This Week With Jane and Charley: A Cat, a Dog, and a Trip to Los Angeles

(Here’s what’s happening in our world this week, including the continuing adventures of Charley, the little black cat that Tim sent me the day after he passed. Read all about her shenanigans here. -jb)

Happy New Year! This week in our world, I spent a few weeks in Los Angeles with my daughter Marissa, helped her adopt a sweet little rescue dog, and spent time by the fire with CharleyGirl.

While in L.A., Marissa and I looked at a few shelter dogs, including a Jack Russell (a little too energetic), an Australian Shepherd (a little too big), and finally, a sweet little Chihuahua/Cocker Spaniel mix (just right). She knew right away this was the one, and after a few days, named him Oliver.

While Marissa was working, Oliver and I had some great adventures around L.A. One day we went to Ocean Park, and another day, we went to Santa Monica State Beach. Both parks had a great boardwalk where you can not only walk your dog, but also sit and people-watch to your heart’s content. I come from a long line of people-watchers, so that was a fun way to spend a few hours.

And everyone stopped and said Hi to Oliver. He was still a little shy at the time, but warmed up to people just during the few weeks I was there. He had been rescued from the streets of L.A., so it’s understandable that he would be a little skittish around people he doesn’t know. But it didn’t take long for him to latch onto Marissa and declare that she was his person.

Here we are at Santa Monica State Beach. You can see the Santa Monica Pier in the background. Marissa and I went there a few years ago, and it’s a really cool place. Oliver and I thought there might be too many people there, so we just looked at it from a distance this time.

And here we are at Ocean Park. A great spot to people-watch.

Also, I might have gone by the pet store and bought Oliver a puffer vest that looks a little like mine.

Marissa is not a fan of winter and loves the L.A. weather. As you probably know, however, I AM a fan of winter. So while I love spending time with her and Oliver, I was also happy to get back to my cold and snowy Michigan, my cat, my woodstove, and of course, my beloved Old Mission Peninsula.

The first thing I did was shovel out a path to the woodpiles on the deck. If I’d waited a few days, the snow would have melted by itself.

CharleyGirl was understandably miffed at me for being gone for a few weeks. The first night I was home, she gave me the power shun. But within a day, she was back to hanging out with me by the fire. After giving me The Look, of course.

I was happy to drive around the Peninsula and soak up the ambience, including the Dougherty House, the Fire Station on the North End, the glowing star-orb on the Chown’s barn, East Bay and an eagle that perched outside my house.

Also Read…

This Week With Jane and Charley: Catnip Mice, the Woodlot, House-Staining Project & Holiday Grief