The Nose Knows

Wordless Wednesday - Rut Roh... Edition

Wordless Wednesday - Teaching Charlie to De-bone a Salmon Edition

Charlie and the Conehead Kitty

Pouncer, the kitty, had some minor surgery yesterday and will be a conehead cat for about a week. She doesn't have the hang of it yet and keeps sideswiping walls and furniture with a bang!

Charlie was initially terrified of "Robo-cat", but has begun to recognize the advantages of a kitty that can't easily scoot into tight places.





They're good friends, and we're watching to make sure that Pouncer gets enough rest and recovery time, but they're also pretty funny together!

 

Pack Animal

Charlie is very sensitive to heat, and so we work hard to keep him well-hydrated. When we go hiking, I load up on water for us both, but it's heavy! So I was thrilled to find this RuffWear pack on sale for half-price at REI. It has 2 compartments with removable water bottles and a couple of additional small pockets.



Now Charlie can carry some of his own water and snacks. And with the convenient handle, I can help lift my Charlie "suitcase" over rough spots if need be.

 

Charlie's Big Week

Last week, Charlie's Aunt Karen (Sophie's mom) came to visit. I know it was bittersweet for her, having lost Sophie this spring and Charlie being so much like Sophie, but I also know it was fun!

Charlie says hello
Whenever possible, we took Charlie, and he had a blast. We went to brewpubs...

Lunch at Hedge House
... and to waterfalls:

Multnomah Falls
We went up Mt. Hood...

At Timberline Lodge
... and out to the gorge to buy salmon from the Indians:

Only steelhead today
Charlie met new dogs...


... and new people:



By the end of each day, he was pooped...

Headed home
... but by the next day, he was ready to go again!

"Let's go!"
Hope you had a good week too!

 

Wordless Wednesday - Footsie

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday - Why There's a ! in Charlie! Edition

Wordless Wednesday - You Can't Turn Your Back for a Minute Around Here!

Lucky Golden

The weather has, at LAST, turned dry and warmer here. So this week, Charlie got to come along on an errand run. First up was an errand on Hayden Island in the Columbia River, where we took a break to look at the boats, admire the flowers, and sit in the shade.


Then back across the river to pick up mail for a friend who's traveling. There we took some time to walk along the levee and discovered "the Cat".




After all that hard work, it was time to kick back and just enjoy! So we headed back into town for lunch at the Lucky Lab.

The Lab is a Portland institution, where pooches and their people can sit outside together, enjoy some food and a brew, and meet and greet other patrons. We met some new pups, Sophie and Jackson, and Charlie scored lots of pats and treats.





It was a perfect day -- we "did some business" ;) and had some good fun, too!

 

Wordless Wednesday

Strawberry Season!

Here in Portland, we look forward to Oregon's strawberry season. It only lasts a few weeks and the berries are small and too fragile to ship, but they are so delicious!

Burgerville (the Northwest's "fresh, local, sustainable" fast-food alternative) runs a seasonal special on strawberry shortcake every June. It's our first taste of the local berries, and even Charlie gets in on the action!

A bite for Charlie

Another bite for Charlie

"Hey, give the spoon back!"

Licking it clean