Mom got home early Monday morning after being away for a week. She was sleepy after her overnight flight from Hawaii, but excited to tell me she thinks I should share my diary with you. Mom asked me to share the first two entries, from the day I met her and the day she brought me home.

I didn’t know at the time, but the night between our first meeting and her coming to pick me up, she and Dad had to decide whether adopting a puppy together would work, since they didn’t live together yet and had only been together for less than a year. What if their relationship didn’t work out? Also, Dad had never had a dog of his own before. Lucky for me, Mom told him I was special and couldn’t help but think I was meant to be with them. I would learn all of this later, of course, after they adopted me, but I wanted to let you know why they didn’t take me home right away.

Here are the first two entries from the diary of my life… Let us know if you like reading my story so we know whether to keep posting more.

May 16, 2015

What is this wonderful place? There’s so much green grass and friendly people. I wasn’t sure what to think when my sister and I were scooped up, put in a strange cage, and driven from our dusty home in New Mexico to Colorado, but this is glorious! The sun is shining, and people are “oohing” and “ahhing” over how cute I am.

My little sister is being pushy. She must be much hungrier than I am, so I let her have the last of the food in the bowl. We’ve been here for a couple of hours now, and I need a nap.

But wait, who are these sweet people? A woman and a man are talking to my keeper. The woman sits down on the grass and scoops me up in her hands. I wriggle toward her face and give her a good lick. She laughs and spins me around to look at a beautiful dog who appears to be with her. The dog turns her back on me and looks out toward the trail they just came from. Oh well, I’ll make friends with her later – right now, I just want to give this nice woman more kisses. After a few minutes, she flips me onto my back in her hands. I’m small enough at eight weeks old to fit comfortably and completely in her soft, warm hands. I promptly fall asleep – it’s been a long day, after all.

I’m not sure what they’re saying, but the woman and the man are talking and asking my keeper questions. Eventually, the woman sets me back down in the grass. She stands, brushes the grass from her pants, picks up the regal dog’s leash, and walks away. “Wait, where are you going? I thought we were going to be friends.”

Some announcements are made, and everyone at the park starts walking to their cars in the parking lot. My keeper rounds up my sister and me, loads us back into her car, and we drive back to the house we’re all staying at. The day in the grassy paradise is over.

May 17, 2015

I slept like a rock last night. While I was disappointed not to have more time with the couple and their dog, I am a puppy, and that long day in the park made me sleepy.

Later on, I was out in the yard of the person who had taken my sister and me from New Mexico to this paradise, and lo and behold, who pulls into the driveway and walks toward me but the woman from the park yesterday. I wag my tail and wiggle over to her. She scoops me up, and we exchange kisses.

After a bit of talking, she plops me into a small carrier that smells unfamiliar and places it in her car. She gets into the driver’s seat, waves to my keeper, and off we go. I whimper a little because my sister, who’s been with me since the day we were born, isn’t with me. The woman turns to me and says, “Don’t worry, little one. You are going to your forever home, and I’m going to be your new mom.” I relax and fall asleep.

After a short ride, nothing like the one from New Mexico, we pull into a garage, and my new Mom brings me in the carrier from the car, through the house, and out into a fenced-in yard.

She gently places the carrier on the ground and opens the door. I’m not sure what to do, so I just stay in the carrier. Next thing I know, a strange creature is slinking around in front of the carrier, looking in at me. Ah, that smell again. Whatever this creature is, it has been in this carrier too. The kind lady who is now my mom tells me it’s okay to come out. I slowly make my way out of the carrier onto the lush, green grass.

I see another of the strange creatures, and Mom explains that these cats are my brother and sister. My sister gives me a sniff and walks away, while the brother comes closer. I want to be friends with this slinky cat, so I give him a lick. He looks frightened and runs away. “Wait, why are you scared? I just want to be friends.”

Mom laughs, and I turn to see the beautiful, dark-colored dog I met at the park yesterday. Mom introduces her as Ella, my big sister. Ella doesn’t look pleased to have me in her yard and ignores me. That’s okay. I’m sure we’ll be friends eventually. Right now, I’m just happy to be home. I have so much love bottled up inside me, and I can’t wait to share it with this wonderful new family of two people, one dog, and two cats!

We haven’t posted in a while. Mom types up our posts, and she's been away a lot! We (the cats) are taking over Wild Western Wanderers this week. The dogs usually rule this Substack page, but we think it’s our turn.

Our parents’ last trip started much the same way it usually does – the dogs were whisked away to Camp Cody (Tessie’s foster family), and we stayed home. The neighbor drops by every couple of days to check on us, clean the litter boxes, and play with us for a bit, but she doesn’t stick around long. We love seeing her because she also gives us a little tuna. Our dry food is dispensed automatically three times a day, but the tuna is a nice treat. We get some tuna twice a day when our parents are home.

We were surprised when the dogs were dropped off after less than a week away. We were a bit confused because the dogs came home, but our parents were not with them. We spend plenty of time together when we’re home alone, so it was nice to have the dogs back for some extra stimulation. Mateo, in particular, loves hanging out with Tessie and getting her to chase him around.

The next surprise came a few hours later when a woman we had met a couple of times showed up at the house. She settled into the guest bedroom, and we realized she was planning to stay for a bit. We were in heaven when she sat on the couch. We immediately jockeyed for position in her lap. On one of their trips, Mom left us a makeshift lap on the couch by tucking towels into the legs of her sweatpants, but we didn’t use it. There’s no replacement for a warm human lap.

Mateo showered our new pet sitter with love over the next two days. She played with all four of us and gave us lots of attention. She left for a few hours one day, but we were happy when she came back later to feed the dogs dinner and give us more tuna. We were sad when she left again because she took all her bags with her.

Fortunately, the next people to arrive at the house, only a couple of hours later, were our parents! They came bumping through the door with their luggage. The dogs were barking like crazy (as they always do when anyone comes into the house), and we went to see what all the fuss was about.

Mom and Dad had been in Maine and New Hampshire all week, so they got to visit our grandparents and Uncle Keith. The dogs always get new collars from our uncle, and this time was no different. We haven’t been wearing our collars much since we are fully indoor cats, so it wasn’t a surprise that we didn’t get new ones. The good news is they didn’t come home empty-handed. Dad pulled two catnip kickers out of his bag for us. One was the longer style that Kali likes, so she could grab it with her front paws and kick it with her back feet. Mateo grabbed the smaller one with a Gremlin print and started licking it and rubbing his head on it. We enjoyed our new toys while our parents unpacked and ate dinner, but as soon as they sat on the couch, we abandoned the catnip and took our rightful places in their laps. It doesn’t get any better than that!

Mom is a big fan of birthdays. She has always celebrated all month long. Mala and I share a birthday month in March, and Mom makes sure we both feel extra special. The kitties celebrate their birthdays in July, and Dad's is in January. This month, we get to celebrate Mom. Her birthday was on Wednesday, and we kicked things off with a long weekend of hiking, paddleboarding, camping, and biking (we had to stay home for that part).

Mom loves being outdoors, so our activities involved being out in nature. We followed up our big Saturday hike with a relaxing stroll along the creek and a paddle on Big Soda Lake on Sunday. On Monday, Mom and Dad went for a morning mountain bike ride, then came home to pack us up. We headed to Bailey, where we hiked a portion of the Colorado Trail before setting up camp at Wellington Lake. The wind calmed after dinner, so we went for a paddle. I was a bit antsy and impatient on the board, so Mala and I ran around on the beach to burn off some energy.

We woke up to sunshine on Tuesday morning, so after breakfast we paddled again. Mala and I were content to relax on the boards while they paddled us around the lake. Dad had to work that afternoon and the next day, but Mom took Wednesday morning off so we could join her for a birthday hike. On the way home, she stopped at the pet supply store to buy special cookies for us so we would feel included in her celebration. Dad took her out to dinner at one of her favorite restaurants that night.

Mom has more plans for her birthday month, some of which don't include us, like dinner out, a soccer game, and a candlelight concert. We know she’ll include us as much as possible. She loves hanging out with us. Who wouldn’t? We’re pretty fun. If you have a birthday this month, be sure to celebrate with gusto!

I was rescued from New Mexico as a wee puppy and brought to Colorado, where my parents adopted me on a bit of a whim, even though they weren’t looking for a dog when they met me. Mom saw something special in me and knew I belonged with them. They weren’t even living together then, so I split my time between Dad’s apartment in Denver and Mom’s house in Broomfield. I adore rolling in grass, so Mom’s backyard was heavenly.

I had a lot to be grateful for right from the start – a loving family, plenty of walks, a big sister to show me the ropes, and two kitties (one of whom I cuddled and played with frequently until we had a falling out).

Wherever we went, people wanted to say hello to me. My fluffball puppy look drew a lot of attention, and I was more than happy to accept it. I loved other dogs and saw them all as potential friends, even the ones who weren’t interested in playing with me. In fact, one dog didn’t appreciate my advances and bit my snout, but it didn’t stop me from trying.

My positive attitude has been part of my personality my whole life. I tend to look on the bright side and go through life with a smile on my face. Whenever anyone says my name, looks at me, or walks toward me, I start wagging my tail. My parents tell me how much joy I bring to their lives and that my smile is infectious.

There are so many things in this world to be happy about, like treats, grass, snow, sticks, family, friends, sunshine, mountains… I could go on, but I think you get the point. Life is good and meant to be lived wholeheartedly. Sure, there are times that are less fun than others, and moments I’d rather skip (like going to the vet), but overall, the life of a dog who is loved is the best life!

My parents have been talking a lot lately about my predecessor, Ella. Ella passed over the rainbow bridge five years ago, so I never met her. Mala and the kitties lived with Ella for many years.

Mom is attending an Author Fair tomorrow in Fairplay to sell copies of Ella’s book, Pawsitive Perspectives. We also just learned that the place where Mom held the book launch party, Evermore Wine Bar & Cafe, will be permanently closing next weekend. We all went there for dinner last Friday to say farewell.

All this talk about her book made my parents wonder whether Ella would have liked me. They both agreed she might have appreciated my spunk and how much I express my opinions and question the rules, since in those ways I’m much like she was. However, they think my playfulness might have annoyed her. While Mala enjoys wrestling with me, Ella was never a big fan of playing with other dogs. She probably would have run around with me, but she wouldn’t have had the patience that Mala does for me biting her back legs.

Whenever we’re out for a walk or hike and come across a closed trail or side trail (not an authorized trail but one that’s been traveled by someone, most likely deer and elk), I always want to see where it leads. Mom has plenty of photos of me in front of signs meant to keep people and dogs out because I try to convince her we should check it out anyway, sign be damned.

Ella also liked to take the path less traveled. She wrote about taking the road less traveled in the post embedded below and her love of exploring here. This Substack started as a way to share life lessons from Ella’s POV, and Mala and I have had the pleasure of continuing it.

Ella is still present in our household, with photos, mementos, and toys scattered throughout. When I came around, Mala switched to Ella’s bowls, and I started using Mala’s smaller, lower bowls since I’m the little one now. Mala is hardly ever called the “little white dog” anymore because she’s bigger than me. Ella’s dog bed is in the living room, and Mala and Kali both sleep on it often. Kali was a big fan of Ella, and while she likes me, I could never replace the bond she had with Ella (even though it was one-sided).

I wish I could have met Ella because she sounds like a great dog who was skilled at getting her way. Her book, Pawsitive Perspectives, recounts the 15 years she spent with Mom, told through 40 life lessons. Mom tells me I have some of Ella’s spirit in me, and I’m glad that having me around has helped heal Mom’s heart after losing Ella. She left big boots to fill, but I’m doing my best to live up to her esteemed reputation. Maybe someday I can become queen!

I’m writing today’s post to wish a belated happy birthday to the kitties. On Tuesday, they turned 12. It’s hard to believe it’s been that long since I was on the phone with my manager, who had to put me on hold because a kitten had snuck out of the pen and into his office. I asked him about the kittens and learned there was a litter that his s…

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Last weekend, Tessie and I were feeling kind of bored. Our parents went to yoga on Saturday morning, then out to breakfast. By the time they got home, they mostly focused on chores, so we only got a short walk, which is not much for a Saturday!

Sunday came around, and they both left again in the morning! Mom went to teach SUP Yoga, and Dad went …

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We returned from our adventure in the Dakotas on Monday. It was a whirlwind trip that spanned four states and included two national parks, national grasslands, a national forest, and a state park.

We departed Colorado on Thursday morning, drove through Wyoming, and arrived in South Dakota, where we stayed at a hotel in Rapid City, which was larger than we expected.

On Friday, we started the day with a quick pit stop at the famous Wall Drug shops, then visited Badlands National Park. The Lakota peoples originally called the region mako sica, which translates to "land bad," because the rugged terrain, extreme temperature fluctuations, and lack of water made the area incredibly difficult to cross or live in. Dogs aren’t allowed on the hiking trails, but we stopped at many overlooks along the loop road. 

We headed back to Rapid City for lunch in a park with plenty of grass for rolling around and letting off some energy after the morning in the car. Next, we drove to North Dakota and set up camp at Buffalo Gap Campground near the south unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. We hiked part of the Maah Daah Hey trail, a 144-mile trail that (unfortunately) has many ticks! After dinner at the campsite, we went to Painted Canyon for sunset. None of us got much sleep that night because Dad kept finding more ticks crawling on him and Mala.

On Saturday morning, we packed up and drove the loop of the south unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, where we enjoyed watching the solo male bison near the road and taking in the beautiful scenery. From there, we drove to Watford City for lunch, then drove through the park's north unit. There was a huge herd of bison, with many females and calves. Thank goodness Roosevelt fell in love with this place in 1883 and went on to establish the US Forest Service, proclaim 18 national monuments, and protect over 230 million acres of land (including five national parks, 150 national forests, and dozens of federal reserves).

We set up camp just outside the north unit of the park at the CCC campground. After we all settled into the tent, Mom noticed a tornado alert for 18 counties in North Dakota. Looking outside, we still saw patches of blue sky, so Mom and Dad wondered whether we would experience any of the bad weather where we were. After a bit of discussion, Dad found another tick on him, and that was the final straw. They broke down camp, and we headed to a hotel in Watford City. Soon after settling into the hotel, Mom and Dad started receiving alerts on their phones about potential 80-mile-per-hour winds and severe thunderstorms. Boy, were we glad to be in the hotel and not in the tent. The wind was pretty bad, and there was a lot of lightning and rain, but we stayed cozy and dry in our room.

The above video covers Friday and Saturday. Unfortunately, the video wouldn’t download with the music (Against the Wind by Bob Seger).

After a good night’s sleep, we awoke to blue skies. Aside from some debris and downed trees in the surrounding area, you would never have known anything had happened the night before.

We drove all the way to Custer, South Dakota, where we stopped for lunch before heading to our cabin at Sylvan Lake in Custer State Park. As we pulled up to the cabin, we all noticed it was the exact same one we had stayed in four years earlier during Tessie’s first road trip as a Wild Western Wanderer. We went for a hike on the Sunday Gulch Trail, had dinner outside the cabin, and then watched the sunset over the lake.

In the morning, we got up and went for a paddle. It was quiet and peaceful – even Tessie was silent as we paddled around the lake a couple of times. Mom and Dad packed up the car, and we took one last walk by the lake before driving six hours home. We were a bit overwhelmed by all the traffic once we crossed over into Colorado after being in such open spaces with so few people for several days.

We enjoyed the trip, but are happy to be back in Colorado. Below is the Reel from our Instagram about the last couple of days of our trip. The Wild Western Wanderers are grateful for these opportunities to see what a vast, beautiful, and varied country we are so lucky to live in. We truly lead charmed lives.

Last week, Mala shared that her song is “Escape” by Enrique Iglesias. Now it’s my turn to share the song that Mom and Dad attribute to me - “Shivers” by Ed Sheeran. They change the chorus line to “When they say the party’s over, Tessie brings it right back.” The video wouldn’t download with the song, so I decided to share the link to the reel …

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Each of us dogs has a song that Mom and Dad say is ours - mine is Escape by Enrique Iglesias. Just one simple word swap and the chorus becomes “You can run, you can hide, but you can’t escape Mala’s love.”

Ever since I was a puppy, I’ve loved giving kisses to my favorite people (and even the cats occasionally). Mom had fun going through photos of me doling out kisses. This video is a collection of some of her favorites.

When they leave the house, I either watch out the window from the bed or from the back of the loveseat until they return. When they pull up, I bark, whine, and purr. When I run out to greet them, I do big, fast zoomies (Mom calls it my Indy 500). What can I say? I’m a lover.

All it takes to make me wag my tail is a glance in my direction or hearing my name. I love my family and express how I feel – often and enthusiastically. I’m not sure how many kisses I’ve given in my 11 years, but I have plenty more to give!

Mom and Dad are both working normal schedules this week, and during the time they had off on Tuesday morning, they opted to go mountain biking rather than take Mala and me for a hike. All this lying around, even if it is outside on the deck, has me bored. My parents tease me about my reaction, saying, “Oh, you poor dog, your life is so tough,”…

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Spring has sprung here in Colorado. This is the time of year when we can get snow, rain, and sunshine all in the same day. In fact, we had our heaviest snowfall of the season just a couple of weeks ago. We have had more snow in May so far than we did in January or February. It was a strange winter.

The warm temperatures and lack of snow meant les…

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After six years of living in Evergreen and hiking the nearby trails over and over, we started expanding our territory last summer in an effort to find longer options to prepare for our trek between Aspen and Crested Butte.

It was a blast, and appropriate for us as Wild Western Wanderers, to keep exploring new terrain. We continued the trend las…

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My big sister, Ella, was one smart cookie. She had a lot of personality and taught all of us many important lessons. In 2024, Mom compiled 40 of these lessons into a book, Pawsitive Perspectives: Life Lessons from the Shelter Dog Who Became Queen. The book uses stories told from Ella’s perspective to explore themes of survival, trust, healing, a…

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Saturday, April 11, is National Pet Day. I thought I’d celebrate by sharing all the ways that loving a pet can improve your life.

The best prescription for well-being might be wagging its tail at your front door. Sharing your life with a pet can make you healthier and happier. Lower blood pressure, reduced stress, and increased joy are just a fe…

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Now that our birthday month is over, we (the dogs) are taking back control of this Substack. Mom wrote the last couple of posts about Mala and me to celebrate our birthdays.

In her post about me, Mom mentioned that I exhibit some traits of a typical Australian Cattle Dog (ACD). I'm smart, have a lot of opinions, and can be quite the "velcro" do…

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I have the opportunity to write again this week, this time in honor of Tessie's birthday. It’s hard to believe she is already four years old, especially since she still thinks of herself as a baby. On the other hand, she has been on many adventures during her time with the Wild Western Wanderers. It feels fitting that today is also National Pu…

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I’m taking over the dog’s Substack today to wish Mala a happy 11th birthday! This sweet little bundle of joy chose us at a charity event in 2015. We had no intention of adopting a second dog when we were introduced to Mala by a local rescue organization attending a walk for farm animals. She was so tiny, I scooped her up in my hands, and…

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Mom tracks her activities on her watch. She gives herself a star on her calendar whenever she reaches her weekly intensity-minute goal. The number of intensity minutes she earns depends on her heart rate during an activity. When her heart rate enters the higher zones, she earns double minutes.

In most weeks of the year, she reaches at least tw…

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Longevity seems to be a popular topic lately. Mom is writing two articles with tips for healthy aging for an upcoming issue of Well magazine, so she has been researching longevity. While she has been focusing on topics such as what to eat to increase the diversity of your gut microbiome and how to improve your mobility and range of motion, I thi…

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