The Three Chis

Spring has sprung and I am loving every minute of it.  The days are so long and the end result is that I am often getting to have two walks a day!  Yes, TWO.  And we are so lucky where we live.  There is the Marsh, Seaport and Pulgas Ridge. 

Things are back to "normal" at our house.  We are foster-free right now and no one is here for dog sitting visits either.  We are three!  I am not used to having the house to ourselves. 

I really want to do a blog about fostering and where the six pups that we have loved are now.  I will work on this during the week.

For now, I just want to remind you to look for me on TWITTER.  I am @littlemingo.  I have lots of friends including Kirstie Alley and The Ellen Show.  I actually have 650 twitter friends. 

Watch for the Foster Dog Blog! 

How is it already March? And yes, it is offically SPRING!  I am happy to have the long sunny days, I just don't know where the short, cold, rainy days went. 

It's been a busy time for us....We have had five dogs living in our home for the past three weeks.

Zoe came back and was here with us as her adoptive family took the time to think seriously about the lifetime committment of a pet and especially a pet with special needs.  And the right decision was made...Zoe went home with Les & Kathy just yesterday.  I will miss her.  We started playing just a few days ago.  It took Zoe a long time to figure it out but once she did, she was a play machine.  She'd wake us up late at night, early in the morning and all throughout the day to play!  I know Zoe will be back...in fact, she will be here with us in May for a week.  Hope she still likes playing!

And Nikko.  Talk about a lucky, lucky dog.  It was a cold RAINY Friday and both Tim & Kate were home in the middle of the day.  Not a common occurrence.  Kate saw an urgent ad on Craigslist about a dog who was scheduled to be euthanized at 2pm and it was already 2:04pm.  A quick email and an even faster return call and it was off to Martinez on a wet Friday afternoon during rush hour traffic.  But it was meant to be.  Nikko is a sweet & lovable dog who was happy from the moment he settled into Kate's arms.  And today, Nikko became Jake.  He has a new home with Yulia and her little chihuahua Peanut!  We will miss our howling parties with our very own singer Nikko but wow, he is now living in Marin with the nicest of people!

And...so we wouldn't be complete without another foster...before Jake even left, Amanda arrived.  A crazy ball chasing Chihuahua-mix is now crashed out on the sofa with me.  She is full of energy and thinks we could play more but hey, she can run and we can sniff and we can all sun together .  I am betting that Amanda will be here a very, very short time.  She is going to an adoption fair tomorrow and who can resist a girl as pretty and full of fun as Amanda!

So................I will be back.  I will.  But now, my greenie beckons.  I must go eat it!

Love,

Little Mingo

We love Carmel...We love it!  Carmel-by-the-Sea is truly a fantastic town and it is all the better because of its love of the dog.  Dogs are welcome in this town and it makes this a perfect destination for our family.  We always start the day off with a long, long, long stroll on the amazing off-leash beach.  We love to feel the sand between our paws.  There are dogs of all sizes enjoying the beach.  Big dogs, little dogs, dogs who love the water, dogs who love tennis balls...After a walk along the shore, we love to hit the town of Carmel.  Who wouldn't love to stroll along the streets of this place...nearly every store has treats and outside the shops are bowls of nice cool water.  And I can never hear enough of the compliments... Ooohs and aaaahs and belly rubs abound.  And then there is the Cypress Inn.  What an amazing dog-friendly place for dogs.  We enjoy the outdoor dining.  And maybe one day, we will even enjoy an overnight stay!  You have to...you simply have to...you must go and enjoy a day at Carmel.  Tell them Little Mingo sent you!

Some days are even more beautiful than others and today was one of those days!  The constant rain has taken a break and the sun poked through the clouds.  And Kt loaded us in the the Land Rover and took us to the Marsh for our first big adventure in weeks.  The ground was still heavy with water and the ground thick gooey mud.  The smells were unreal...the dust was washed away and I could smell life.  Ah, what a morning....walking with Sally and running throught the green grasses and sniffing out more than I ever could believe could be sensed.

Today, Zoe joined us for her first real hike and she showed complete spunk.  She moves slowly and she moves chaotically.  She lurches and spins and hops and bounces backward.  And YET, she never stops trying.  She walks on and on and never stops.  She wouldn't ride in the carrier.  She wiggled and waggled and Kt let her walk the entire way.  I think that Zoe is exploring life for the first time.  I don't think that walks were a part of Zoe's past.  Leashes?  She freaks out.  And until today, she never stopped to sniff on any of our short walks.  Today, Zoe stopped and soaked up the smells...the pee of dogs gone past.  Today, Zoe becoame a member of the pack...