Back to Rowing….Halo!

It was nice to be back in the water after the boats were cleaned, as it had been a few weeks for me. Besides the pictures above, I got some with Jim looking like an angel in front of the sun’s corona also after coxswain Tori pointed it out.

Cuddle Club with Calvin and Hobbes

Yesterday Calvin and Hobbes were a hit at the Benicia Library. There was a regularly-scheduled Cuddle Club event, which is a pet therapy program of HSNB that my friend Carlene Coury founded. However this time the press was there!

The news story mentions them in the first words of the main article on the front page of today’s Vallejo Times Herald! Despite “holding court” there, they were not photographed, so I’m including a picture of them, together with the article and the two pictures of some of the other dogs that were there. Several people were interested in adopting Calvin and Hobbes together, so we’ll see. They were incredibly well-behaved with lots of people and children. Everyone was surprised that they had never done anything like this before.

I was so busy answering questions that I didn’t even pull out my own camera. In hindsight, I should have deputized Shea to be the cameraman. I so appreciate that he was gracious enough to join me.

50 year Celebration of Jimmy and Steve

Steve playfully feeds Jimmy.

It was a special Vallejo Gay Network potluck last night with Jimmy Genn and Steve Davis celebrating 50 years together!

A sampling of the attendees in Jim & Steve’s backyard.

Foster Miso’s first day

Six dogs including the four fosters in the rental backyard are enjoying each other’s company and getting lots of exercise.

With senior foster Bugsy (who did so well adapting to our household) leaving on Tuesday, we agreed to foster Miso. Miso looks like a miniature German Shepherd, pointed ears and all. He’s a young chihuahua mix, like Calvin and Hobbes, who needed some TLC. He wasn’t doing too well in the shelter environment. Of course the goal is to get every cat and dog at the shelter into permanent homes. I’m glad while waiting for my house to be renovated Shea and I can provide some sanctuary to a few dogs. Miso had a heck of a fun time meeting and playing with the pack. I’m glad he and Bugsy got to meet for a few days overlap. They will all sleep well tonight.

Hopefully the three remaining younger chihuahua mixes will be adopted out soon. Five of these six dogs are rescues from HSNB, including Bonnie, who I adopted last year. Snoopy was also a stray, but he’s my special survivor from the fire 13 months ago.

February Poolside Coffee

Relaxing poolside on a February afternoon with good weather (between atmospheric rivers) and good friends discussing life over light snacks and coffee. I brought Snoopy (off adventuring in Greg and Steve’s yard, which he’s very familiar with), Bonnie, and Bugsy. He’s a foster senior who is going to Muttville in ten days for some medical treatment and a new life. That incredible organization gets their dogs adopted out fast, so he is likely to become a San Francisco purse dog within a week.

Carquinez Trail Hike

Had a nice hike with the Benicia LGBTQIA Network at Glen Cove Waterfront Park and into Benicia State Park along the Carquinez Trail today. I took Bonnie and Snoopy and many folks had no idea Bonnie was blind until we finished. She kept up so well with Snoopy as her seeing-eye dog.

Here are the pictures Christina took:

Firestation Calendar Photo Shoot

For the 2026 Humane Society of the North Bay calendar, we took our three foster dogs (one of which is going to Muttville later this month) for a photo shoot with firemen here in Vallejo. Today’s photo shoot was with Fire Station 24. Before some of you (you know who you are) get all hot and bothered, the firemen kept their shirts on. Anyway, it was a great experience and I’m glad these foster dogs will help other homeless cats and dogs by the funds raised with the forthcoming calendar. Thank you to Lisa, Mei and others from HSNB who arranged this. For good measure, Mei had the wherewithal to suggest Shea and I pose with the dogs by the kissing booth.

On the way to the fire station we gave our friend Teena a lift to the hairdresser. She wanted to take pictures of the models as we left.

Earlier that morning Shea called them and Snoopy for a photo, and what he got he couldn’t have planned better if he had tried:

Hello from Vallejo, California!