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Pippin Comes Home

first a little history

i was raised as a cat person * i always liked dogs, big sweet golden labs or retrievers in particular, but i just assumed i was a cat person (they certainly take a lot less energy!) * i figured i'd have a dog once i got to the place i'm going to live for the rest of my life (or at least for several years), the one with a nice big yard & a garden & somebody (human, i mean) with whom to share it * all that changed around Thanksgiving 2001 when my once-partner adopted Iverson * 2 weeks later he (the pup, not the boy) asked me to move in with him & in no time i was converted for life * ain't nothing like puppy love -- never again would that detached kitty love be enough for me * i spent nearly every minute for nearly 2 years with that precious boy & that constant, loving companionship was the hardest thing to lose when i left Oly * i know they're all special, but Iverson's one of those true loves, the real thing * i had a kitty like that once -- she used to wake me up purring on my chest *

a couple weeks ago i took my first trip back to visit my two best friends * it was a delight to see Iverson but it also helped me realize that it's really time to move on * plenny of people told me before i left (i'm trying not to snarl as i write this) "you can get a new dog" as if it was that easy * well, if you've ever lost a beloved pet, to death or a break-up, you know it just ain't that easy, at least not right away (or maybe it's just 'cause i'm such a crazy emotional beeyotch) * i sat with Kyle & we looked through the petfinder.org pups & of course i picked out the one that looked just like Iverson * i could tell Kyle really wanted me to get a dog already (move on, girl!) but i could also tell he thought i should go for a different look (he didn't say it but he has this Libra way of making things clear, a great asset in a friend) * when i got home i was finally ready *

taking the plunge

i went to meet the golden lab down in Eugene but he wasn't available * now i don't know that there are no accidents, but i do pay attention to the omens * i hung out with a black lab pup but he just wasn't the one * the next day i went up to Salem to meet a couple of golden girls & a cute little black lab whose name was Odin & whose face had that sweet look i was looking for * wouldn't you know it, the 2 golden labs girls were gone & the only other golden there was adopted already * okay, okay -- i get it * i liked Odin so i hung out with him for a little while to see how he behaved * he did all the right things: jumped around, settled down, sat & leaned up against me for some lovin' * he was interested in other dogs outside but not for attacking or frantic barking fits * he was obviously a puppy needing some serious training, but he listened a little & he was as sweet as they come * he was clearly the one so i swallowed my fear & took him home (dropping a couple hundred dollars between there & the pet store) * ...so now i've got the dog & i s'pose the home & all the rest of it will come along when it's ready *

what's in a name

if you've talked to me lately or looked around my site, you'll know that the Lord of the Rings is my current favorite obsession & that Pippin stole my heart (& now that i've watched Two Towers a couple more times i don't know why he didn't steal it earlier -- just like i don't know why it took the Lord of the Rings to turn me on to Viggo but i guess he wasn't showing his other sides so much then) * Pippin starts out just a happy-go-lucky hobbit who follows Merry in their adventures stealing veggies & getting drunk, more worried about second breakfast than the state of the world * in fact, he's such a fool he's almost single-handedly responsible for Gandalf's death (though obviously Gandalf needed it!) * he slowly wakes up to reality (with a lot of help from Merry) & if he hadn't convinced Treebeard to face the destruction caused by Saruman the outcome of the war of the ring might've been very different * in Return of the King (sigh) he really comes into his own * until i saw that movie, my favorite scene ever in a movie was the scene in Thin Red Line when Jim Caviezel (another reliable crush), in the gorey thick of the battle stops to run his finger along the leaves of a hila-hila plant, admiring how they close up in reaction * beauty is everywhere if your eyes are open -- a perfect scene * Pippin's song... woooo... gorgeous (& i'm not the only one who thinks so) * if i could've wiped the happy grin off my face at any moment during that movie my eyes would have streamed for that one (i know they will when i get the dvd) * i love knowing that the scene was an accident, falling together at the last minute at the hands of Peter Jackson & Billy Boyd * how perfect is the yin & yang of that terrible, beautiful moment...

i figure i can use a little of that good honest foolish Pippin energy in my life, from the silly to the true, & anyway, what's a lab if not a fool? so even before i met my new pup i was pretty sure what his name would be * now that i have him, believe me, it fits *

Slide Shows

• Pippin Comes Home: January 2004
• The Walk Series: April 2004
• The Swim Series: April 2004
• Can't see the slide show window? Click for slide shows.

Slide Shows at tyV

(much larger images & more of them)

• shake: Willamette River
• the cookie series
• swim: Willamette River
• the walk series