Passings....... Shasta 7/28/1998 - 2/26/2011

I lost my best friend today!

My beloved Rhodesian Ridgeback, “Shasta”, left me this morning, she was 12.

I knew this day would come, but you are never truly ready for it. I wanted to be able have it happen at my house, when the time was right. I did not want to have to go to the Vet’s office to put her to sleep. However, that did not happen. I was able to have the strength to be there, and hold her head in my lap as she took her final breath.

My office will be a little empty and strange for a while. I use to be able to look over my laptop at the couch to see her asleep with her head on a pillow.

Shasta was my “starter child”. She prepared me to be a father. What is it about the bond you have with a dog? She was more then a dog, she was part of me. How many times did I wake up and find her asleep between me and my wife with her head on the pillow?

I could walk out the front door, go around the alley and come in the back and she would be all excited to see me, like I have been gone for a week.

Where else can you get that kind of love and admiration?

Rest in Peace Shasta…….
7-28-1998 – 2-26-2011

Maui, 1994

Updates..Injury

I have not been in the water since session#6. A few weeks prior to that,I was riding a gloss and polish board, slippery rails. When I went to do a duck dive, my right arm slid off, and I held onto the board with my Left arm. The wave wrenched it back.

Have had some bad pain for the past few weeks. I was kinda freaking out that maybe I tore my Rotator cuff. I know that all to well. See my post Screwed.

So I went back to See Dr. Kraemer for my left arm this time. He pulled, pushed, had me do all these strength tests. We think it is just a bad strain. But, I have also been helping to coach my sons Little League Team. I have been catching, throwing and swinging the bat, probably not a good thing. My arm has really been hurting, hurts to lift it. I am hoping over the next few weeks it will get better so I can surf again.

Iwas on a good run for awhile.