“How did it get so late so soon? It’s night before it’s afternoon. December is here before it’s June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?” ― Dr. Seuss

Where does time go? 

They say a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. With my short legs, that has been a lot of steps.  It’s been said about me that my heart is so big that my little legs have a hard time carrying it around. I’ve spent countless hours frolicking around meadows and hiking the sierras and camping than I can count on my little paws, while searching for hot springs because I’m sure seals hang out in them. Grandpa says, “You’ve been more places than some people go in a lifetime.”  I do not say this to brag, I say this to remember all the steps I’ve taken. Mom looks at my grey hairs and it’s a reminder that we have been on so many adventures together. My grey hair also reminds her that she can’t stop time. I look at her grey hairs and don’t think  a whole lot, because I cant see color.  Just kidding! That’s just a wise tail. Of course I see color, geezsh! Mom keeps mentioning this thing called ‘time’, i have no idea what she’s talking about because I’ve never met the guy. I can’t see him, but she’s brought him up a lot the past few years. She’s said that we have lived with him and whether or not we like him, he keeps hanging around.  She says it’s the one things she can’t control this guy named ‘time.’ She hiked the John muir trail without me (the trail discriminates against my kind geez) and she told me realized that it’s time that brings her both joy and pain.  I just know when i have to wait too long for three dog bakery or seal hunting that brings great pain to my heart.

I’ve hiked and camped most of these places and an occasional living it up hoteling…

• The sierras…goodness how I love those guys…Mammoth/bishop/mono lake/June lake /rock creek/Alabama hills….Lake Tahoe (more time then I’ll ever be able to count in these spaces and places I play)
• More hiking time than i can count in Colorado (Telluride my second home, crested butte, gunnison,  grand junction, Durango, beaver creek, vail, aspen, marble, Ouray, brekenridge, steam boat, Dunton Hot Springs)
• Death valley and Joshua Tree and Arizona ( Sedona, Flag Staff, Grand canyon )
• Utah (Moab, Zion national park, Arches national park, Bryan Head, Park city, Salt lake city )
• Jackson, Wyoming (Grand Teton National park and Yellowstone national park)
• I have spent more hours riding in a bag on someone’s back while on a bike  and hiking illegally and camping in Yosemitie National Park than I can count on my paws
• The bay area and san fran and the red woods and Santa Cruz and the entire PCH from CA to Oregon (Brookings and Bend)
• The lost coast (mendincino) and The central coast (Santa barbara, Ventura, jalama, san luis obispo, big sur, morrow bay)
• Florida and New Mexico (Taos and Santa Fe) and Baja Mexico getting my Seal tacos
• Local camping like San eljho campground more times than I can count… and Carlsbad, Julian, Idylwild, Anza borego, and Big Bear
• Paddle boarding san Clemente, dana point,  laguna beach, long beach, La Jolla … together looking for seals 
• Our countless adventures in our van doing frenchie van life
• I’ve flown around 49 flights without pooping or peeing on the plane. Once i held it and let loose in the terminal but hey that was 2 days after chemo!
• 13 mile back country back packing trip with Dad during chemo on the trans Catalina trail (extremely steep and difficult)
• Camping Catalina numerous times 
• Hiking Mount baldy which i’ll never forget cause mom got us lost and added lots more hours onto the trail. 

Maybe you should sit and stay…and reflect on some of the steps you’ve taken? I like to do so drinking some chilled turkey broth sitting at the beach looking for seals. I’ve seen humans drinking this thing called White Claw…not sure why they like drinking claws but hey it sounds good to me.  Let me know what you remember about some of your adventures ok?! You know those times that youll never forget. Maybe there’s somewhere youve alwasy wanted to go…maybe you spend your money on treats but really theres a big treat waiting for you out there? People alwasy say ‘life is short’, hey us dogs know that. Jesus said ‘tomorrow is promised to no man’ (or woman or dog, or cat or squirrel). We are all on borrowed time , my mom points out to remind herself that we have today and that is what we have so she can live in the Now. When i was diagnosed with cancer (in remission now!), the old guy’ time’ became a taunting  thorn in mom’s flesh but then she realized since what we have is Now, to live more present into this very moment. She’s learning how to do this, while looking to me in how i alwasy bring her back to the present. i dont get distracted on social media, she manages my account!  Hoenstly I like to live in the moment….it’s filled with treats, walks on the beach, and sunsets (that i can see the color of!)! Sometimes people call me ‘old’ or ‘old man’, or talk about my grey hairs, it’s ok it doesn’t bother me! Mom says I’m so nice becuase I don’t mention their beer belly’s or crows feet. Im not even sure what a beer belly is and crows feet but that sounds yummy. It’s awesome having a little bro Lassen as my new side kick, now when people ask how old we are and mom says “Lassen is 9 months, and Eben 10…people alwasys say, “oh 10 months “ and mom smurks inside, or oh i thought they were the same age or they must be brothers.” yeah brothers from other mother’s! It feels good to have a young guy as my wing man and realize time keeps moving but it doesnt mean i have to be ‘old.’ Mom always points out, Not a lot of youngons doing 13 mile hikes like I recently did (on chemo). In the words of a cool of old cat named Mother Theresa,“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.” So next time you are drinking your cat claw, think about what moments have made you wag your tail the most.  Cheers to wagging more often and remembering the steps we’ve taken…and truly how far our little legs have brought us. There is still so much more, so let’s live Now, because this is what we have.

‘It’s being here now that’s important. There’s no past and there’s no future. Time is a very misleading thing. All there is ever, is the now. We can gain experience from the past, but we can’t relive it; and we can hope for the future, but what we have is now.’ ― George Harrison

“Count your age by friends, not years. Count your life by smiles, not tears.” –John Lennon

“As if you could kill time without injuring eternity.” ― Henry David Thoreau