8 Months of Buckwheat

Eight months ago today, Buckwheat came into our lives.  At the adoption center he was the only dog not kept in a pen or kennel.  After scanning the room, I found him quietly curled up at the feet of a volunteer.  We spent an hour or so with him--we walked him, sat with him, talked to him and peered into his eyes.  It was clear he was a very sweet dog and after filling out a couple forms, he was ours to take home.

Buckwheat was sweet from the get-go but he is also many other things.  He is proud, spunky, playful, loyal, adventurous, strong, fast, adaptable, patient and curious.  With a few exceptions, he tends to be shy around new people but once you get to know him, he's a total love bug.  He is a medium sized dog (although on the smaller side of medium) but he definitely thinks he is a lap dog--sit down on the floor and he'll burrow into your lap; sit down at a chair at a table and he'll join you there, too (if you let him)! 

In the past eight months we've learned many of Buckwheat's interests, as well as some of his dislikes.  His interests include playing chase, having his belly rubbed, going on long hikes, sleeping in comfortable beds, curling up in orange chairs, sticking his head out of car windows, taking elevators, riding (and running after) sleds, wearing sweaters (okay, he might just be a good sport about that one),  hanging out at the dog park, going on camping trips, standing over gopher holes and taking in the world through his nose ...  He also likes food.  Like a lot.  It might be his favorite thing in the world.  He is a very adventurous eater (he'll eat anything he finds on the sidewalk!).

Buckwheat's dislikes include fast bicycles, large dogs he cannot sniff, vacuum cleaners, hair dryers, car rides over 20 hours, swimming, getting caught in the rain and just getting wet in general (baths? no thanks!).  He is still unsure about cats (especially his "uncle" Max), yippy chihuahuas, toys and lettuce (I mean he'll eat it, if it's the only thing that happens to fall on the floor but give him a sandwich and he'll eat everything BUT the leaf of lettuce). 

Not a day goes by that Buckwheat doesn't make us laugh.  The last eight months with him have just been so much fun.  Life before was good, but life with Buckwheat is a whole lot better!

Below are nine iPhone photos of Mr. Buckwheat (one from each month he's been in our life, June through February):

Buckwheat on his adoption day (June 2012).

Buckwheat asking for a belly rub (July 2012).

Buckwheat on a hike in Mazama (August 2012).

Buckwheat at the beach (September 2012).

Buckwheat cuddling with C (October 2012).

Buckwheat after a rainy walk (November 2012).

Buckwheat running in snow country (December 2012).

Buckwheat on a walk in Pogonip (January 2013).

Buckwheat, bright eyed after a trip to the groomer (February 2013).

We love you, Buckwheat.  You've made the last eight months so very good. Thank you for making us a little family of three.

Sweet Valentine's

Yesterday evening we had friends over to decorate Valentine's cookies--hearts and lips and other sweet nothings.  This is an activity I've picked up from one of my best friends.  Every Christmas and Valentine's Day her family bakes a crazy amount of sugar (and at Christmas, gingerbread) cookies to give out to neighbors, family and friends.  In high school, I remember sitting around their kitchen table and talking while painting plaid shirts on gingerbread men or etching lacy borders around hearts.  Each cookie was hand decorated . . . and some of them turned out a bit messy . . . But the decorating was always fun and the cookies turned out delicious (regardless of our icing talents). 

Since college, I've taken to baking the occasional batch of sugar cookies solely for the pleasure of decorating them.  Below are some photos from my latest cookie baking and decorating adventure.  I made a batch and a half of these cookies.  It was kind of a lot of cookies.  Fortunately, we had several friends to help us decorate them.

The dough.

Cookies and conversation

School Pride.

Hearts and Dragons?

Sugar Cookies in Technicolor.

Made from: sugar, butter, food coloring and love.

The color photos were taken this morning (from a selection of cookies left at our place).  I'm told most of the cookies have already been eaten . . . I hope everyone has a super sweet Valentine's Day!

xo.
Ally

Holga Roll 6

I started this roll in Winthrop and finished it in Santa Cruz.  It's my first roll of Kodak Porta 400 (a stocking stuffer from C).  I can already tell this film has character--it brings something to a photo that my Fugi film just didn't.  Most of these frames weren't shot in very ideal lighting conditions (i.e. it was overcast out or nearly dusk) so I'm excited to see what this film can do on a bright, sunny, Santa Cruz day. 

Until then though, here is a selection of photos from my sixth roll of film taken on my Holga:

Frame 1 - The Methow River

Frames 4 and 5 - Gates and Fences

Frames 9 and 2 - Portraits on Skis

Frame 7 - The Beginnings of Blue Skies

Frame 10 - Clock Tower from Mission

Frame 12 - Winter Leaves

Frame 12 is my favorite.  A couple of days after I took this photo, all of the branches were lopped off of the trees overhead.  Less of a mess, I guess.  This sequence of events may have colored my perception of the photo a bit.  Now it's not just a photo of leaves to me--it's a reminder of the days when the sidewalk was covered in rainbows (and the trees didn't look so sad). 

Series: the Puget Sound, Whidbey Island

Below is a series of photos from a December morning up on Whidbey Island:

Goodbye 2012, Hello 2013 (A Belated Post)

Recently each year that passes has felt monumental to me in one way or another.  In 2008 I graduated from college.  In 2009 I climbed my first mountain (Mount Adams) and ran my first half marathon.  In 2010 I got engaged, climbed an even bigger mountain (Mount Rainier) and moved to Santa Cruz.  In 2011, I ran a whole marathon (the Big Sur International Marathon) and got married . . .

2012 was the first year in awhile that wasn't about taking on some big, new challenge.  This last year I didn't run any races or climb any mountains.  Looking back though, I see that it turned out to be a year about little changes--a year of daily commitments and small goals.  In some ways, it was a year of settling; but settling in a good way.  It was a year of feeling more comfortable (even as I made myself uncomfortable). 

Here are some highlights from 2012 via a series of lists:

In 2012 I started this blog, took three classes, finished my yearlong daily photography project and began playing with film again; I made a down payment on a home, adopted a dog, started walking to work, sold my car and purchased a new camera; I floated a river with friends, went alpine rock climbing with my father-in-law, hiked over Cutthroat pass with my husband and summitted a (small) peak with our dog;  I had an encounter with a mountain goat, marveled at a fox's tail as it disappeared from view, drove around a bobcat and ran past bunnies; I visited the dentist for the first time since college and spent one last weekend at my childhood home; I celebrated our first year of marriage, witnessed two spectacular meteor showers from the middle of nowhere, read all three Hunger Game Trilogy books over the course of three days, attended five great concerts, tried eight (or more) new local restaurants, saw 14 (or more) movies in theaters, logged 715 miles running (despite two injuries) and spent at least 178 hours (intentionally) sweating; this last year, I flossed more, cut myself some slack, made less excuses and pushed myself harder (and in different directions).

2012 certainly wasn't perfect--at times it was downright messy.  It wasn't a year that could be measured out in 26.2 miles or 14,409 feet, but it felt bigger than most. It was a year of small, dogged, almost imperceptible shifts.  It's only now, looking back, that I see how all the small change added up.  

Below are a few photos to mark the end of 2012 and the beginning of 2013.  

Good bye, 2012

You were a pretty great year.

Hello, 2013!

. . . I've got plans for you!

We're only a month in, but 2013 already feels like it's off to a good start.  I've got over 100 miles on my legs, a new library card and a planner (that I'm actually using).  I might run the Santa Cruz Half in April and I'm planning to hike around a mountain later this year.  I don't really know what else 2013 has in store for me, but I've got a few plans, and a whole lot of ideas, and I'm excited to find out!