Dog Days Of Summer

With the slight crispness in the air, I realize that my 8 weeks off are coming to an end.  My outside writing time and watching my dog Triggs enjoy the hot heat are slowly fading away as "the dog days of summer" are just about over.  Almost everyday this season, I spent time working on my novel in my outdoor office, while my furry baby spent his time chasing bees and sleeping on the outdoor furniture.  I know I'm not the best at discipline, but who can blame me, Triggs, our six year old, German Short Haired Pointer, is so cute when he basks in the sun, making his coat soft like velvet.

Next week when I go back to teaching teenagers the value of writing and reading, Triggs will spend his days sleeping (all day) in or on his various favourite locations in the house.  You may find him snuggled on the couch, in his crate, or on one of his three dog beds.  Yes I said 3 dog beds.  So, when someone says "it is a dog's life" they were right.  Especially if the dog has a life like Triggs.  Over the past two years, Triggs has become a major part of our lives, and ultimately our 'baby'.  Just as people can gush about their wee ones, I can talk about Triggs all day and tell you all sorts of "cute" stories, but I won't.  Well not today :)  But I will tell you about how Triggs bounded into our lives and turned it upside down.

We adopted Triggs from a rescue organization based in North Vancouver called Dogwood Rescue Society. Check them out http://www.dogwoodrescue.org or follow them on Twitter: @DogwoodRescueSociety.  I will go into more detail about this amazing organization and our adoption experience in a future post, and explain why rescued dogs are the best.

Anyways, we met Triggs on a dark Feb evening.  He had just been rescued from a kill shelter in Utah and just arrived in town.  He bounded through our front door, with his foster mom, and sniffed everything. When I knelt down beside him he literally sat on my lap.  This overweight, GSP looked me in the eyes and I knew I loved him.  Being overweight and having kennel scars on his legs (they are still there today), we knew he wasn't an important member of a family and we knew we could make him a VIFB (very important furry baby) in ours.  The night we actually got to take this anxious dog home, was the night of the opening ceremonies for the 2010 Winter Olympics.  I remember taking turns with Scott, laying beside Triggs on his dog bed, trying to make him feel at ease.  After hours we gave up and sat on the couch, and that is when Triggs invited himself up with us and peacefully layed on top of Scott and I.  If we stopped him right away, I'm sure he wouldn't have become a lap dog.  But I have admit I enjoy his warm body next to mine on the couch.

Over the next last two years, with many warmed hearted moments and some challenging times, he has more than settled in.  He is well pampered and spoiled.  With comfortable places to rest his head, and a huge backyard to explore, he is living "the dog dream".  He has many adventures in the trails and fields behind out house, as Scott and I take him out once or twice a day for exercise.  He comes along with us to the lake, where he learned how to swim last year.  This year he will go hunting with Scott as his is a natural hunter.

So there you have it.  I may not have a human baby to brag about, but I sure do love to brag about my furry baby.  And I know there are some of you who share the same feelings as I do about your pet, even with kids in tow.  So tell me about it.

Living In a Little Piece of Heaven

Just as the warm cedar air descends through the late afternoon, so does the cacophonous hustle and bustle of my fair neighbourhood of BW (Brookswood).  If you are unfamiliar with this suburban area, the best way to describe would be a well established community, filled with 1970's houses on large lots, lined with towering pines, firs and cedars.  It reminds me of North Vancouver but less polished.  On any given weekend, especially when the weather is sunny, the inhabitants of BW are busy landscaping, accomplishing renovations, washing trucks and walking their dogs with their families.  Another normal sight is neighbours helping one another out.  For instance, last winter when we actually had snow, a neighbour plowed the street with his truck.  And next weekend, Scott and our best friends, who happen to be our neighbours, are going to put on a new roof.  From taking off dead limps from trees to putting down sod the residents here work hard.  However, once the day falls away to dusk, we all play harder.

When we first moved in four summers ago we didn't know how fortunate we were to live in this neighbourhood, not to mention in this exact location.  We quickly found out about our awesome peeps that live next door and just behind us, in what we call the "inner circle".  They came to our house warming party and were literally the last to leave. I thought to myself they know how to have fun.  And after getting to know each other it was very apparent that the six of us, or crew, knew exactly how to have fun every week.  It has become the norm for all of us to hang out almost every weekend, either Friday or Saturday, sitting in the hot tub or by the camp fire, until the wee hours of the morning.  We do this so often that we built a gate between the fences so our yards are connected.  Most people find it strange or odd that we are so close with our neighbours, especially since there is a little age gap.  But for us, we don't see it.  It has never been an issue.  All that matters to us is that we have great laughs and experience all that comes along with life together. Together, we have rallied for one another when one of us needs some extra support.  Our peeps were the ones to stick close by to us when Scott had his surgery earlier this year.  They brought food, came for visits and even mowed our lawn.  And over the years, Scott and I have returned the love and support to all of them. Spending time together is easy and spontaneous, since their teenagers are almost self sufficient, so they don't need to find sitters in order to go out.  This bods well for Scott and I as the rest of our social circle is filled with couples with babies and toddlers, and it is so difficult to get a night out without the kids in tow.

So last night around the camp fire we all fantasied about winning the big lottery.  And I kept thinking what if we did win?  Would we all stay in BW or move to newer, larger homes?  I have to say, I hope we either find three houses in a row for sale, or just continue living here, with upgrades.  I can't imagine what will happen when one of us decides to move away.  It will be the end of era that's for sure.  Scott and I have no plans on ever leaving BW, but our friends here have teenagers, and eventually they will be empty- nesters, which could mean they may down size.  But with the rate of kids living at home until their late twenties is on the rise, we may luck out :)

So in honour of BW, we are having a big "Deep Fry" and then attending the block party down the way tonight.  It should be a blast!

What is great about your neighbourhood?  Tell me, I'd love to hear about it.

Did You Hear The Waves Crash On Our Wedding Day

I figured for my first post I'd tell you the story of how I met my husband Scott and how we got married in July.

It all started in Oct 2008, when my sister invited me to a Halloween party at her house.  Dressed as a pirate I was ready for an adventurous evening.  Little did I know I'd meet my 'prince', or should I say 'mechanic' as that was Scott's costume.  Long story short, we spent the whole night talking and hit it off.  However, due to phone issues and his crazy work schedule, I didn't hear from Scott until three weeks later.  And when I did, I was anxious to see him again.  Our first date was average to say the least, but our second date, or as we refer to it "The Epic Date", sealed the deal for me.  We spent over 12 hours together and by the end I knew I didn't want to let him get away.  He was funny, interesting and just genuinely a great person.  I quickly realized that he was the type of man I'd been looking for; one who could take charge of a situation and never back down from a challenge.  He works hard and embodies strong characteristics, like loyalty, integrity, and ambition.  A real lust for life so to speak.

Time flew by quickly.  In that time we got down to discussing the "Big" questions, as we both didn't want to waste time with one another if we didn't agree on the big 3: Kids, Money, Lifestyle.  We had both been married before, and now knew exactly what we wanted in a partner and a relationship.  I was elated to find out that Scott agreed with me about living the good life in a little house, in a good neighbourhood, without kids.  We both want to travel and focus our energies on our careers and with one another, and not be distracted by children.  I had figured if I really wanted them I would have that burning desire you should have when you have children.  It wasn't in me.  Scott agreed that although it's nice to see kids from time to time, we didn't need any of our own.

It didn't take long before we got engaged, Spring of 2011 in Sechelt BC.  And from our previous experiences with weddings we both knew we did not want the large family wedding, where most time the 'wants' of the couple gets pushed aside by the 'wants' of the families.  We elected to have a dream destination adult only wedding, inviting our friends and family to come along with us.  After careful deliberation we chose a beach wedding in Jamaica as the perfect place to tie the knot.  However, majority of our friends or family members were unable to make a commitment to attend for various understandable reasons, so we had to cancel that version.

Both Scott and I were extremely disappointed, but we got over it and decided to elope.  Not being overly keen on getting married completely alone, we opted to do it our way, and invited six of our closest friends to help celebrate our special day with us in Halfmoon Bay BC, at the Rockwater Secretcove Resort.

I can still hear the waves crashing on the shore below from our tent -house suite deck, where Scott and I exchanged personal vows to one another.  The intimate ceremony was magical as I felt truly blessed to have our friends surround us with their love and support for Scott and I.  We actually pulled off a breathtaking, stress free wedding, with no family drama.  We had our destination dream wedding, just a bit different than we expected.  Isn't that always the way in life?  It never really is what you expect, but the reality sometimes surpasses the dream.

Tell me about your wedding experience.  Would you do it again the same way or try something different?