Hi Kay Lee,
It's been too long and, as always, I am thinking of you and your dogs as we
approach River's birthday. It's hard to believe that she's turning 6 already! I
thought I would send you an update and some pictures to give you an idea of what
River's been up to these past few years.
She has backpacked across a good portion of the Oregon, Washington, and Northern California wilderness with us (I'm attaching pictures of her adventures in the Willowas, Bull of the Woods, Strawberry Mountain, Marble Mountains, and the Trinity Alps). She is the best backpacking buddy we could have hoped for. Chasing chipmunks and squirrels is probably her number one favorite pastime, but even then she stays near us on the trail and always comes running when we call.
She also regularly goes sailing with us, and is now almost too confident on the
boat--she has learned how to climb the wooden ladder into the cabin and goes up
and down at will. :-)
When we're not adventuring, we're incredibly grateful that she is such a
cuddler, and so content to snooze on our bed all day. She is just wonderful
around the house (except for sneaking an occasional snack from the trashcan when
we're out!).
She has also gotten over her fear of children, as you can see from
the pictures.
River continues to be our best friend and consummate partner in absolutely
everything. I am grateful every single day that you sent her home with us.
Sometimes we talk about getting a second dog, but honestly, we are such a happy
family right now that it feels unnecessary. When we do, though, I know where
we'll be going.
I hope that you and your human and dog families are all well, and that you
enjoy the pictures.
All the best,
Leila, Wes, and River