My new home

Wow, do I have a lot to tell you about! I've been so busy since arriving in California that I haven't had time to post to my blog.

On Friday last week we drove all the way across the state of Nevada. It was boring and it was hot outside, but it was really nice to sit in Mommy's (or Daddy's) lap. I love having my whole pack with me.

8.21.05 093
Originally uploaded by pygmygoat.

After a long day of driving we finally made it out of the desert and into California. I was really happy to see the evergreen forests on the mountains. I insisted on taking Daddy for a walk right away!

8.21.05 102
Originally uploaded by pygmygoat.

The next day we went for a nice long walk at the University of California at Davis. I hadn't had a good walk in days! I barked at the geese and walked around the big trees in the arboretum. Afterward we went downtown and I protected Mommy and Daddy while they had coffee at a cafe. They made a big fuss about finding a cafe. They're kind of funny sometimes.

Then we made the final leg of our journey. It was flat for a while, but then we climbed the final hills and we could see the fog over the bay, just like old times. When we came down the hill into Berkeley it was foggy and it was cold! We drove straight to Jimmy Bean's, which is our favorite place to eat breakfast.

8.21.05 117
Originally uploaded by pygmygoat.

Then we finally drove up to my new house. It's a nice house. There used to be other dogs here, but now it's all mine. My yard has lots of plants in it, including two apple trees! The apples fall every day for me to eat, but sometimes Daddy tries to take them away from me. Sometimes Daddy isn't very nice.

I've been taking Mommy and Daddy on lots of walks. This morning we went to Jimmy Bean's again, and then we walked along the bay. I think I like it here.

In the mountains with my cousins

The last two days we have been covering territory where my cousins, the gray wolves, have been repatriated. Yesterday we drove from Denver through Wyoming, the land where my aunt Katrina grew up. I saw three antelope but Mommy and Daddy wouldn't let me chase them. There was lots of open space that I wanted to run in, and huge mountains in the distance.

8.21.05 010
Originally uploaded by pygmygoat.

In the morning I visited Colorado State University and the University of Wyoming. I think the students were surprised to see a gray wolf down from the mountains. In the afternoon I climbed over the barrier so I could sit up front with Mommy and Daddy. I think they needed to be with me.

8.21.05 064
Originally uploaded by pygmygoat.

Denver was my favorite city so far. It was nice and breezy. More importantly, I got cantaloupe for breakfast!

This morning I slept longer because Grandpa sent me a message saying I didn't have to get up every four hours to patrol. Then we went and looked at the Great Salt Lake. I didn't like it because there were too many little flies. We just drove through the Great Salt Lake Desert, which was totally bizarre. The ground was all white! Now we are climbing the mountains in Eastern Nevada.

8.21.05 083
Originally uploaded by pygmygoat.

I'm going to take a nap now.

We're still in Kansas

You know that book, What's the Matter with Kansas? The real problem is that it goes on and on and on. It's hillier than I thought, but you can see for miles and miles because there are no trees. Just cows.

8.21.05 037
Originally uploaded by pygmygoat.

Daddy is letting me use his Pocket PC so I can post to my blog while we're on the road. Isn't that cool? It's a little more challenging using this little keyboard with my paws.

The most difficult job I have is keeping Mommy and Dad safe, especially when they split up. Sometimes one of them will go into a building and the other will try to go for a walk, so I have to keep heading back to the place where the first one went inside so I can keep track of everyone.

The other problem is that we are staying in hotels that have evil inside. Our rooms are nice, but often there is invisible evil in the hallways or in other rooms. I have to warn Mommy and Daddy about the evil. And I have to get up every four hours to patrol.

Since my last post we drove through Pennsylvania, West Virginia (again), Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri. The first part was in the Alleghenies, but then it flattened out in Ohio. We stayed near Cincinnati in a newly manufactured town. The hotel we stayed in had adopted a cat which, surprisingly, was not evil. This made me happy.

On Monday we drove through cornfields in Indiana and Illinois. There were scary billboards about guns saving lives. What they really need is more wolves. On Monday afternoon I visited my fan Lanie (she sent me a picture for my blog last year). She jumped through a hole in a screen door and bounded toward me to say hello. She got a little too familiar so I had to tell her to back off. Then I took Mommy, Daddy, John Randolph, and John's little baby Lula for a walk. There are lots of little dogs in Champaign, so I had a lot of work to do. Then while the people went inside I marked Lanie's yard so she would remember me. Afterward we went to the University of Illinois so I could mark the orange flowers and the vet and animal science building. That's a very important building.

8.11.05 192
Originally uploaded by pygmygoat.

Mommy and Daddy visited their friend Adam Davis and his daughter Hannah while I guarded the car. Once Hannah came out and I said hi. I think she was a little scared because she had never seen such a large wolf.

8.11.05 182
Originally uploaded by pygmygoat.

In Champaign I acquired a new park, Hessel Park. There was a bunny there but I chased it across the street and off my land. Now all the bunnies know better than to trespass on my territory. The next morning I went back to reinforce the perimeter of my new park. Then I guarded the car while Mommy and Daddy visited their friends Jules and Zach and their baby Luke, who is only 1 week old - a bite-sized morsel. Kidding! I could see there were two dogs inside so I had to bark at them a little to warn them away from my people.

8.21.05 003
Originally uploaded by pygmygoat.

Champaign was a lot of work, so I slept most of the way to Kansas.

My paws are tired now, so I'm going to take a nap until Colorado.

Travels with Mom and Dad

I'm writing this on the road on day three of our pack adventure, in "wild and wonderful" West Virginia. I'm thinking of making that my motto. We're in the Allegheny mountains!

Friday started off like a normal day. We went to Hampshire college for our usual pack outing, and I patrolled my usual route. Then we all got in the car again and I got in my little cave in the back seat and we drove to the hospital where I went when I was sick. We took a picture of the plaque that Mom and Dad donated to commemorate my victory over my illness. I did a lot of barking so everyone would know how strong I am again.

8.11.05 126
Originally uploaded by pygmygoat.

Then we drove to Grandma and Grandpa Kwak's. Grandma made me chicken just for me but I shared some with Mommy and Daddy. Grandma even gave me some chicken for the road because she was happy to see how strong I am. However, I didn't get any blueberry cobbler for dessert.

After lunch we got back in the car and drove to my other grandparents' house. It was very hot so we didn't stop much, but I did mark New Jersey and Pennsylvania. In the car I thought about my old territory in Massachusetts. I'm a little worried, but I think it will be OK because I taught my friend Sophie to take care of it while I'm away. She even scared away a couple bears before I left.

I was so happy to see Grandpa, my most favorite buddy. He made me my own fenced-in yard to run in. Grandpa took me for three walks and I kept him company while Mommy and Daddy went to DC to see my little cousins and my friend Rhiannon. Why doesn't Rhiannon come to see me more?

I had a great time with Grandpa. I hope he comes to see me in California.

8.11.05 143
Originally uploaded by pygmygoat.

This morning I went back to my new park that I claimed yesterday. I was a little worried that Mommy and Daddy would forget to take me, so I followed them to the door and barked every time they took a bag out. On the way out we saw monarch butterfly caterpillars!

We're back in Maryland now. That's enough for now, so I'm going to take a little nap.