http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW Travels and Journeys... Wed, 08 Sep 2010 02:00:26 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Copyright © 2010 Footsteps heather@heatherdugan.com (Heather Dugan) heather@heatherdugan.com (Heather Dugan) posts 1440 http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/wp-content/plugins/podpress/images/powered_by_podpress.jpg http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW 144 144 Footsteps Travels and Journeys... Travel, outdoors, adventure, Heather, Dugan, stories Heather Dugan Heather Dugan heather@heatherdugan.com no no http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2010/06/23/in-town-tourist-ohios-hoover-dam/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2010/06/23/in-town-tourist-ohios-hoover-dam/#comments Wed, 23 Jun 2010 17:01:29 +0000 Heather Dugan http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/?p=5275 http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2010/06/23/in-town-tourist-ohios-hoover-dam/feed/ 5 1:34 I'm enjoying some summer time with the kids today and am re-posting one of our favorite central Ohio locations:  a little known trail by Hoover ... I'm enjoying some summer time with the kids today and am re-posting one of our favorite central Ohio locations:  a little known trail by Hoover Dam on Hoover Reservoir in Westerville. **More Arizona adventures, Boston exploration and some Frank Lloyd Wright to come... Originally posted:  June 8, 2009 The Hoover Dam that brackets the Arizona/Nevada border may sell more postcards, but Ohio's Hoover Dam is close enough to be a regular visit for us. Matt and I rode bikes across the imposing cement structure just last week, and on Friday we took Lily to swim at a secluded beach along its shore. Like Alum Creek Dam to our north, Hoover brims with outdoor options for the active. Rollerbladers, cyclists and runners weave between those strolling or walking dogs along the paved pathway atop the dam. Sports fields, picnic and play spaces and a frisbee golf course are among the well-used amenities at the recreation area. Less utilized is the canoe launch area below the dam and a delightful nature trail that leads to Lily's swimming spot. The nature trail entrance is located to the northeast of the walkway at the edge of a parking lot turn-around. Blackberries abound in late summer (as does poison ivy, so pluck with care!) in a sunny stretch of brush near the trail head. After a short stroll west through woods, the path swings north again. We rarely continue the trail from here, however, opting instead to slip through one of the side paths that lead to the water. A flat shoreline and an abundance of big sticks make this a great swimming spot for dogs. Most often we have the beach to ourselves but occasionally, to Lily's delight, she finds a playmate such as Otis (pictured with Lily). There are always a few logs to climb over (or fall over if you're me and having a less than graceful day), plenty of flat skip-worthy stones and some lovely views. More on Lily the Lab More "In-Town Tourist": Hoover Reservoir More "In-Town Tourist" Deja Vu (Reposted "Favorites") Heather Dugan no no http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2010/04/25/arizona-adventures/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2010/04/25/arizona-adventures/#comments Sun, 25 Apr 2010 16:00:30 +0000 Heather Dugan http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/?p=4709 http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2010/04/25/arizona-adventures/feed/ 9 2:04 I'm headed back to Arizona with my oldest son Zach this next week -but have stories from Cape Cod, Boston and the "Boom Boom Room"  ... I'm headed back to Arizona with my oldest son Zach this next week -but have stories from Cape Cod, Boston and the "Boom Boom Room"  in Bellevue, Kentucky in queue to post during my absence.  We'll pack a video camera in addition to my trusted Nikon and hope to record some of our better hiking moments. Our plans include hiking/biking near Sedona, photographing Antelope Canyon, floating around Horseshoe Bend, hiking into the Grand Canyon and -oh yeah!  A college visit.   We also hope to climb Camelback Mountain near Scottsdale again.  Here's what happened the last time... Originally posted on April 9, 2008. If I’d spotted it creeping across my carpet, I’d have crushed it into a paper towel with a shiver and no shame. But as this bug was moseying across red sandstone on Camelback Mountain, I instead dropped down to the best camera angle, thinking it quite spectacular. As was the view… Camelback Mountain rises some sixteen hundred feet above downtown Phoenix. The incongruity of this heap of a mountain is striking as one gazes down into the flat basin of desert city below. Similar lumps of reddish rock loom in the distance, bold backdrops to Sky Harbor International's constant air traffic. During my recent visit, a friend and I clambered up a trail labeled “strenuous” hoping for a good late afternoon work-out. We got our work-out and then some! As a cardio-nut, I didn’t find it strenuous so much as “scary.” And altogether lovely... Sheer drop offs, sliding gravel, and the occasional wind gust made an inward lean preferable. Ascending the uneven terrain was akin to stepping up the equivalent of three or four stair steps at once. The climb required focus and a constant momentum, more than a little bit of nerve, and a lot of photos. Camelback’s granite base soon gave way to sedimentary rock cemented with a pleasing rust colored sandstone that provided wonderful contrast to the sparse foliage along the way. Purple lupine sprouted steadfastly in unlikely places. The occasional palo verde tree clung tenaciously at cliff edge. Cacti such as yellow brittlebush, jumping (or “teddy bear”) cholla, hedgehog and barrel provided occasional splashes of color and texture. The ascent was the easiest part. After a water break and panoramic elation, the rapidly approaching sunset chased us back down the mountain. We descended quickly, knowing how fast the flash from afternoon to darkness can be when shielded by a mountain. Climbing down felt a lot like downhill biking with the brakes on and made for good “jello” legs when we finally walked contentedly out from under Camelback’s shadow. Deja Vu (Reposted "Favorites") Heather Dugan no no http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2010/01/29/on-her-own-road-to-amazing/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2010/01/29/on-her-own-road-to-amazing/#comments Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:20:25 +0000 Heather Dugan http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/?p=3871 http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2010/01/29/on-her-own-road-to-amazing/feed/ 8 4:18 In honor of Hannah's fifteenth birthday today, I'm reposting these reflections from her thirteenth year. Originally posted: February 1, 2008 I could easily trip over the milestones ... In honor of Hannah's fifteenth birthday today, I'm reposting these reflections from her thirteenth year. Originally posted: February 1, 2008 I could easily trip over the milestones set within this past week. First, my oldest boy Zach turned 16, and then, on Tuesday, my daughter Hannah became an official teen-ager. She’s been an unofficial one, off and on, for the past few months. Anyone blessed with a daughter her age needs no explanation of the constant surprises arising when child and woman live so closely together within the same skin… Hannah sparkles in most lighting and is not an easy one to describe. Centrally located between two brothers, she learned increasing degrees of self-reliance from an early age. She was the quickest at learning to tie her shoes and to ride a two-wheel bicycle, and she gained “crossing the street” privileges at a younger age than her brothers. She runs fast in races and on soccer fields, with a gazelle-like grace that is a wonder to watch. I’ve saved every note she’s written to me for the smile factor, whether tearful apology, pointed critique, or adoring words from my favorite girl. She films, sings, writes and is my “go to” girl for computer graphics. She encourages me to cook and likes my clothes well enough to even wear some of them… The middle child position is not easy. Hannah has read up on it and shared the most pertinent details… And of course, her birthday week only proved her point(s). Her older brother had his sixteenth birthday first. Then her little brother upstaged everything by getting sick, hovering in his illness like a yellow jacket in August and delaying her “birthday dinner” for a few days. Her great-grandma had to be evacuated from her care center after a ceiling collapse (“adventures” are not always age-appropriate), requiring even more of her mom’s time… Would it help Hannah to know that she bumped Zach’s third birthday party by deciding to join us in this world just as I put the finishing touches on his birthday cake? Probably not… I somehow thought that being the only girl would neutralize the middle child deal. That’s probably the “oldest child” in me speaking. I don’t fully get it, I know. But, I love what being a middle child has done for Hannah. She’s motivated. Organized (double points for achieving that as one of my offspring). Incredibly creative. Funny… I look at Hannah and see “amazing”. Every time. She’s several steps ahead of where I stood at her age, both in ability and in confidence. And I think she’s bypassing the so-called “awkward stage”: that miserable zip code I resided in for much of my early teen years… I’m sure there are times she feels that her capabilities are taken for granted, and at times, they probably are. She simply makes it look so easy. She flowed so freely from building whimsical sand castles to dinner dress elegance during our beach vacation together last September. Glorious memories... Eager child one moment, maturing young woman the next…  I want her to know that parts of that tender girl are worth keeping forever. -That concentrated maturity is overrated, and that growing up doesn’t mean you quit jumping up and down when something sparks your heart. I hope her great-grandchildren will someday see the same sparkle in her eyes that I do and recognize the sweet core of Hannah, sacredly kept and carried within for a lifetime. Matt was finally well enough for us to travel out for Hannah’s birthday dinner last night. We hadn’t ignored her actual birthday night, but it was nice to finally go out to dinner with a healthy family. Matt’s appetite was fully returned. But sadly, Zach, whose presence normally ensures no left-overs in the home, wasn’t so hungry. In fact, he didn’t feel very good at all (Kids never get sick at the same time). Hannah handled it with lady-like grace. We asked that our dinners be boxed up for car Deja Vu (Reposted "Favorites") Heather Dugan no no http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2010/01/25/journey-to-sixteen/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2010/01/25/journey-to-sixteen/#comments Mon, 25 Jan 2010 17:57:41 +0000 Heather Dugan http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/?p=3818 http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2010/01/25/journey-to-sixteen/feed/ 10 2:45 In honor of Zach's eighteenth birthday Originally posted: January 24, 2008 Sixteen years ago tonight, I attempted to slow down the arrival of my first child ... In honor of Zach's eighteenth birthday Originally posted: January 24, 2008 Sixteen years ago tonight, I attempted to slow down the arrival of my first child by breathing into a paper bag. I had no idea if it would really help. I was pretty much at the mercy of the attending nurse by that point in the process. If she had told me to boil my own water, I’d have at least made the effort. With a first baby, it seems that many doctors linger for that one last sip of coffee, check their e-mail, and maybe even discuss dinner plans before actually heading to the hospital for a “labor in progress”. To this day, I don’t know the identity of the masked man who finally delivered Zach when my labor advanced a bit faster than expected. My ex-husband yanked him in from the hallway, stating that I was more than ready to have our baby and that our doctor appeared to be a “no show”. We were pretty sure the guy was on the medical staff, but that detail was secondary by then. The important thing was that this anonymous stranger recovered from his initial bobble of our new son, and that Zach was now a part of our world. Hard to believe he was once an 8 pound mass of baby… Zach towers over me now, closer to the clouds than I’ll ever be. I’ve learned so much from him as he’s grown to sixteen years; I can’t fully grasp how much this young man will enrich a whole lifetime. He has such a bounty of gifts and talents, but it’s his heart I love the best. I’m so honored to be his mom. I’ve felt more than the first twinges as more and more is released into his capable hands. Sixteen is but a couple of breaths from high school graduation. And Zach’s world of possibilities could take him anywhere… When he was about four, he promised me that he and his wife would live with us forever and that we’d all play nightly hockey games in the basement. “Won’t my wife be surprised?” he asked me. You have no idea, I thought, writing his remarks into my journal with a smile. He’s a musician, composer/writer, and an athlete. He’s his little brother’s hero. He lights even the dimmest corners of his great-grandma Mary’s room when he walks through her doorway to take her hand. I tried everything to get labor started sixteen years ago, even running (well, awkwardly plodding) four miles through snow the night before. He was late (some things never change), and I wanted to speed up time to where I could hold this little one I already knew so well. And now… I wish that breathing into a paper bag really would slow it all down a little. I’ve told him often that he’s the kind of guy I’d want to know even if he weren’t my son. So true. I also love to walk beside him, knowing that he is… Deja Vu (Reposted "Favorites") Heather Dugan no no http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2010/01/13/blue-lips-in-bermuda-2/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2010/01/13/blue-lips-in-bermuda-2/#comments Wed, 13 Jan 2010 12:55:15 +0000 Heather Dugan http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/?p=3773 http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2010/01/13/blue-lips-in-bermuda-2/feed/ 11 4:13 I peeked out my window a few minutes ago.  It's still here, there, everywhere...  Snow.  I'll be running in it this afternoon, but I'm taking ... I peeked out my window a few minutes ago.  It's still here, there, everywhere...  Snow.  I'll be running in it this afternoon, but I'm taking a little detour to Bermuda again beforehand. Originally posted:  January 11, 2008 I was headed for snowy Highbanks Metro Park this morning and ended up in Bermuda. Sadly, this was not a literal event. If I could make that happen on a Friday morning, my purse would hold more than its standard necessities of dental floss, crushed red peppers, and "lunch money". No; it began as a quick ten minute journey through some old photos, boxed and awaiting eventual organization. But, in searching for some ice-laden winter shots from my favorite running trails, I stumbled into photos from my first BYOB(C) -"Bring Your Own Birth Certificate"- trip. So, I guess Highbanks will wait… I’m remembering the thrill of getting up out of Ohio and spotting coral reefs through an airplane window for the first time. The trip represented a significant financial choice at the time (1997); slightly extravagant, but utterly essential to satiating intrinsic curiosities. I’d roped my ex-husband into some lower budget ventures in our first years of marriage, finding and exploring many of the natural areas in our surrounding states of Indiana, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. An early trip through Michigan severely tested the limits of a young marriage, however, with me insisting that we could survive on the bag of groceries in the back of my Toyota, and my ex-husband emphatically pulling into an all-you-can-eat-buffet that consumed the rest of our meager vacation budget. He was right, it turned out. I have a teen-age son now and a much better understanding of the significance of real food to males and the whole travel experience (but bagels with peanut butter are food too, right?). Bermuda was a tangible affirmation of the value of travel. We still cut reasonable monetary corners on the island, opting for an apartment on a hillside over one of the more expensive resort hotels. We also rented mountain bikes rather than the popular motor scooters, but that was more out of personal preference than an economic choice. Peering down from a grassy cliff-side path and seeing actual tropical fish in the waters below expanded my horizons from ground level to ocean deep. We were at the edge of another world but had to get closer yet… We ventured gingerly down the sharp volcanic rock, fascinated by the clear cerulean blues of the seething waters. Eventually, from the edge of a calmer pink sand beach, we had to try snorkeling. Being novices to “tropical” traveling, we were unprepared but equally undeterred. I inquired about renting snorkels at a nearby hotel. There were none left to rent, but in what I found to be a charmingly typical kindness amongst the islanders, the desk clerk offered his own equipment to us, refusing our offers of payment. I was completely hooked. Previously, my perceptions of the ocean were limited to what washed up on its shores or touched my toes as I swam. In Bermuda, I discovered a whole new world of fish and coral and creatures. Mesmerized, I followed fish that first afternoon until my lips turned blue (It was April and a little early for all but the most hearty Atlantic swimmers). I simply couldn’t leave the water. Yes, I thoroughly enjoyed walking through the quaint, bustling towns of Hamilton and St. George. Riding mountain bikes along the Bermuda Railway Trail to catch a ferry across the Great Sound was also a great way to experience the island. The pastel-colored houses, profuse tropical blooms, and the whole British colony flavor of things was exhilarating to my Midwestern bred senses. But my most lasting impression of Bermuda remains my vertical view from a dead man’s float. It revealed an enchanting new world, often silent but never entirely still. A fluid nation, hosting vivid personalities with unique languages and vibrant c Deja Vu (Reposted "Favorites") Heather Dugan no no http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2009/12/23/stories-on-our-tree-2/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2009/12/23/stories-on-our-tree-2/#comments Wed, 23 Dec 2009 16:41:13 +0000 Heather Dugan http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/?p=3683 http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2009/12/23/stories-on-our-tree-2/feed/ 5 2:54 We added some new ornaments to our tree this year -from Mammoth Cave NP, Yosemite NP and Playa Del Carmen, MX.  As we add to ... We added some new ornaments to our tree this year -from Mammoth Cave NP, Yosemite NP and Playa Del Carmen, MX.  As we add to our memories, we add them to the branches of our Christmas tree. Merry Christmas! Originally posted:  December 21, 2008 I like to read the stories on our Christmas tree. There are over-sized pinecones from a North Carolina roadside, hastily gathered during an accidental route departure (some would say we were "lost"), now "child-enhanced" with cheerful globs of green and gold glitter glue. Other homemade creations include painted wood ornaments and glass globes, sequin-covered styrofoam balls and assorted paper art. Everyone knows who made which one, and there's a story behind most. I treasure a wooden star that my Grandma Dugan painted during one of the Christmases she stayed with us before moving to the care center. A few ornaments date back to my childhood: a worn-looking angel, painted with the abandon of a child who has better things to do; a felt star festooned with sequins that I sewed on, one by one, at the dining room table of my childhood home; a trumpet given by my best friend in fifth grade; a mirrored nativity scene from my Grandma and Grandpa Prior... Musical notes and instruments are a recurring theme, many of them gifts from my late father (odd term; he was never late for anything and was actually a bit early in leaving us!). Near the top of the tree, just beneath the Star, is a silly looking penguin whose wings and beak flap with a pull of a string. It joined us during our brief residence in Elida, Ohio and is the coveted find as we decorate each year. Every year, the kids receive an ornament that reflects a current interest; these now include ballet slippers, a lizard, virtually every sports ball, and an electric guitar (ssh... a new arrival this year). We also make it a practice to find seasonal decorations when we travel. When I look at our tree I see islands such as Hawaii, Bermuda, St John and Virgin Gorda. Canada and Mexico dangle from branches as do a good number of states and cities of the US. A pair of flip flops and a ballerina cow from Hannah's trips to Anna Maria Island and Chicago... A gecko and a cable car from Zach's trips to Palm Springs and San Francisco... Leaping dolphins that Matt helped pick out in Hilton Head... Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks are new additions, three brightly colored key chains to remind of us this past summer's adventures (we've found key chains make great, inexpensive ornaments when you're too busy to shop for souvenirs). It's a well-covered tree this year, which helps hide the stripe of burned out lights near the bottom. As the kids settle into their homes and traditions, though, the branches will empty. Most of the ornaments will go with them as tangible reminders of their personal histories. Perhaps they'll share the memories with their own children someday, just as I've recounted mine to them. And when they decorate their own trees, they'll probably travel through a few memories... I hope so. Because the familiar stories are usually the best... Deja Vu (Reposted "Favorites") Heather Dugan no no http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2009/12/20/a-bug-is-a-bug-unless-its-a-photo-2/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2009/12/20/a-bug-is-a-bug-unless-its-a-photo-2/#comments Sun, 20 Dec 2009 22:55:07 +0000 Heather Dugan http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/?p=3674 http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2009/12/20/a-bug-is-a-bug-unless-its-a-photo-2/feed/ 4 http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2009/12/09/tis-the-season-2/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2009/12/09/tis-the-season-2/#comments Wed, 09 Dec 2009 16:38:19 +0000 Heather Dugan http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/?p=3201 http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2009/12/09/tis-the-season-2/feed/ 6 2:50 One of our favorite holiday traditions: caroling with Grandma.  This year we will carol with both of my grandmas, conveniently situated in neighboring rest homes.  ... One of our favorite holiday traditions: caroling with Grandma.  This year we will carol with both of my grandmas, conveniently situated in neighboring rest homes.  We have much to be thankful for. Originally posted: December 21, 2007 Matt, my little math whiz, has been giving me a daily “count-down” to Christmas since sometime in early November. That was just last week; right? This is one of those years that I’ve had to boil it down to the basics, focusing on a handful of meaningful traditions rather than a “mall full” of activity. “Traditions” gain their place by fulfilling that deepest need for spiritual and emotional connection. Ours range from secret stocking stuffing to “Seussical” graham cracker houses (who has time to make ginger bread?!) to Christmas light walks through our neighborhood and our Advent readings to… it’s a big list. Some we’ve done “forever” in kid years; others are new fits, filling a place in our hearts as if they’ve always been there. Our newest tradition began last year when my Grandma Mary had her first Christmas as a resident of Highbanks Care Center here on the north end of Columbus, Ohio. That’s a whole story in itself: adjustments, kindnesses, fear, and compassion… The abridged version is that this is nothing that she’d planned on for her life. But, she’s really looking forward to Christmas caroling tomorrow morning. She probably won’t remember that her great-grandchildren, our dog Lily, and at least one of my sisters and I are showing up for the “event” tomorrow, but she’s been aglow this whole month knowing that we’re going to repeat the fun of last year. My grandma’s reliable alto voice graced many a church choir. She lost a lot of what used to be essential in her life when grandpa, dad and mom died a few years ago. She left her Florida home, her church and the hospital at which she was a faithful volunteer to live nearer to her remaining family. A crystallization of priorities… Losing her mobility was unfathomable for a woman with a mile-a-day walking habit. But she lost that too with a hip fracture at age ninety… No longer able to choose when to go where, she became dependent on the kindnesses of others. How difficult it is to be relegated to “receiving” when one is used to contributing in so many ways! So, we took her Christmas caroling last year, door-to-door within her care center. Grandma wore her favorite Christmas sweater, sang favorite music that is thankfully still hard-wired into her brain, and simply beamed as her littlest great-granddaughters handed out candy to her fellow residents. She loved the joyful singing. She loved being enfolded by family... She also loved being a giver again. Grandma told me how people thanked her in the following weeks. The residents thanked her for sharing her family with them. Grandma smiled because, while she can no longer send cards and wrap pretty packages, she could still give a gift to others. That was the gift that makes caroling with Grandma a tradition we will keep. Deja Vu (Reposted "Favorites") Heather Dugan no no http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2009/12/01/gym-jump-2/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2009/12/01/gym-jump-2/#comments Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:46:44 +0000 Heather Dugan http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/?p=3138 http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2009/12/01/gym-jump-2/feed/ 3 1:31 For those invested in regular work-outs, switching gyms is a weighty (...look for it; there's a pun in there) decision.  Equipment, price and proximity are ... For those invested in regular work-outs, switching gyms is a weighty (...look for it; there's a pun in there) decision.  Equipment, price and proximity are the tangible factors.  Less obvious is the atmosphere at what will hopefully become a regular hang-out.  A year later?  I've found that even a mega-gym like Urban Active can be a personable kind of place and am looking forward to my work-outs more than ever. Originally posted on October 19, 2008: Ashley said “hi,” and I felt guilty. Or sad, or…? It was definitely a twinge of something. I had raced into the Rec Center for a quick “anything” work-out before Matt’s football practice ended at seven. A bit of a haul from his practice field, but I’m slightly dedicated and didn’t have any desperate grocery needs… And Ashley paused from her conversation to say, “I’ve got you Heather,” as I walked by, ID-less as usual (because I am SO tired of the necessary discount cards I have to carry for area groceries, pharmacies and gas stations and refuse to keep any more laminations than absolutely necessary). I do all my weight work and the occasional cardio at the Westerville Community Center. They have a card-swipe system, and I have a deer-in-the-headlights photo card ID somewhere in this world. But I never use it. And Ashley and Pam and Amber and Liz all know my name and punch me through before I even make it down the long hallway to the check-in desk. We even talk sometimes. Kind of a “Cheers” thing minus the dim lighting, laugh track and alcohol… The guilt or sadness, or whatever it might be, lies in the knowing that I’ll be leaving them soon. For the bigger newer gym being built five minutes closer to my house… They won’t know my name at the new place. I’ll probably have to bring my card or state my name or something. And while the proximity and cross-training possibilities will rev up my routine –and I can’t wait to test myself on three floors of fitness equipment (!), I know I’ll be losing something too... Deja Vu (Reposted "Favorites") Heather Dugan no no http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2009/10/14/lily-the-lab-2/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2009/10/14/lily-the-lab-2/#comments Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:48:01 +0000 Heather Dugan http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/?p=2629 http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2009/10/14/lily-the-lab-2/feed/ 9 1:56 I'm headed out-of-town for a couple of days on another college visit(!) with my son. Here's a favorite post about our favorite dog... Originally posted:  June ... I'm headed out-of-town for a couple of days on another college visit(!) with my son. Here's a favorite post about our favorite dog... Originally posted:  June 25, 2008 Lily seems to bring out my daughter’s maternal instincts. “Mom,” she remarked last Saturday, “Lily needs to get out more.” I reminded her that Lily goes walking or running with us at least once each day and that I’d already taken her swimming up at the dam twice this week. “No,” Hannah explained, “she needs to hang out with other dogs more. She needs to socialize.” Hannah joked about making a "play date" for Lily but was sincere in her concern. And so, we ended up at Alum Creek Dog Park later that afternoon… Lily is our first family dog and my own “first dog” as well. In my youth, I certainly begged for my share of puppies and kittens but always ended up with turtles and baby sisters. My youngest sister was the one who finally wore mom down to dog ownership (the month I left home for college!), and Bijou, a scruffy shi-poo, became her devoted follower. I tried to “bond” during infrequent weekends home, but she was decidedly Kathleen's dog. For Kathleen alone, Bijou would roll over and endure dress-up sessions in baby clothes (albeit with reluctance and a pronounced aversion to lace-trimmed bonnets). Bijou and I just didn’t have that sort of relationship. It felt more like a “friend of a friend” thing between us. My daughter Hannah did the whole “we need a dog” campaign in a more focused and timely fashion. When she “identified the need” a few years ago she started forwarding me informative articles on the psychological benefits of dog ownership. I received e-mails on the advantages and disadvantages of specific breeds and links to amazing stories of doggy heroics. All accompanied by air-brushed photos of winsome canines, of course… It still took meeting a particular dog, Lily, to take the plunge however. Lily’s owner had succumbed to cancer and his widow hoped to place the two-year old puppy in an active home. With three kids and an outdoor-oriented lifestyle, our family qualified in an almost excessive way. And in the end, we didn’t so much “get a dog” as bring Lily home. Deja Vu (Reposted "Favorites") Heather Dugan no no