Here is my baby girl, Xena Gabrielle! She was born on January 26, 2018. A co-worker of mine told me that his dog gave birth to a litter of puppies. A few weeks later he said that he was able to sell all of the puppies except for one. He then said that he was going to surrender the puppy to the Humane Society. I was heartbroken. I already had my beagle, Scooter. I wasn't sure if I was ready for another dog, but I couldn't imagine a puppy going to the HS. I told the guy that I would take her and in March 2018 Xena came home.
Xena is half St. Bernard, half Great Pyrenes. She is definitely one of those big dogs who doesn't realize that she's a big dog. She has no perception of space. Her eyes get me all the time. She always looks sad, until she starts to pant or bark. Xena is such an easy dog to take care of. She loves to lounge around all day. She's super independent! She will let you know when she wants some cuddles or attention. Most of the time she likes to be left alone.
When Xena came home, she was the new little sister to my beagle, Scooter. Scooter was already 7 years old and was used to being the only dog. Xena changed all that and would always want to play with Scooter. Scooter went from being curious, to playful, and then it was clear that Scooter was down right annoyed by Xena...LOL. As a puppy, Xena loved to play and Scooter wasn't always up for it. Fast forward to 2022 and the roles were now reversed. Xena is the big sister to our Treeing Walker Coonhound, Xola. More to come on their relationship in a different post.....
Did you grow up watching the movie "The Goonies?" This movie was one that I watched multiple times as a kid. It was one of those movies where my siblings and I would put in the VHS tape (yes, I'm from that era) every Saturday after the morning cartoons. I took this picture when I was on a trip with my family. It was my mom's birthday, and we planned a weekend getaway to Long Beach, WA. The house is in a neighboring city, Astoria, OR. The house is open to the public, but the previous owners were not as welcoming. The house is perched on a hill and there is no parking. You have to park at the bottom of the hill and walk up to the house. There were a few people there that the day taking pictures.
One of the things I love to do is exploring what's around me. It's probably because of my Navy days, but I've always tried to visit my own "backyard." You don't need to spend crazy money to go thousands of miles to make memories. Explore what's in your town, city, or state!
After three years of hard work, I am finally a college graduate! A few years before I retired from the Navy in 2020, my plan was that when I retired, I would attend college as a full-time student. I have always wanted to be a college graduate for two reasons. The first reason was a personal goal of mine. Education is important to me, and I wanted to see how my personal experiences as an older student would translate into the college experience. The second reason why I wanted a college degree was to be a role model to my nieces and nephews. I wanted to show them that no matter what point in life you are at, it's never too late to learn.
I'm so ready for football season!! The Seahawks are playing the Whiners this year on Thanksgiving Day in Seattle!!! I'm serious...
