Spanky goes to the movies

One night, my family asked if I wanted to go to the movies. They told me it was a story, like on TV, but on a huge screen, with big speakers, and there was popcorn and coke. I said I'd go!

The movie theater was huge!  And there were bunches of different ones all in the same building! It wasn't as big as Yosemite, but it seemed close.

We were going to see The Fault In Our Stars. Now, I'm a little monkey, but I think stars are awesome. If you go out on a really dark night, you can see bazillions of them. There are more than I can even count! I don't really see what the fault in them is. But I guessed the movie would tell me. 

Oh my, was there popcorn and coke! I guess in a ginormous building, there has to be ginormous popcorn and ginormous drinks. And the liquid gold they put on the popcorn was amazing!

Then, there were previews. Previews are lots of parts of stories. I want to see a whole story, so I thought they were kinda long and frustrating. I wanted to see the movie!!

Then it started. It was about a girl and a boy. They both had cancer, and went to a support group. They got to be really close, and really talked about what it means to be alive, and to love. We got to see some of what it was like for their moms and dads and friends. 

I think it would be hard to love someone who you know is going to die. But I guess we are all going to die someday... There's just something about this cancer business. We go into this world, assuming that everyone gets to be healthy until a ripe old age, and then after living a full life, will drift off into a permanent sleep. Just the fact that we can't live forever ought to make us treasure the moments we do have. Yet so often, we take for granted the years we will have, the people in our lives, and our bodies! I'm a monkey who hasn't really gotten hurt yet, but I've seen enough that I don't want to!

I guess the point is that we have very little  and a lot of choice in what comes our way. The universe is huge and there are infinite possibilities... I could have been an elephant or a hedgehog or a fish, but I  a monkey. That decided some things for me. But what is choose to do with my monkey body, how I spend my time, who I choose to care about, what risks I take, those choices are up to what the universe places in my path, and what I choose to see. 

"The real heroes aren't the people doing things; the real heroes are the people noticing things, paying attention. The guy who invented smallpox didn't actually invent anything. He just noticed that people with cowpox didn't get smallpox."

Sometimes I think I miss things. I don't notice when people are happy or sad, nice or mean. I'm just thinking about motorcycles and adventures and making mail and being famous. It's a lot of thoughts for a monkey brain. But I'm going to try. I want to be a monkey who not only does things, but notices things, and shares them with people I love.

I'm glad I saw this movie and thought about love and life and the stars, and ate the giant popcorn and spent time with my family. I hope the next adventure makes me think so much!

A Day at the Park!

One day, my mommy took me to the park. I looked around and saw so many things! There were lots of dogs, and they would smell posts, just like Roxy said, like they were reading a story. And they would smell each other's bottoms!

In the park, there was a swing! Wheeee!

Swinging is like flying way up in the trees! After swinging, I ran across a bridge. 

The bridge bounced up and down and up and down! 

Then I found a tree to play in. It was knotted and bumpy. I love old gnarled trees... They are easy to climb and so much fun!

Later, I went to I've cream! I've cream is magical. It's like pie, only colder.

Mommy had peanut butter ice cream. I thought that was silly; I thought peanut butter was for sandwiches! Until I tried it. Then I knew that peanut butter was for ice cream.

Daddy and Lissy had ice cream cones! They made one just my size!

This was Lissy's. It had decadent chocolate ice cream in it. 

I'm still thinking about how to be famous. I talked to my mommy about it, and she says most people become famous because they do something. Except the Kardashians. Mommy can't figure out why they are famous. I don't know what a Kardashians is... Maybe they are famous because they are cars that run with legs?

Anyway, I'm back to the drawing board on that one.

Speaking of drawing, Mommy helped me make mail!

I wrote to Lissy and Casi.  Then we put it in a mail box!

It was really fun! Send me your address if you want mail. I want to make mail all the time!

Bye!

Sad Monkey... A Tribute to Roxy...

Yesterday we took another long motorcycle ride, and came home to our Vancouver, Wa home. There were some long boring parts, some beautiful parts, and some trafficy parts.

When we got home, our puppy wasn't happy, so we took her to the vet. The vet said she's not going to live much longer.

When we got home, I sat and listened to her talk all about her life. I learned what it was like to be a dog.

I learned that as a puppy, Roxy was so cuddly. She was even black, even though our fur matches now!  She used to whisper secrets in Casi's ear. She wouldn't tell me the secrets; those where between her and Casi. 

She told me that kids carried her everywhere, and even put her in doll strollers and shopping carts. Sometimes they would dress her up.  Sometimes her mommy would dress her up too. 

She told me the story of her first time on a leash. She bucked and pulled and screamed! Wow, what a dog! But our mommy is stubborn and patient, and taught Roxy how to walk nicely on a leash.

Roxy told me she used to watch for open doors, because that would make the humans play chase! They would chase her until she got tired and hot, and then they would carry her home. She told me she loved this game.

Roxy says she has lived in five different houses! She has had two dog siblings and two cat siblings at these different houses. She says she's always been the boss.

Roxy told me about walks. How she likes to smell everything because it told her a story. My mommy took me on a walk later, and I stood at this fence post a long time, trying to learn it's story so I could go tell Roxy. My mommy didn't know what I was doing. And the fence post didn't tell me anything, I will need to learn more things from Roxy about this.

Roxy told me that cars are scary. I didn't want to tell her that I think they are fun. 

Roxy told me that she got into an argument with a cat once, and it scratched her ear!

She told me to be extra nice to grandma and grandpa, because they bring treats when they visit.

Roxy told me to always be gentle with little children, even if they hurt or scare me. She told me about a little boy who pulled her fur. She just told mommy about it so mommy could help, but didn't say anything to the little boy. She said that children are special and magical, and they don't know if they are hurting us.  Roxy is such a smart dog. She's learned a lot in her 11 years.

Roxy told me that I've got a good family that will love me always. She told me to be a good monkey and not make them chase me too much; she understands now that that game scared her family, because they didn't want to see her get hurt.

She told me the best way to get attention is to look cute. If that doesn't work, she said to poke people with my nose. And, as a last resort, sneeze. A lot. She said there are dogs that bark and howl, but they don't always get the good attention.

Roxy says she likes being right under peoples feet. She says sometimes they make funny noises and flail around, which scares her, because she's just trying to be close to them. 

Roxy says that blankets are more comfortable if you fluff them with your head a few times. And cloth feels good if you walk through it. And if you turn around at least three times before laying down, you won't have nightmares.

Roxy is my special friend. I wish I had more time with her, but I sure am grateful for the time I have. I'm such a lucky monkey for knowing her. I'll let you know if she teaches me any more important things for monkeys to know!

Bye!

The mountain that blew its top!

Yesterday was so much fun! We rode motorcycles again. There were lots of big trucks, and it was a little cold. I'm lucky for my cozy little spot on Mommy's bike. 

After a long ride, I made friends with a bear. He let me sit on his head! I think we should be in a circus. 

Then, daddy let me share his pizza. Yummy!

I must have been a very good monkey, because daddy shared his cookie too!

Later I scampered through a field, and stopped to smell the flowers. It felt good to run and run.

Then we got back on the bikes and headed to Crater Lake! It was a long ride, and we didn't see many humans or cars. We were in the wilderness, and it was peaceful.

After getting to Crater Lake National Park, we found our sleeping place.  This was our cozy cabin for the evening.

Then we explored! Mommy and Daddy let me play in the snow again! The snow was taller than Daddy!

Over the snow, you can see Crater Lake!

Silly Daddy photo bombed this one!

It was really amazing how the water was like a mirror.

Selfie!

We went to dinner at the lodge. It was beautiful. Mommy even let me try Elk. Yummy! It was covered in blackberries, my favorite.

I met these two nice ladies who wanted to know all about me and read my blog! I asked if I could get a picture with them.

I took some time thinking in this little corner. I've been thinking about what I want to be when I grow up. I thought about being a circus monkey, but as much as I like bears, I'm scared of lions. I  thought about being a zoo monkey, but I really like to travel.

I guess I'll need more time to reflect on that.

When I woke up this morning, I knew. I want to be famous!!!  I love traveling and meeting people. Maybe those nice ladies I met last night will make me famous! I'm going to go ask mommy how to be famous, and then I'm going to make mail. Mommy promised she'd help me with that today.

Bye!

Yosemite!

Yesterday we went on a huge adventure! We started riding, and there were so many bugs, we had to stop and clean visors and my window. I didn't want bug guts clouding my view! It was morning, but already hot in the desert.

When we stopped to clean, daddy went off roading! Whee! It looked fun!

Mommy took pictures, of course.

Then we continued on to Yosemite... I hadn't even had time for a nap before we were in snow!

Brrr, was that cold on my bottom!

Then we were there!

Even the sign was big!

We found these ginormous rocks. I saw climbers, so I gave it a try.

I didn't get very close to the top!

We saw a lizard that I wanted to eat, but mommy said I can't eat animals in Yosemite. Bah. 

There were so many pretty things!

I could sit for hours and just look at the views.

In this one, daddy told me to hold on tight! It was windy up there and a long way down!

I found a rock I could climb!

I fell off, but I told mommy not to post that picture.

Then we had lunch! I was a thirsty monkey.

We saw Mommy's favorite mountain! I don't know how you can have a favorite mountain, but it was pretty cool.

Mommy said it is called Half Dome. I wondered where the other half went!

We left Yosemite, and I took a nap. When I woke up, we were going around some crazy corners!

We stopped in Jamestown, and Mommy said they used to pan for gold here. I asked if we could pan for gold, but it looked like everything was pretty closed for the night. It was a sleepy little town.

When we got to Mommy's cousins, I got to meet a tin man!!

Then I found a perfect climbing tree. 

Then, I acted out a Winnie the Pooh story... Do you remember this one, where Pooh ate too much honey? Yum... Honey...  

When mommy told her cousin that she'd brought a monkey, Mommy's cousin was surprised! I liked Rosie and April.

April let us sleep in her bed, and she likes having 300 blankets. I think April is awesome. 

Bye!

The giants and the ranchers!

Bouncy bouncy bouncy bounce! I want to play and do things!

We rode a long way for a Monkey yesterday!  We saw lots and lots of farms, with sheep and cows and horses. I talked to the sheep the most. The babies are so cute and only know a few words! They like their hillsides.

Mommy talked to me all about mail. I want to make some mail so I can go to the post office again! People in the post office are very nice.

We had tacos and nachoes for lunch! 

Then we had cinnamon crisps that were heavenly!

Daddy found a town all about him!

He's so cool. :-)

We saw the strangest thing yesterday. There were naked giants, right out there in the middle of nowhere! And my parents are so strange, they took pictures! You'd think that would be illegal or something. I hope they don't go to jail. I don't like jail.

We went to a cowboy resturaunt for dinner!

I met this nice cowboy. He said he had been standing there a real long time.

Then I tried to wear a horse shoe!

My feet were too small, so I wore it on my neck. 

Mommy ordered beer! Ever since grandma and grandpas, I like to taste beer. Mommy says only a little taste for a little monkey.

This is Daddy's bar-b-choke face.

He makes better faces than I do.

I think I should call all my friends now. Spiky Cash, are you home?

Later today I get to see a mountain that blew a lake into itself!

Bye!