Meet Sailor!

This is Kai's new puppy!  She came to us from a fabulous rescue organization called The Potcake Place.  www.potcakeplace.com  Located in the islands of Turks and Caicos, this amazing organization rescues island dogs, places them in foster homes, and then waits for a charitable tourist who is going the direction of the dog's future home to volunteer to be a courier for the pooch, and then they bring them to you!  Your total cost?  $100.00.

The breed, if you will, are called "Potcakes".  They are called this because they are usually fed what is left in the bottom of the local's pots after cooking their food, and it's usually a cake-like substance.  They are extremely healthy, very friendly, mellow, intelligent, shed very little, need very little exercise, aren't picky about their food, and are very attached to their humans.  Basically, the perfect dog.  Below are two pics.  One is of the puppy herself and the other is of Thanksgiving morning, when Kai got to meet her for the first time.  There was no courier going to Oregon, or any nearby airport, but there was one going to Las Vegas, where my brother happens to live.  He picked her up, held on to her for a week, and then brought her with him when he came to visit us for Thanksgiving.  You want to see what grateful looks like?  Just look at this little boy's face!  Happy Thanksgiving, indeed.  Enjoy.

Happy Halloween!

Phew!  Halloween 2010 is over and I feel like I need a great big nap.  Between decorating, pumpkin carving, costume gathering, parades, and trick-or-treating, I feel like it's been a marathon of festivities, but all very much worth it.  All you have to do is see the smiles below and you'll know what I mean....

First, the house.  Yes, we live in a pink house that we affectionately call, "Frankenberry."

Ian, the dragon.

Eli, the cowboy.

Kai, the astronaut.

The cast of characters, 2010.

Even Rupert got in on the action!  C'mon -- bowlegged, with an underbite and a crazy snaggletooth?  A pirate was the obvious choice!  Aarrgh mateys!

Kai and Sam, besties 4 ever.

The Ashland Halloween parade (about 1/100th of it!)  Halloween is THE big deal in our town every year.  We estimated that at least 15,000 people turned out for the parade and festivities, and 98% of them were in costume, kids in tow or not.  We live in an awesome place.

And who led the parade?  Jack Skellington on stilts, of course!  I want everyone to please make note of the fellow with his back to the camera in the bottom right corner of the photo.  This is Dr. Pete, our across-the-street neighbor.  I had to laugh because next to him is his 6 year-old son, dressed as Chewbacca, and Dr. Pete went as Han Solo.  But the reason I draw your attention to this otherwise not-incredibly-interesting detail, is that I want you to look closely at the weapon in Han's belt loop.  Yep, that's a potato ricer, or as he put it, his non-violent weapon of choice!  I love this town.

More parade fun.  We were standing right in front of a Starbucks to watch the parade.  When I went inside to get a coffee, I was served by a lovely male barista, dressed to the nines in a naughty-gay-pleather policeman costume, complete with a tutu!  Extra hot, indeed.