Home Stretch Reflections

Today is our third and final day on the road trip home.  The drive home has been much easier than the drive out - we are right in the "gap" between 2 storm systems.  It continues to snow behind us, but we have bright sun, blue skies, dry roads and the cruise control is set.  I'm stretched out in the back seat.  The car is quiet today.  I think my mama is finally out of words.

I've been reflecting on my road travels in my 8 1/2 years.  Between my east coast travels to the Masters and my west coast travels to Palm Springs, I've been in 22 states.  Throw in Canada every year and I think I'm a certified World Traveler.  Everywhere I go, people are so nice to me.  They might talk with a little different accent, but they all speak the universal language of LOVE for dogs.

I've heard people say that it's nice to go on vacation, and that it's just as nice to come home.  I get what they mean.  I've had such a great adventure these past 2 weeks!  I've experienced new smells, different terrain, and a different pace of life (I like it when my parents aren't in such a hurry all the time).  But I'm also ready to get back to my routine where I know the smells, and the walks are familiar.  I'm also ready to get back to work, where I get satisfaction and feeling of purpose knowing I contribute to a successful team.

We have had amazing scenery from flat plains, to rolling hills, tall mountains, and desert.

At the end of the day, there is still no place like home.

Thanks for joining me on my West Coast Adventure!

Love,
SummerGirl

Street Fair and my morning protest

Yesterday was our only cloudy day since we arrived in the Coachella Valley.  The cool weather made for great walking weather so we walked down to the "C.O.D." (College of the Desert) Street Fair.  This takes place every weekend in the parking lot of the local community college.  You can buy produce, golf balls, sunglasses, purses, flip flops, rocks, and fine art.  Quite an interesting and eclectic place.

There is sign at the entrance that says "no dogs" but that seemed to be just a suggestion, because there were a lot of dogs there.  Some even had their own strollers.  (Say what?)  Here's me and my dad:

This morning my parents were up at 4:30am.  I stretched and groaned in instant protest!  This is MY vacation too you know!  Normally when they get the suitcase out, I am antsy.  I pace around and then go lay by the door so they don't forget me.  I have had such a great trip, I'm kinda hoping they forget me.  I'll just wait for Nan to come back here soon.  Nan and I can take care of each other (and I know Nan would take me back to the C.O.D, and she would ignore the sign too). 

My mama tried to get me to eat right away this morning.  She put cheese in my dish on top of my food.  I ate the cheese, left the food, and staged my "sit-in" on the couch.  I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK HOME!!!

It is still raining here, and it's snowing on our path east today as well.  We are going to stay south as long as we can.  Destination - Albuquerque NM.  We plan on avoiding the higher elevation at Flagstaff, where they are supposed to get up to 4 feet of snow today. 

The car is loaded to the roof again.  I still have the whole back seat to myself.  I will pout until we get to Phoenix, and then I will try to rally and be a good road tripper. 

Vacation is over.

Let the trucking begin.

Love,
Summer Girl

El Paseo

My parents were supposed to play golf today, but when I got up to go potty-poops, it was COLD!  I slipped on the driveway (last nights irrigation turned to ice) and the morning grass felt like November in Minnesota.  Crunchy!  So the frost delay set them back to a 1:30 tee time, which they would never finish before dark. 

So no golf.  No biggie.  Let's get on with the day!

We started with a 3.10 mile walk in a new neighborhood. No traffic and awesome!

Then we came back and I swam for about 30 minutes.  That felt great!

Then my mama said we needed to go for another walk on El Paseo.  So we jumped in the car and off we went.

El Paseo is FANCY!  And super dog friendly.  It's like the plan ahead for us puppers.  The area is about 10 blocks long, all shopping and restaurants, and about every 3rd store has treats and a water bowl out on the sidewalk in case one of us puppers needs a drink. 

Here is me, outside of Brighton: (see the treats and the water?)

Then my mama told me to sit still in front of the next 2 stores.  She said "this is a long way from where we come from Summer."

I wasn't sure what that meant, but my mama did buy some salsa on our walk.   She bought it at Papa's favorite place (Armandos) and then we came home and had a snack on the patio.  

Here's what I thought was cool about El Paseo:

• Fresh water to drink every 30 seconds
• Good smells in the landscaping
• Other puppers are also window shopping like me

Here's what was weird about El Paseo:

• I don't see humans actually going into the stores to buy something
• Why would my mama buy salsa on a street that focuses on high fashion?

So while my mama was inside buying salsa, my daddy and I stood outside and enjoyed the sunshine.  A lady walked out of the restaurant and in a loud voice said "Oh...my...Gawd...what a beautiful dawg.  What is your name sweethaaart?"  Her voice was really loud and brash.  I didn't recognize the dialect.  My daddy told her "Her name is Summer."  And immediately the lady reached down and petted me.  In an even louder voice the lady said "James, get ovah heah.  You hafta see this dawg.  She's beautiful."  The next thing I know, an even louder man comes over to pet me.  I think he had a hearing problem, because he was really loud.  He said, "LINDA!  SHE IS GOWA-GEOUS!  She is just like our old baby girl."  They fawned over me in a language I tried to understand.  They were loud, but friendly.  Not like the people back home, but not so bad either.  I kinda felt like a celebrity, especially with all that fancy shopping and attention.

I love it here.  New sounds, new smells, new language, and parents who are pretty relaxed.  This was worth the endless car ride.  We are having fun!

Love,

Hollywood Summer

New Years Hike to the Cross

Two of the three Andrich's were total lazy bums yesterday, eating nachos and watching football.  I was the only active one, swimming at least 50 laps in Nan's pool.  I got my New Years resolution off to a great start (lose weight and exercise).  My parents were epic failures. 

Today they decided to get some exercise and hike up the mountain, to the foot of the cross.  A quick background on the cross here.  I have a lot of friends in Boy Scouts who might find the story interesting as well. 

http://www.stmargarets.org/about/cross/

You can see this cross at night from quite a distance in the Coachella Valley.  It is bright against the dark backdrop of an uninhabited mountain.  My Papa always liked seeing it in the night sky when he was here, and commented about it often.   It was really easy to see when he was on his way to his favorite Mexican restaurant - Armandos on El Paseo. 

After my Papa went to heaven in 2015, my Nan knew that part of his ashes would have to go up there.  Papa loved being out in the Desert!  So on January 24, 2017 Nan hiked up the mountain with Pastor Bob and Laurie, with Papa in her pocket.  This was a significant date, as it was also Nan & Papa's wedding anniversary.  At the top, Pastor Bob read from the Bible and said a prayer as Nan let Papa's ashes fly into the desert. 

Let me tell you - I have a whole new respect for Nan!!  This is not an easy hike, even though the Trails App calls it easy.  This hike took us from 383 feet to 1022 feet over a 1.2 mile area.  There were a lot of times we felt like we were going straight up hill.  The views were great along the way.

We got to the top (saw lots of puppers like me along the way) and there were only three people and one pup there when we arrived.  After seeing many people on the way up, we were surprised that it wasn't more crowded.  I went to greet the Springer and a nice lady asked my mama "Are you from Hill-Murray?"  My mama was wearing a Hill-Murray shirt, and said "yes, 1988 grad.  Are you?"  The lady answered, "No, I graduated from Johnson."  Mama said, "My dad went to Harding" and the lady quickly replied, "Well I graduated from the REAL East Side!"   It was all my mama could do not to cry.  That's exactly what my Papa would have said if the shoe were on the other foot.  It was almost like Papa was right there in that moment.  Papa was an Eastsider through and through and he would have given that lady a really hard time for being from Johnson!  My mama extended her hand and introduced herself to the lady (whose name was Sue) and suddenly the man who was with Sue said "Julie Andrich?"  Mama turned around to stand face to face with a man named Jim who is going on her Masters trip this year.  My mama is not speechless very often.  In fact, my daddy says she has a lot of words.  But there my mama stood, with no words, at the top of a mountain that we hiked to say hello to Papa.  And Papa was right there, saying hello right back. 

We had some chit chat on the top of the mountain.  It turns out the other lady's name is Kathy, and we passed her husband Dave on the way up. He was walking down with the help of a stick.  Jim & Sue's dog's name is Molly.  After a while, they headed back down the mountain and we hung out for a little bit, reflecting and quiet.

Quite a few people must find this place special too.  There were many mementos left by the plaque, including an old tattered Bible.  Many small rocks were strewn about, with names of people painted on them.   There is a reason so many people make this trip up the mountain.  Some simply to enjoy a beautiful view.  Others to get a little higher up, closer to heaven perhaps, to connect with those gone before us.  

I am so glad my parents brought me here to join them on their vacation.  It's been great to share these experiences with them.  I will not forget this day or this trip.  And I've overheard we still have a few adventures to go!

With love from the top of the mountain,

SummerGirl