Finally buried Hondo's ashes yesterday.

[Lynda Kamrath]

Hondo, my heart dog, died in 2010.  

[Nancy and Georgia Brown]

wow your place in California looks amazing. And thanks for sharing your story. I can't wait to hear what you think.

We did drive through and stop in Grants Pass. It was beautiful. I think, for me personally, I need to be a little closer to a main city. 

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Nancy, My daughter lived in Eugene and Portland before accepting a job in NC. Maybe she can answer some questions for you. We absolutely loved Portland and envisioned retiring there to be closer to them, but then she moved. NC is too hot for us. 

[Nancy and Georgia Brown]

Thanks Laurie. I would be curious to hear her viewpoints. But I'm at least 5 years away from deciding. Not even convinced on Oregon just yet.

My visit to Eugene was nice. So many things I liked. Might be a tad too hippy small town for me.

I spent days at a time when i was younger on business trips in Portland. I think I could live there. Love some of the older houses. I guess I'm big on the traditional houses. 

I have visited Boulder CO, as I have a good friend living there. I love it. But prices have skyrocketed there in the last few years.

My biggest concern moving to these places is that I don't know anyone. 

My family would probably love me to move back to Ohio. And I do have a lot of friends there. The weather, well I'm pretty spoiled living in the sf bay area and it's a big thing for me to give up.

So I just don't know. And I will wait and ponder.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Megan also lived in Colorado. She gets around. I love all the seasons, so moving back to Michigan was perfect for us. We are closer to family and that has been fun. Megan and Doc miss Oregon so much and talk about it often, but Megan has a great job now, so I expect they will not go back .

[DJ & Chance]

RIP, Hondo. It took me 7 years to finally bury the ashes of my last dog.

[Lynda Kamrath]

About the same for me.  Hondo died in 2010.  You just know when the time is right for that kind of move.

[Carol Vernon]

Lynda, wishing you peace and comfort as you take this "milestone" step with your beloved Hondo.  How was the experience? Do you have a sense of closure?  Something else?

Thank you for sharing the term "heart dog."  I miss my black lab, Kizzie - she was my heart dog.  She died in 2001 just short of 16 years old but so far I have not been able to bring myself to bury her ashes.  

[Lynda Kamrath]

It was fine.  My son had a little "pet cemetery" up on the corner of our property where he used to bury a multitude of animals - hamsters, rats, lizards, birds, anything he felt worthy of a burial.  He went through many in his years of growing up.  I buried Hondo's ashes by a tree in that little pet cemetery.  It was a sense of closure.  I have buried other pet's ashes in other areas, but just had a problem burying Hondo's ashes.  I, however, did not want to transport him to Oregon.  He lived his whole life here, and it was appropriate that he also be buried here.

There are a few animals that deserve the title of heart dog and Hondo was definitely mine.  He was my first doodle and I have had several since then, but none compare to him in my mind.  Do you have other dogs now?  We currently have three dogs and they keep us busy, especially the puppy.  She is getting spayed next week and hopefully is through growing.  She will fill out some more, but hopefully her bone growth is finished.  Remember Kizzie, but hopefully open your heart to new pets.  They are definitely a joy in your life.

[Carol Vernon]

Lynda, thanks for sharing more about how it went.  After my Kizzie died, we rescued two dogs, Peaches (a collie mix) and Sir Thomas Lynley (a Jindo).  Peachy died just before she turned 15 and Tommy just turned 16 last month.  That is very old for a 50-lb. dog!  We got Dash as an 8-week old puppy at the end of Sept.  I've always had dogs.  They bring so much joy to our lives!  

I bet 3 dogs (including 1 puppy) DO keep you pretty busy!  Is your pup six months old now?  Hope the spaying goes smoothly...  

[Lynda Kamrath]

She will be six months this month.  She is darling, but feisty, intelligent, inquisitive, stubborn, and sneaky.  She is so tall that her nose just scans the counter tops and the table and when we are not supervising, she grabs whatever she wants.  A couple of days ago, she also grabbed some bread off the BBQ.  Everything has to be behind closed doors or up high.  I'm sure the spaying will go fine, but we have always had male dogs just because it is so much easier to neuter than spay.  Here are my three hulligans in their normal morning pose.

[Carol Vernon]

LOVE this photo!  They all look adorable - so fluffy, so cute.  What are their names?  Your pup is a handful - she sounds like my mini-Aussiedoodle (except Dash is nowhere near countertop height)!  

Do your dogs shed?  Also, do you worry about their nails tearing your leather sofa?  Or is this a non-issue?  Dash's nails are like tiny razors....  Our leather sofa is blocked off right now but after the destructive behavior is over, I'd like to give her access.  

[Lynda Kamrath]

Zeppo is the white Jackapoo, Harpo is the brown Australian labradoodle, and Chica is the black and white sheepadoodle.  We also had Groucho, but he died in 2014.  Do you see a theme going here?

No, none of these dogs shed.  We have all leather furniture in the house and in our cars because it is easy to clean.  We have had no problems with tearing.  Our dogs have access to the whole house, which is a bit of a problem with Chica.  She has started taking books off the shelves and tearing them up, along with newspapers and magazines.  She needs constant supervision.  It will be nice when she outgrows this puppy stage.