It was 10 years ago in June that we packed up and did our "Reverse Beverly Hillbillies", and moved back east. Out of earthquake country, through tornado alley, and stopping before we hit the hurricane coast. We've since learned that Asheville, being the area of our country that has the fewest natural disasters, does not mean NO Natural Disasters, as we experienced from Hurricane Helene in 2024. (Link to the post Helene entry)
In August, Maureen and I hiked around Portugal for a couple weeks. Maureen had not been out of the country for a while and was starting to show symptoms of withdrawal. So we dug out our passports and crossed the pond. We explored Porto for a week and then Lisbon for the second half, with a couple of side bus tours and walking tours thrown in for good measure. Overall, a nice little trip even during the busy European "Vacation Season". I recommend Portugal as a vacation destination.
This past year has been a benchmark year for a couple of reasons. One, the ten year anniversary of our move; B., I turned 65 in October and am now on Medicare; and third, we lost our darling Buddy. Our poor loving Buddy developed some serious health issues and passed quietly back at the end of August.
Buddy can never be replaced. But as it was with Hunter, our Labrador, and Reno and Tober, our two boxers, we've been left with space in our home and our hearts for a new family member.
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| Meet Jake |
The rescue that we acquired Jake from guessed that he was a Husky/Corgi mix. Looking at Jake's picture, with those two different color eyes and his stature, I think that was a reasonable guess. Not even close. Jake's Basepaws DNA results:
In the past, Maureen and I had two beautiful brindle and white pure-bred boxers. One I raised from a puppy and the other came to us from the shelter as a two-year-old. They were the best dogs! After my son was born, we acquired a two-year-old pure bred black Labrador Retriever, also from the shelter (sort of). And he was the best dog! This time around, if Maureen would have been agreeable to a larger dog I would have chosen a boxer out of deference to our housekeeping, considering how much a Lab sheds. But alas, my choice was "size restricted", hence Jake.
Honestly, I don't see it. But if this analysis is correct, I got my Boxer and Labrador in approximately the correct proportions.
I can understand a Corgi/Husky mix as a guess. I've also had people tell me German Shepard which I could see. Although none of the breeds in the DNA results are small enough to justify Jake's stature. Maureen suggested that I get a second opinion from a different testing agency, because other than the food drive of a Labrador, Jake does not "Show" any of those breeds. But I'm not sure I'm that concerned. Jake is a great dog, is eager to please, and by all accounts has attached himself to me. That's plenty! Or so I thought.
I found another discounted DNA test option, DNA My Dog, so I caved. According to those results Jake is a gallimaufry* of breeds. Those results are making me wonder if the whole "Pet DNA" industry is a scam. Results comparison:
DNA My Dog Basepaws25% Boxer 70% Boxer
16% Labrador 15.8% Labrador
16% Chinese Shar-Pei N/A
16% Greyhound N/A
14% American Staffordshire Terrier N/A
13% Belgian Malinois N/A
N/A 14.2% Chow Chow
It looks as if I need to start introducing Jake as "My New Boxer"!
*I needed a word that smelled less like dried flowers and more like a wet dog. I looked up synonyms for "Potpourri" and "gallimaufry" (a confused jumble or medley of things) came up. That's Jake!
In other news; I'm still bowling every week and playing golf when I can, both badly. After 10 years, it's time to start thinking about painting the house and doing some basic deck repairs. I'm still blowing, mulching, and relocating leaves from this past fall, but that seems to be a never ending chore. The weather has been cycling between beautifully mild to cold as all-get-out. It's 23 today... that's degrees, not Celsius, and windy.
So until next time...
To all of our friends, Maureen and I wish everyone a Happy and Wonderful New Year!
R-
