Enjoying CA

grandemugrandemu
edited May 2008 in General
We finally got internet at our house in Lompoc. Here are some pics of the central coast and the dogs

Jen and me in front of the Lompoc Flower Fields
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Lompoc flower field in front of our neighborhood
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Artichoke Plant
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Sora Sunning herself
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Stokes enjoying the patio
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Sora relaxing
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Tag relaxing
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Sora upclose
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Jen and the dogs in front of Morro Rock at Morro Bay, CA
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Morro Bay
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Spooner cove at Morro Bay
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Comments

  • BradA1878BradA1878
    edited November -1
    Glad you guys are enjoying Cali.... Looks like a pretty place!

    Did the dogs take the picture?

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  • BradA1878BradA1878
    edited November -1
    btw - does this mean you guys will be on the forum more???? :o)
  • grandemugrandemu
    edited November -1
    Yeah, we should actually be able to post now. We could check it, but the connection was poor, so it would be hard to post anything.
  • baantonbaanton
    edited November -1
    Thanks for sharing your views, especially for us "ocean-impaired" people in the center... (MN., that is)!

    Beautiful dogs! Looking forward to more pics of your journeys through California and seeing the dogs enjoying it all...

    Take care,
  • grandemugrandemu
    edited November -1
    Amazingly, the weather here is not hot - at all! We actually have to carry a jacket in the car, in case it gets cold. I never thought I'd need to wear a jacket in the summer - in (almost) southern CA - well, southern central CA. You can go from Lompoc (our town) where it is 75 degrees, north an hour (and a little further from the coast), and the temp is 101! They do not have "microclimes" in OH - this will take getting used to! We will learn to depend on weather.com - do we need a jacket today, or shorts and tank top? Crazy! We have more pics (and are always taking more), we just have to get around to posting them.
  • okironokiron
    edited November -1
    Lol glad you're enjoying Cali. Everyone looks so happy.
  • LeonbergerLeonberger
    edited November -1
    Great views you have there! The pups seem to be enjoying it a lot too.
    Micro climates can be a pain to get used to. But it's an interesting phenomenon. We have one around Lisbon, in Sintra. Totally different weather, just a 20 min drive away!
  • EdgewoodEdgewood
    edited November -1
    Beautiful! I bet it is a big change from Ohio! I am sure you will love the dry heat vs the humidity of the midwest and east coast. Sora looks beautiful -- she is growing up quite well. She and Kuma are starting to look different now (to me) while as puppies, the pictures looked so much alike. I think that Kuma might be slightly darker in color (slightly) and have a bit broader face.

    How big is Sora now? I keep checking and Kuma seems to have stopped putting on weight (33-34 lbs now) but it is all run off in activity now and he still is not a super eater.

    PS, did you both see that Andrea (in the big Shiba decision) is interested in meeting a Shikoku? Didn't know if you might have contacted her. I know that I have emailed her back and forth about the breed. (Since your internet has been spotty).

    Love the flower fields!
  • dlrobertsdlroberts
    edited November -1
    Wow guys, it looks like you live in a beautiful town! I love California. Its such a beautiful place with great scenery and so much to do! Thanks for sharing the pictures. :-)
  • grandemugrandemu
    edited November -1
    Sora seems to have stopped at about 25 lbs, maybe 27 (she eats well but is still pretty solid), which is just small enough to squeeze through the fence here. We've put up wire fencing around the bottom, but we still have to watch her. We keep rooting for her to get just a little bigger, but she's stubbornly staying where she is. Probably on purpose. She has gotten a lot more interested in people. She loves to go up and give them kisses. She's ecstatic when we get home from work - would much rather get pet than go to the bathroom...which means we have to remember for her, or she'll jump up and start dribbling. I have talked to Andrea, we might be able to meet up sometime in June.
    Kuma is looking great - I'm sure the barn keeps him crazy active. Sora has gotten much better on walks, and we're waiting for her to get old enough to go running with us. One thing that really bugs me about CA, is that it is supposedly all outdoorsy, and state parks, and great places to hike - but not with your dogs. I know I've said there are few beaches that allow dogs, but there are also few state parks that allow dogs on the hiking trails. Horses yes. Dogs no. Who drives 2, 4, 7 hrs to get to a trail, and doesn't take their dogs with them? I already work away from them during the week, evenings and weekends are their time with us - we wouldn't spend it away again - esp if we're doing something they love to do. We'd feel soooo guilty. So that ticks us off. I think we're going to miss a lot of good hikes b/c they don't allow dogs on the trails.
  • dlrobertsdlroberts
    edited November -1
    Wow, I had no idea CA was so un-dog friendly. :-( In some weird way, that kinda fits with my mental model of CA. I know a lot of conservationists think that dogs ruin the areas they are allowed in. My response to them is that's what leashes are for. Dogs are no more harsh on a trail than humans are, maybe even less so.
  • EdgewoodEdgewood
    edited November -1
    Bummer about the CA national and state parks. Around here in PA they just have leash laws and "pick up after" laws. Funny that they allow horses b/c their footfalls would do much more damage to the environment.

    Yes, Kuma loves being on the farm. I also took him to The Devon Horse Show (to watch) which is one of the largest shows in the country. Plus it has a country fair going on (eg, ferris wheel, rides) and so the were TONS of people. Dan says that he needs to wear a billboard "I am Shikoku - Japanese Hunting dog" and he is always mobbed with people and kids. Luckily he is like Sora and loves to give kisses, especially to the littlest of children(he is very gentle with them). I even had a kid come up from behind and hug him and he just turned and kissed the boy.

    Well, I guess we can both hope that they grow a bit! I guess I shouldn't feel bad as Sora is smaller (and should be being female). I think that Kiba is also about 33 lbs or so per her last posts about him.
  • zoiegirlzoiegirl
    edited November -1
    Great pictures...its very beautiful. And the artichoke plant is pretty cool never knoew what they looked like
  • ivanmeza03ivanmeza03
    edited November -1
    Sora is B E A U T I F U L!!!
  • okironokiron
    edited November -1
    Yeah it really sucks about all these "no dogs allowed" places. It's really hard to just get up and do things. You gotta make sure to do your research and see if dogs are allowed. We've hard our share of disappointments while with Makaya.
  • ljowen123ljowen123
    edited November -1
    It looks like a wonderful area! The dogs look really happy. In Georgia, I still find a lot of dog un-friendly places. We do seem to be getting more dog parks, but a lot of places are not welcoming to dogs unless they fit in your purse - can anyone imagine toting a shiba in a purse??
  • baantonbaanton
    edited November -1
    Are you near Castroville? The pic of the artichoke "trees" reminds me of a story: On a trip to CA a couple years ago, I learned that Marilyn Monroe got "noticed" when elected and serving as the queen of the Artichoke Festival in Castroville. It was an enticing enough story to get my husband and I off the freeway and driving through town. I don't recall much more about the town, except I remember we found some great Mexican food there!
  • grandemugrandemu
    edited November -1
    Not really close to Castroville. About 3 hours south of there. We're smack in the middle of the bend in CA. So 1 hour south of San Luis Obispo and 1 hour north of Santa Barbara.
  • tobyshibatobyshiba
    edited November -1
    ... I was about to saaay, your Shiba looks a lot like Toby, but ... Sora is a Shikoku! haha! I swear, Toby looks more Shikoku than Shiba. xD
  • ddowdemersddowdemers
    edited November -1
    Welcome to CA. We live in Solana Bch. (So Cal) and we are the parents of the other Shikoku in CA. (But actually I think that there are four here in CA.). If you ever come south, look us up and meet Tenji. I'n sure that he would be interested in saying hello to Sora.
  • RomiRomi
    edited November -1
    Yeah Jen & Tommy! When are you coming down south??? :)
  • grandemugrandemu
    edited November -1
    We'll have to work that in - so far we have only been to LA to drive though on our way north, or for work. We still haven't made it down for fun. But we'll definitely be bringing the dogs when we do.
  • grandemugrandemu
    edited November -1
    I'm trying the video thing...
    Sora playing with Stokes and Tag





    Again, Sora playing with Stokes and Tag



  • grandemugrandemu
    edited November -1
    Yay! It worked! She instigates this btw...she is no innocent victim here.
  • LeonbergerLeonberger
    edited November -1
    They look like they're blast! And little miss Sora has it in her to take on the both of them. I bet she sees herself 4 times bigger than she is.
  • StaticNfuzzStaticNfuzz
    edited November -1
    Beautiful area and beautiful dogs. Thanks for showing the pack interactions with Sora. It really is good to see how dogs correct pups and younger individuals within the pack. It really takes a balanced pack to put their paw down on some antics so the unruly pup learns some manners. This is what we have had to curb at the dog park since it sends panic among owners about the Sptizies. The Jindos behave in much the same way at times and it takes a dog with the same energy to be able to deal with or correct the nonsense. It seemed the border collies were able to keep up the best and had the wear with all to deal with things effectively.

    Sora is beautiful btw! Again thanks for the footage it is really educational.
    Look forward to more as she matures.
    Snf
  • tsukitsunetsukitsune
    edited November -1
    great videos! their interaction is very interesting. and they are all great looking dogs!

    I agree, SnF, we see a lot of interesting behavior in the manner modification department when at the dog park among our own group of pups, and other owners get so panic stricken.. ugh. I can't wait to have my own large fenced in yard area for all my spitzies to enjoy themselves on their terms :)

    Can't wait to see more Sora!!!!
  • dlrobertsdlroberts
    edited November -1
    Play time looks like so much fun. And what a beautiful yard you have for them to run around in! *is a bit jealous* :-)
  • BradA1878BradA1878
    edited November -1
    Great yard! Great videos too! Looks like Sora is filling out [not fat, just beefing up a bit]... she looks great! She also looks a bit taller than when we saw her - maybe?

    Tag is a crazy man. lol! He just goes and goes doesn't he?

    Shikoku are such masochists... they love to be beat up by other dogs in play. it's funny.

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  • grandemugrandemu
    edited November -1
    Tag has actually started herding Stokes, just about all the time. At least a few times every day - in the yard, in the house...Stokes just ignores him though. We're the ones that have to tell him to stop, b/c he doesn't pay attention to where he's going. Sora is constantly trying to get the guys to play, she go from one to the other if the 1st doesn't want to play, or play with both if they're game. Otherwise she'll lay next to Stokes when he's chewing on something and stare at it, lick his face, until she slowly steals it away from him (with him grumbling the whole time).
    We recently went to visit some friends who have a 1.5 yr old daughter, and we brought the dogs b/c it was an all day trip. They have a great dane/lab mix, so the little girl is pretty used to dogs. Stokes would be laying down, and she would go over an lay on top of him, and hug on him, and he didn't do anything but look up at us pleadingly. He only got up when she was pushing herself up, and happened to use a sensitive area as a base, and even then he didn't dislodge her, he moved slowly. Also, Sora is great with kids. she doesn't try to push them over, doesn't steal their food (although she is watching, ready...) She stood completely still when the little girl wrapped her arms around her middle and hugged, leaning on her. Sora was completely unconcerned. Tag never stayed still long enough to get love. But he was still fine when she cornered him (not intentionally, it just ended up he didn't have anywhere to go. He tried to melt through our legs, but let her pet him w/o issue). Anyway, Sora is growing up to be a much more social dog than I thought she would be. Well, sometimes when you 1st meet her, if she's distracted she is standoffish, but if she's comfortable and relaxed, she's all about the attention. She likes to play with blades of grass.
    Sora is getting pretty solid. I don't think she is much taller...maybe an inch or so, but definitely solid. She needs it with the way she throws her weight at the boys.
    Sometime I'll have to get a video of how Sora tries to get the boys to play if they're not paying attention in the yard. Like if we're playing ball, or frisbee, usually Tag (well, always Tag) and Stokes are pretty focused on that. In those cases Sora will chase them around and then lunge sideways into them, and grab their fur and hold on while she's running along side them. She'll do that until she gets bored or they (Stokes...Tag is a lost cause when a ball/frisbee/sprinkler is involved) start playing with her.
    We'll keep the updates coming!
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