Elizabeth was just here from Maui for a few days, mostly to re-claim the beautiful Lula, but we managed to cram in most of our favorite things while she was here — Burgerville, a movie –“Robot and Frank” at Salem Cinema, “cake for dinner” from Konditorei, La Margarita, and lots of walking and ball-chucking, and blackkberry picking  at “The MInto.”

Kayaking with dogs on the Santiam

Silly Lula has always loved diving for rocks!

And River-Rat Roxie will fetch whatever you toss:

Salad-making for a picnic lunch on the bank:

And just before we had to say goodbye to Boo and Lula Poki Pineapple, handsome Kobe returned to 1880 to settle in with his little brother Mr. Blue on their favorite place on the sofa in the snug:

This is the thank-you gift Elizabeth created for me:  a frond of Asplenium contiguum from the Kipahulu Valley rain forest. Found no place else in the world. I absolutely love it, but it was my absolute pleasure to have Lula here.

Here is a recent shot of our girl (on the left) waiting for her ride:

On a totally different subject, in the middle of the night a few weeks ago, I was enjoying a little insomnia by playing around online looking at new cars.  I have had it in my head for a while that I would get myself a new red Outback for my 70th birthday which is coming up in 2013.  After sending out an inquiry, I had 25 new best friends in five western states by morning.  Almost no one had exactly what I was looking for, but they all were sure they could get it for me.  Of course, nowadays, there isn’t much wheeling-and-dealing to be done since even an almost-seventy-year-old can look online and research exactly what the best deal is and exactly what she should get for trading in her faithful 2006 blue Outback.  Been driving it since October 2005 and it only has 60,000 miles on it.  Hard to believe when I remember all the road trips I have taken in it all over the Western States —  “See the USA in your Subaru, built by Americans in Indiana.” (I have no idea where the parts were made before being shipped to Indiana to be built.)

My faithful friend, never failed me once:

But to  return to the story of the new car search, turns out, another “hard-to believe,” the only place that had the car I wanted was right here in Salem where we had bought three new cars previously.  Only needed to have the seats changed out,  (Cloth seats are hard to keep clean when you haul more dogs and boat-gear than people.)  which my new BFF  Eric was glad to take care of.  He even arranged for me to take delivery yesterday, to cheer me up, after my Maui girls left.  Only 7 miles on the odometer.  So — “Happy Birthday to Me” — just a few months early!