backyard makeover

Last summer when we first got Dash, our former roommate and Papa spent a day doing a massive backyard cleanup.  Unfortunately, their efforts were short lived as within a few months all of the nasty weeds grew back.  We told ourselves we'd try again in the spring...  but lucky for us our wonderful landlords were busy this winter.  TA DA!  Our new backyard!

It's beautiful.  They worked really hard, even through the cold, fog, and rain, to give us (and our ever rotating neighbors) a nicer place to call home.  I especially love the little touches, like the solar lanterns which make it easy for us to take Dash out at night.

Other small touches that make me smile every time I go outside are the adorable figurines on the roof of the brand new gazebo and cement patio area.  The one on the top left is a little dog with a "welcome" bone in his jaws.  So cute.  Oh, and did I mention the brand new fence with trim that they invested in too?  That used to be a wide open space to the adjacent yard.  Now the ugly, weed filled space next door is out of sight, out of mind.

Our mini Aussie certainly gives the new backyard his official stamp of approval!

our dog walker

Although we've had a dog walker for a couple of months now, tax season at work has kept me from singing his praises until now.  We found Mark Sedgwick of Walkabout Critter Care through an ad he posted at our vet's office.  As I've said in a previous post, there aren't many dog walkers who take clients in the outer Richmond area where we live (which I think is totally lame).  We were very lucky to come across Mark's card and to hear he was still expanding his pack.

Since I was super busy with work on the weekends, Papa and our roommate interviewed Mark and went through the initial introductions with Dash.  From what I heard the meeting went really well and Mark seemed like a great guy.  I was also pleased to hear his test walk with our mini Aussie puppy wasn't a complete bomb.  He said Dash had a great spirit and that he'd love to work with him more before bringing him into the pack.

I think he ended up taking Dash on two more private Saturday walks to strengthen the bond between them and figure out which treats Dash liked best.  I don't know how Mark did it, but he figured out that bribing our mini Aussie puppy with cooked chicken quelled his wandering (aka spazzy) dog park behavior.  I'm told Dash has better recall by using the treats, and is learning to follow the pack with Mark as his leader.

We currently have the little monster signed up for 2-3 hour adventures to Fort Funston on Tuesdays and Thursdays at $25 a pop.  Mark comes to our house, picks Dash up, takes him out, and drops him off without a trace.  I wish we could afford to send him more days of the week, but for now with the wedding budget this is a comfortable schedule for us.  Sometimes I wonder what they do out there, but for the most part Dash seems more relaxed on those days, and it definitely gives him 2-3 fewer hours at home to destroy the house!

I still haven't met him yet, but Mark Sedgwick has become like our guardian angel in a way.  He swoops in when no one is home and takes Dash out to release some of that never ending energy!!  I'm sure he's saved at least one thing from being chewed to death... and I get to come home to a (relatively) calmer puppy!

rain ready

There came a point earlier this winter when it seemed like every single dog in San Francisco started wearing a raincoat.  I'm not even exaggerating when I say almost EVERY dog was dressed for inclement weather.  So, of course Dash needed to step up to the occasion.  We made a quick run to Osso & Co and found this adorable red raincoat:

 Dare I say, he looks dashing???

christmas 2009

It seems like I'm almost caught up with posting old photos of Dash from life "pre-blog".  So, this seemed like an appropriate moment to document our Christmas weekend 2009...

This year, Papa Dash and I wanted to get off the grid and spend some quiet time together.  No cell phones, internet, or even TV.  Just the simple life. Luckily, our Aunty and Uncle in Davenport just bought a gorgeous new property and allowed us to stay for the weekend while they were vacationing in the Caribbean.

It was a really secluded piece of land in the Santa Cruz mountains with a huge backyard, a charming rustic house, and sounds from the waves drifting up from the ocean views.  Within seconds of arriving, Papa Dash and I decided we should volunteer to become the housekeeper and groundskeeper so we could live there forever.  (Or at least wish that were reasonably possible!)

I mean, check out this backyard!  And this doesn't even showcase the grove of pine trees surrounding the whole property or the wide sweeping connection to the adjacent properties.  Dash was in heaven.  Watching him run with such a carefree attitude made it very apparent that we need to move somewhere with a backyard.  ASAP.

Dash seriously payed fetch for hours and hours and hours.  He did, however, take a break when we opened his Christmas present from Koa and Lehua, our Aunty and Uncle's lab and cat.  It was an adorable orange fish that made bubble sounds.  Dash is very infatuated with every new toy he receives, so "Fishy" has become his new fling of the month.

Overall, Christmas weekend was exactly what I had hoped for.  Peace.  Joy.  And Quiet!!!  Living like that for the weekend made me seriously rethink whether being in San Francisco is the best lifestyle for us.  Perhaps we should move off the grid permanently and live a simpler life...

I'm sure Dash would greatly appreciate the additional beach time so he can work on his perpetual hole to China!

need dog walker

Most days I'm not the first to get off work, so I'm usually saved from the horrors of coming home to our mini Aussie puppy and his "art projects".  At first we told ourselves it was just because of teething.  Now we're not sure when it will ever end!

Papa Dash has cleaned countless torn pee pads, chewed wires and shoes, broken wicker baskets, disheveled pillows, tattered DVD folders, dissected tissue boxes, mangled game controllers, shredded paper bags, gnawed furniture...  Even an unpopped bag of popcorn.  You think it, and Dash has probably chewed it up.  I realize in writing this it sounds like we're very irresponsible puppy parents who shouldn't give their unsupervised canine access to such things.  Nonetheless, it will blow your mind to know what this puppy is capable of in terms of ingenuity and physical agility!

We've been looking for a dog walker on and off for some time now, since we can't afford to send Dash to doggy day care.  Our rationale is that going out for a couple of hours to play will help burn off energy and stimulate Dash's mind, so that he no longer resorts to chewing.  There are also several great off-leash places where he could romp to his heart's desire and be nice and mellow when we come home from work.

At first we figured in a city like this, where there is the highest number of dogs per capita in the nation, finding a dog walker would be cake.  But, the crazy thing is that in San Francisco, where the entire city is about 8 miles by 8 miles, there are NO established dog walkers in our area!!  Our apartment is apparently too far into suburbia (or the avenues as the locals call it).  No in-demand professionals venture out here, since there is a higher concentration of wealthy people and penned up dogs to be had in the more metropolitan neighborhoods.

Until we find someone trustworthy and competent enough to handle spry little Dash, our daily surprises like this one will continue.  I used to keep a potted house plant on the side table next to the couch.  BADDD idea.  Papa Dash had a wonderful time cleaning this one up!  He was so (not) amused that he took a photo just to show me how hard he worked to get it clean by the time I came home.

So the search continues...  Perhaps the new year will bring new luck in the dog walker department!  Either that, or our living room will soon become void of anything even remotely chewable...

golden gate bridge

Since we moved from Hawaii to San Francisco, Papa Dash and I have tried our best to make the most of our Bay Area experience.  One of the things we've always been meaning to do was walk across the Golden Gate Bridge.  I often laugh to myself at all the crazy tourists trying to get their Golden Gate Bridge experience despite the frequent cold, wind and fog.  But, that's exactly what we're trying to avoid!  Becoming complacent and taking our beautiful city for granted!

So one fine August afternoon Papa Dash and I decided to finally take the journey across the bridge.  I'll spare you all the scenic shots, but basically it was warm, sunny, and just awesome.  Now I understand why all the tourists flock to this landmark.  When you stare up at the towers and all the wires, it's incredible to think that mortal men built this wonder, and people all around the world recognize these bright red arches.  Even Dash enjoyed it (probably from all the oohs and ahhs he got from the passersby).

The one really interesting thing I learned that day: more people have committed suicide at the Golden Gate Bridge than anywhere else in the country.  There are even crisis phones lining the walkway as a last resource.  To understand more fully, Papa Dash and I rented "The Bridge", a tragic documentary by Eric Steel.  Sadness and disbelief - that's all I can say.  It's hard to think such an iconic and monumental structure could also be a beacon for so many lost souls...

can i pet your dog?

It wasn't until we got Dash that I fully realized how annoying it can be when you're trying to have lunch outside a cafe and 20 people stop to ask, "Can I pet your dog?"  I was totally one of those people before Dash. There could be a dog three blocks away lying under a table and I would walk all the way over to compliment them and ask to pet their cute dog. Never again.

My friends have told me I should be appreciative people think so highly of my adorable puppy that they gravitate towards our table to smother him with affection.  If people would just pet Dash and ask one question that might be fine.  But they ALWAYS ask the exact same laundry list of questions.  At one point we almost had a shirt made up so Dash could just wear the answers on his back.  Yes he's cute, but sometimes I just want to eat my meal in peace.

Plus, I think Dash is getting a little big-headed.  Now when someone doesn't stop to fawn over him he turns around as they walk by, almost as if saying, "Hey!  Not even a glance?  But I'm the cutest puppy you've ever seen!  Sheesh."

backyard cleanup

Aside from the fact that our landlords are dog lovers, a huge plus in renting our apartment was the large, shared backyard. When we took the open house tour, Papa Dash, our roommate, and I were excited to see the wide open space behind the apartment building. As a bonus, our available yard was doubled by the fact that our neighbor refused to share the cost of building a fence to separate the properties.
Our landlords highly encouraged us to get out and garden to our heart's desire, so one sunny weekend after getting Dash the three of us made a run to the hardware store to stock up on tools. We had grandiose plans to rip up all the ugly weeds and random plants in the morning, then take a trip to the garden store in the afternoon to pick up ground cover. In our heads, we figured everything would be planted and watered by dark.

Papa Dash and our roommate worked very hard all morning to pull up many layers of stubborn weeds and ridiculous bulb plants. They were so enthusiastic in their work that our first shovel handle was cracked within minutes! When I walked back to Ace Hardware to exchange it, I wisely brought Dash along with me. He quickly wooed the sales associates into allowing us to exchange the broken wooden one for a fiberglass handle, all so we could continue creating his backyard!Then it was back to work. Since the backyard was littered with dangerous objects and fox tails, we kept Dash tied to the fire escape while we cleaned. He wasted no time tangling himself up, and didn't hold back when yelping for help. It was so adorable and annoying all at once. The most impressive part? Once he realized we weren't coming to the rescue, like the bright mini Aussie he is, Dash untangled himself!In the end, our day's mission to cleanup the backyard was a success! Papa Dash and our roommate cleaned out the entire yard behind our building and stuffed four compost bins and one trash bin full of rubbish. They even picked up ground cover, planted it, and started a few rows of vegetables.Our Achilles heel? Maintenance. The little bits of ground cover slowly withered away and died. I'm still not sure if it was lack of water, or poor soil, or both. The other plantings like the tomatoes survived, but as the months have passed the weeds have all grown back.

Dash hasn't even played out there once yet. At first it was because we were waiting for the ground cover to grow in, so we didn't want Dash to trash the seedlings. Then when it became apparent the seedlings were dying, it was because we didn't want him to romp in the dirt. Now it's because the tall weeds have returned and we're afraid of fox tails.

In a way, I feel like I've failed Dash. We have a big backyard none of our neighbors care about. If we fixed it up it would basically be for his exclusive use. There could even be agility equipment set up in time. Oh well. Perhaps in the spring we'll try out our green thumbs again...