Our Dog Rudy

Hi Ava,

Congratulations on taking your first step! You are walking like a big girl already after your first steps on Halloween day three weeks ago. I remember when I was as little as you are running around Isla Vista where mom and dad use to live. Dad took me to class everyday and to the beach every time he went surfing.

Me and dad at Sands beach where he would take me to play while he goes surfing. Nice hair cut dad!

One day dad and I went to Devereaux point to go surfing and I hung out at the beach while he paddled into the surf for a little bit. He kept an eye on me while he was in the water to make sure I was hanging around and not getting into too much trouble. I was just a little girl then not much older than you are today. (In human years probably a couple years old already in dog years.) I roamed around the near empty beach sniffing seaweeds and chasing sea birds. Mostly I just laid next to the towel and relaxed.

On one of my jaunts down the beach while chasing a sea gull, I came back to the spot a few moments later and found that the towel and surfboard stuff is not there anymore. Dad had finished surfing and thought I had gotten lost. I knew they were looking for me so I decided to just stay where I was and waited for them to come back.

Mom and dad looked all over town for me thinking that I might have ran off chasing another dog or followed someone home. It wasn’t until it was nearly dark I heard dad’s voice calling my name from the top of bluff just where he had left me. I ran up towards him as fast as I could and we were so happy to see each other again. They were worried sick about me and the thought of me being in danger or injured was too much to bear.

That wasn’t the first or the last time I decided to take a little stroll and got lost. I am very curious and love to explore but it sometimes drove mommy an daddy crazy. Be a good girl Ava and I will talk to you again soon.

Dear Ava,

You are growing up so quickly and I am so proud of you! I noticed that you took your first steps by yourself on Halloween day! Did you know that your mommy also took her first steps during her first Halloween? How do I know that you ask? Well, I am always listening Even when you think I’m just laying there minding my own business and catching a couple of Zzz’s, I was listening.

I noticed that you are not quite sure where I have gone in the last few weeks. You are still a little baby and life and death is a difficult thing to explain to anyone, let alone you at this early stage of your life. You still look for me around the house and when you are crawling around during play time. Every time you see a picture of me I know that you miss me and point excitedly at my picture. I also know the little game you, daddy and mommy play to remember me by my bed where you crawl up to my bed and lay your head down sideways on it as I use to. That was one of my favorite places to sleep.

Being a husky means I had a lot of hair. Since we live by the ocean where the weather is nice, I didn’t particularly like snuggling up in a blanket or sleeping on the bed with sheets and pillows. I loved the coldness of the hardwood floor. One of my favorite places to lay during the day is right by the front door. There is a little gap just beneath the front door where a little outdoor breeze sneaks in the house. Daddy and mommy would always open the door slowly when they came home so I had time to get up and move to my next favorite spot by the ottoman.

My favorite spot

By the ottoman with you when you were 5 1/2 months old.

If you look at the edge of all of the slip covers on our couches, you will know exactly where I took my day time naps. With white slip covers on all the couches, I inevitably seasoned nearly all of them with touches of brown.

Just a little bit of dirt on the couches

I hope you had a great first Halloween and I thought you looked great in your lady bug costume. I miss you all hope to see you again one day.

Love,

Rudy