Hi All -

Birthday Boy Boomer here. Yup! I became 13 years young on the 1st of August. I've enclosed a picture of the festive day with two of my birthday presents. The white shark [sharky] is from my Forever Dad [FD] and the blue whale [ Wally Whale] is from my Forever Mom [FM]. But the best present of all was a box of my very favorite cookies from FD ! FM did a pretty good job making me look quite handsome for the occasion I think. She said she was rusty on trimming ears as it has been quite a while since Melodie lived here, but it sure is nice to get all of that fur off. She says my nails are just getting too hard to cut anymore so she's going to sand them down like she does with the big guys.

I've lost a lot of weight which my doc said is very good for my leg disease. I sure feel better and I don't have my leg giving out under me much anymore. I also have my very own "bedroom" right next to FD. It's huge and filled with toys which I take out every morning and then FM brings them back in the evening. I can stretch out big time and nobody bothers me all night. It's been so nice and I'm much stronger now and so steady on my feet.

FM and I come down in the morning and make coffee and I go out and look for squirrels that have become a pain FM says. I have my breakfast and medications and then settle in for a snooze while FM and FD watch the news and read the paper. Then it's off to their offices where they work on the computers until lunch. FD says I tell time better than a watch. That's when FD gives me my cookies. Late afternoon FD takes me out in the backyard and we have a great time doing all sorts of things. He tells FM that I haven't slowed down at all. He's my favorite but we don't tell FM. She smiles and says I'm a Velcro dog the way I follow FD around. Life is good here. I'm very healthy and happy and we all agree that I don't look or act my age. FD says I've still got a lot of "get up and go" in me and he's having a hard time keeping up with me.

Hope everyone had a nice summer. Time to go check on the varmints. Bye for now.

Hi! Boomer here. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I sure did. The best part for me is the preparation of all of the goodies. That's when Foster Mom slips me pieces of my favorites. Then my dinner has turkey and gravy mixed in along with veggies and it's the best meal of all. After Thanksgiving I find more treats in my meals for several days. I've been on a diet but at dinner time Foster Dad brings me neat carrots and beans and slips them to me one by one.

I've been loving this snow too. Every day I go out and stick my nose way down into the deep snow and look for all of the critters hidden below. It's so much fun. And when the snow is coming down I try to catch the flakes in the air. These are good days for a Golden.

Every afternoon I jump up on the bed and Foster mom and I have our own playtime. I get to roll and roll on my back and get my tummy scratched. Then we play "tug of war" with my favorite toys. Sometimes I get my nails cut while I'm there as I like to be stretched out and relaxed. At night I snuggle up on the bed with mom and dad until morning. Then we all watch the TV news and they have coffee. I jump up on the couch next to Foster Mom and stick my nose into her lap for a little extra petting. All of my backyard critters are sleeping away the winter so I doze on Foster dad's couch in his office or lay in the sun in mom's office. I think winter is a pretty great time of year.

I've sent along two pictures of me in the new snow because I'm wearing my Christmas present. It came early because of the storms. I think I look quite handsome in my new Sherpa and suede coat. I also have cool sled dog booties that keep my feet warm when it gets below zero since I like to take my time getting back to the house.

Last night I had a very special visitor that came all of the way from Colorado and stopped by for dinner and a visit just to see me. Boy did we have fun. Well, I sure hope you all are enjoying the holidays and the snow. Merry Christmas to everyone and I hope Santa brings you just what you want. I sure am living the good life and love my foster home. Talk to you later. Happy New Year.

Boomer enjoyed the last snow of the winter and is happy to see green grass and chipmunks. Those pesky squirrels are the bane of his existence.

This week was his annual  health exam, profile, and other tests, with overall results from his vet.  From the tip of his nose to the tip of his tail he was pronounced in excellent health with no concerns other than a couple of teeth that need cleaning and a few "winter pounds" that need to be taken off. His chronic mild arthritis and continued thick stifle joints are under control with medication enough so that he still thinks he's a four-year old guy. He also was happy to meet another Ragom guy and the two of them delighted the other clients in the waiting room.

He continues to be a happy dog and now follows my husband around everywhere since his serious auto accident. He loves to roam around the house looking for just about anything that piques his interest. He delights in stealing Kleenex and paper napkins and searching closets for stray toys.  He especially loves the new memory foam mattress topper and spends some days just parking himself on it and looking out the bedroom picture window. The summer will bring new training challenges, which he thinks are fun and masters with great delight and he's now the official kitchen guy.

From Boomer's forever family...

Boomer has assimilated easily into our home and is enjoying his many new experiences. He is very comfortable with our routines that have been tweaked to include his important issues and special habits so dear to him.

While he still loves playing hide and seek with his chipmunk friends, he continues to insist that the squirrels do not belong here. He totally enjoys the increased freedom he’s earned and makes him so happy. He takes his duty, with great pride, of protecting his surroundings very seriously. If there is a negative, it’s that he doesn’t get many visitors.

He has become a “kitchen” guy and loves to be with me when I’m preparing anything. He gets his share of tidbits. He senses something is coming with all of the grocery bags appearing.

This is Boomer's place in the family room with his bed and his #1 favorite toy out of half a dozen or so. It is with him 24/7. He takes it to bed, outside, checking things out - you name it. He loves his Imu. They are inseparable. He plays with all of his toys and puts them in different rooms but Imu goes everywhere with him.

Boomer is an extremely intelligent dog with a huge capacity and thirst for learning. He wants to be involved in everything and feels it’s his duty to do so. He knows when it’s time for certain things and will patiently wait until we respond and acknowledge his presence. He is very healthy and age hasn’t slowed him down. All of his profiles to date have been normal. He only takes Rimadyl twice a day for his legs that endure his endless joy of flying off of the deck and racing around the yard checking out his favorite places. He continues to bring us joy and happiness daily and fills our house with life and warmth.

From Boomer's forever family...

HERE COMES BOOMER!

He breezed into the house without hesitation, spent about 24 hours scoping out every nook and cranny and decided it would be his “Forever Home.” Then there was the box of toys along with the very special one from his Foster Mom. One at a time, he carried them around and deposited several in each room. Next he checked out the floor to ceiling windows in the living room and the wall of windows in the family room – both were his favorite spots to spend the day. Most of his time was spent watching his Forever Mom and Dad. Partial to men, he became his FD’s shadow. Gradually he warmed up to Mom, but only because she knew where the food was. From the very first night he made himself at home on the bed in the best location – he could align his back along FD’s legs and when he turned over FM was there too. By the second day he discovered a backyard full of critters and he was in his glory. His work was cut out for him. When the back door opened, he’d fly off the deck into a snow bank and chase those varmints out of the yard. How he loves the backyard with its myriad of smells, unknown holes, and trees and shrubs to check on. Come spring he was sure there would be more. Oh yes, this was indeed his Forever Home.

PetCo was a blast!!  I hope you were all able to stop in.  There were lots of dogs and lots of visitors and I believe a good time was had by all.  Foster Mom says I was on overload.  Who wouldn’t be?  I just wanted to be sure I had an opportunity to meet and sniff everyone.  And I think I did.  I was still wound up when we got home so I dug a toy out of the snow and ran about twenty laps around the backyard.  The two resident dogs just stood and watched me.  I’m pretty sure they thought I got into the dog nip at the PetCo buffet but I didn’t.  I was just happy! 

Things are still going really well for me in foster care.    I’m so acclimated it’s like I’ve lived her my whole life.  Every night Foster Mom and I play keep away with what’s left of my toys and when she says we’re done, I lay my head in her lap and stare longingly at her.    She tries to look away but, alas, she can’t help herself.  This ploy is usually good for at least a few more minutes.  Then I assume my position on the couch and snuggle in for some TV watchin’.   Life is good!  Foster Mom even bought me a new food bowl.  It seems she’s a little paranoid about a condition called bloat so she bought me a raised dish to ensure I won’t suck in a lot of air when I eat.  I don’t think she’s very happy that I spit each mouthful of food onto the floor and eat it from there.  You know what they say about mature dogs and new tricks!

 I hope you’re all going to Annie’s party.  I am!

Happy holidays everyone!  Especially to my sponsors! 

I had the most awesome Christmas.  I now have my very own toys and I love them all!  I am so grateful to all the humans that have been so nice to me.  Foster Mom says I deserve it because I am just about the nicest boy in the history of the planet.   We’ve become best buddies.  I follow her around the house and tease her mercilessly with my toys.  She says I am relentless in my desire to play but I’m so adorable I can’t be resisted.  I still let her get the toy sometimes and then we play tug. 

I have been the most excellent houseguest since I’ve been here.  Not a single accident in the house, I’m trustworthy with unsupervised free roam of the house, I haven’t countersurfed (although I have a reputation for same), I’m a great car rider, I rarely bark, I’m not a picky eater, and I pretty much love everyone.

Here's me in my relentless pursuit of play....

And here's me when my first tactic doesn't work!

It’s me, Boomer, with an update from foster care.  I’m having a really good time here.  I amuse Foster Mom every night with my antics.  She says I’m silly and laughs out loud at me.   I pretty much follow her wherever she goes.  When it’s TV watchin’ time, I like to get one of my favorite rope toys and parade it around the family room.  I keep it just out of reach of Foster Mom while I prance around with it.  Sometimes I let her actually get it and then we play a little tug.  I even let her win sometimes cuz I’m just that kind of guy.  When we’re done I go into the living room and step on the foot switch for the lamp.   Foster Mom is surprised every time she walks in there.    At night I stake out my spot on the bed and I don’t move a muscle til morning.

We went to the PetCo event and that was fun too.  We met lots of really nice humans and some really nice dogs.  I especially liked Zuzu 08-497.  I know she’s considerably younger than me (okay, in dog years she’s REALLY younger than me!) but seriously…age is really just a number, isn’t it? 

Here’s a picture of me with one of my foster sisters.