Goodbye Andre, we will never forget you.

2) Andre loved to mark. I never got any exercise on our walks because he had to stop by every bush along the way (we joked that he was leaving “peemail” for his doggy friends). One day I came home and saw that Andre had jumped onto the kitchen table so he could mark a vase of flowers. We would always leave the chairs pushed in from then on!

3) My most cherished memory of Andre is when I would take him to the beach. He would smile and run zig-zags across the sand. His exuberance was so uplifting, and it was obvious that this was one of his favorite places. A year after I adopted him, I threw a beach party for Andre and his doggy pals. I made a liver brownie birthday cake, and at one point during the party ALL the dogs on the beach we surrounding me to try and get a piece. So many wagging tails and much happiness that day!

4) I used to bring Andre with me when I taught at San Jose City College. Many of my students were from Vietnam, and there were some communication barriers. They loved Andre, and many times his presence was what helped them feel comfortable talking to me about their lives and their dogs back home, and that enabled me to be a better teacher for them. One day, my students were taking a test, and Andre was lying on the floor in the middle of the classroom. The door was propped open, and he saw a squirrel outside. He bolted out of the classroom, and my panicked students all ran outside to try and catch him. There was also a time when Andre wasn’t eating well, and I couldn’t figure out why until I noticed that he would always sit under the same desk. Turns out that a student from one of my classes had been secretly feeding him burgers.

5) I remember the first time Andre saw a horse.  He only saw the legs, and must have thought they were trees. He was about to lift his leg on the horse when it moved and startled him. I’m not sure what he was thinking at that moment, but he was taken totally by surprise.

6). Andre was one of the ring bearers at our wedding, and he wore a tuxedo bandana that my mother-in law made for him. So handsome!  He barked at all the right moments during the ceremony.

And one more memory. For another birthday we took Andre to a restaurant in Carmel called The Forge in the Forest. They have an outdoor patio and a special menu just for dogs. We ordered Andre the most expensive item on the menu (steak) and he was in total disbelief that it was all for him. We bought him a new collar that day from some fancy dog boutique, and then when Andre had enough he slept in the car, totally blissed out, while we drove home in the rain.

The month has passed, and the total is in… Thanks to all the generous folks involved I raised $290 for Mickaboo. Whoo hoo! That means the cookzine is coming, and soon I need to start making arrangements to angel a bird. Thanks again to everyone who donated.

On Saturday I took Zoe in for a routine vet appointment. The doctor said she looked fine, although we are still waiting on the results of her lab work. To help avoid predators birds are excellent at hiding when they’re ill, so I take Zoe in to the vet once  a year just in case. By the time your companion bird looks ill, it’s usually too late.

Sunday was quiet. We went to dinner at Natures Express, and then went for a drive through the hills out by Marinez and Orinda. We saw cows, horses, deer, and turkeys, which was great except Corinne really wanted to see chickens. I think she enjoyed herself despite the lack of chickens though, and last night even asked to go on another drive to see the horses and hippies.

I’m not coming down with the crud, so it looks like the coming weekend will be low energy as well. That, of course, does not mean it wont be busy. On Saturday Raelene is getting a massage, and Sunday is the Berkeley Kite Festival and a friend’s going away party. I also hope to do some grilling, but I’m not sure if that’s going to happen.

And now the fun stuff, updates! Last weekend we visited my sister and parents in Davis, and picked up an amazing rocking horse custom built by Grandpa and Grandma for Corinne. I’ll see about getting a picture up soon. We had a really nice visit, although it was hot and my allergies went haywire being back in Davis.

On Sunday Raelene and I did a Mickaboo home visit for a very deserving family. Hopefully they will be able to adopt a pair of friendly budgies here soon. Sunday evening we had dinner with our friends David and Sarah. We both really enjoyed seeing them again.

Next Saturday is the International Day of Action for Elephants, so we’re protesting at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo. This will be Corinne’s second animal rights protest, her first being against the Australian wool industry last Monday. Apparently she was waving her sign, and she even started chanting on the way home. We’ll see if we can get her to chant during the protest on Saturday.

Sunday is Father’s day, and I have no idea what Raelene has planned for me (if anything). I’m happy just spending time with my family, which is what being a Father is all about.