So goes the first, and probably last, one hole round of golf for my Golden Kali. Like so many rounds I’ve played it started out great and somewhere along the way went bad.

Kali quickly shook off the bad “round” of golf. I mean literally shook off all the sand that was in her coat from the two hacks out of the bunker. We continued along our walk both knowing that being together on a beautiful day like today was par for the course. And par for our course is just fine for us.

Another beautiful day in a Golden Paradise.

Blazing New Trails

August 16, 2015

The neighborhood was all a twitter as the engines rolled in with sirens and hoses. One after another the engines kept coming and more and more firemen hit the trail.

You know you live in a quiet neighborhood when the biggest event in recent history is five or six fire vehicles pulling onto your street to douse a small fire. But, it could have been a much larger fire – lord knows the elements are prime for a huge blaze – but our guys took care of business quickly and efficiently.

The trail head to Kali’s creek trail begins at the end of the block. After over a year of walking the trail almost daily Kali knows the trail like the back of her paw. Pretty much the same sights, same smells, and same neighbors out for strolls with the dogs, a bike ride or a jog. Hit the trail head, stop for a quick poop (Kali not me), wrap around the golf course, bark -if antagonized – at a couple yap-yap dogs through a fence in a trailside home, on to the duck pond, a quick jaunt past the dog park (past being the operative term here since Kali is not ready to go in yet), and then we head home. It’s our routine.

So it was of some personal interest to Kali and I when we heard the fire engines and saw that they were converging at the trail head from both sides of the creek to address a fire that had started in the brush. One of the fire fighters told me that the fire had been started by someone throwing a flare into the creek. I hate to assume it was kids who did it but boredom in suburbia after two months of summer vacation is the likely circumstance for someone to “see what would happen”.

We’re in the middle of a mini-heat wave and the temps were in the low 100’s yesterday and will remain so for another couple of days. So on top of an already drought-ridden landscape the high temps and moderate winds make anywhere in this area prime for a major fire with little effort on mother nature’s part of any one stupid enough to throw a burning cigarette – of flare – into a wooded area. Fortunately, the fire was put out quickly with minimal impact to the creek and no harm to any of the surrounding homes.

I’ve always been fascinated with fire fighting. When I was five years old I told my mother I wanted to be a fireman. To this day I wish I had gone into that line of work and don’t have a reason or excuse for why I didn’t. When I see news stories about fires this time of year, homes in danger, and acres and acres ablaze I feel compelled to drive to the area to see what I can do to help. “Give me a shovel. Here, I’ll help move that hose….. “. “Stay out of the way old man. If you wanted to be a fire fighter you should have done so years ago when you were in your prime!”. Sigh…. “OK, I’ll just watch from here but let me know if you need anything. I’ve got a real cool dog – you want to meet her later? Maybe she could ride in the engine next to you.”

Gaining access at the trail head

Crews Converging

“Let’s roll boys! We’ve got a fire to put out before the game comes on back at the fire house….”

I guess this is one way to get the water level back up in the creek….

All is well again at the creek

I have few if any regrets in my life but not being a fire fighter may be one. And if I had been I guess I’d be adopting Dalmatians instead of Golden Retrievers, right? NOT! I can guarantee you that If I was a fire fighter my Golden Kali would be riding and smiling along side of me in Engine No. 7 and helping to keep her community safe.