Moby Goes with Calli on Board

In December we brought home an 8 week old Black Labrador pup. Calli came from Tiger Mountain Pointing Labs in Ellensburg, Washington.

Not my first rodeo, I prepared for the new arrival by barricading off much of the back yard. Also I shoveled and swept the lawn so she would have grass, not snow, to pee on.

I barricaded off most of the house too, limiting Calli to just the kitchen and laundry room. Janene found the orange construction fencing between the living room and kitchen to be a novel decor. Very chic indeed, and it was good stretching exercise for we senior citizens to climb over it in the following months.

 

 

Could such an innocent face ever do any damage?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Calli quickly demonstrated to Janene just how much Labs love to chew on shoes. Truth is, it was Janene’s idea to get a dog. I had thought I might never have another hunting dog. With all our travels, and hiking in national parks where dogs are not allowed, there are many good reasons not to have a dog. The main one being that Janene has an irrational fear of most dogs. Plus Janene’s motto for years has been “no kids, no pets, no plants”, which made it very easy to leave home for long periods of time or on short notice. For awhile I actually found myself arguing against a dog, but then I slapped myself up the side of the head and got on board. When will I learn? Janene has had so many crazy yet brilliant ideas over the years.

Our old growth Douglas Fir floors, which I meticulously rebuilt board by board, were now under assault by sharp little claws and teeth.

Calli’s first Moby trip was to Portland for Christmas, then on to Long Beach, Washington. Living in Idaho it seems like Canada is a close neighbor, but it is actually quicker to drive to the Pacific Ocean than to the Canadian border.

Long Beach is a laid-back, old school tourist town. Nothing pretentious. It hasn’t (yet) been overbuilt with super-sized vacation homes.  World famous Jake the Alligator Man is Long Beach’s most famous citizen. Marsh’s is Long Beach’s most famous tourist trap.

We like Long Beach because vehicles are allowed on the beach by day. At night Moby can camp just behind the dunes. At dawn when Calli woke us, it was 28°F. Much of the sand had a white frozen crust.

Janene finds it creepy to drive near the water. Despite the proclamation as “The World’s Longest Beach” emblazoned on an archway in town, the beach here is not the longest beach in the world. It should be called the “World’s Longest Continuous Peninsula Beach” because at 28 miles it is the world’s longest beach on a peninsula.

Even in the cold and the whipping wind little Calli was happy to be outside. Labs are tough. Janene stayed in Moby with the furnace on. And a down jacket.

We camped behind the dunes at night, and then each day we would drive to a nice little spot with a nearby creek and hang out for the day.

Each night after Calli was asleep in her crate we bad parents would hit the Long Beach Tavern. The LBT likes to call itself a dive bar, but it is a step above that. It feels more local than touristy, at least on a winter weeknight.

 

They make a great bowl of seafood chowder. I had it three nights running.

Janene loved this sign amongst all the football-filled TV screens.

Of course every morning we had to hit this awesome bakery. They have all the classic pastries that a beach town bakery should have, plus a small deli.

One day we drove north to check out this mansion disguised as a lighthouse. It is the northernmost structure on the Pacific side of the peninsula.

It belongs to one of Janene’s 100+ first cousins. Janene’s parents and their 19 siblings begat a lot of cousins.

We snuck in close for a good peek. This main structure is just part of the over-the-top 200 acre estate.

Calli thinks everyone is her best friend. She practically wiggles out of her skin at the sight of someone new. Thus the chain to keep her from running to greet and jump on every beach walker.

Poor little pup. Chained up like a junkyard dog. But we think she will love her lifetime of Moby adventures to come.