DID YOU HEAR THAT DOGGIE?

We are sitting in our truck just going down the road.

Rob is driving.  I am in the passenger seat working on the computer like I usually do.  Just some personal things like pictures and whatever, or working up a new spreadsheet program.

It has been a very hot day today.  Temperatures breaking the 3-digit mark.  A breeze helps to keep the air tolerable, so the higher temps weren't too bad. However, the dogs didn't seem to see my way of thinking at all.

Gizmo is laying on the floor where the air flows cold all over his body.  He loves it there.  Kali is usually on the bed, but this time she is under the dash where the air is colder there.  Her hair is longer,  so she gets warmer a little bit quicker. Gizmo just protests about the heat all the time, though.

It is nice and quiet.  Not much conversation for the moment.  That's when I break the silence with a huge and loud hiccup.

Rob looks down at Kali, then back at Gizmo.

He says, "Kali is under your feet."

"Yes," I return.

"Well, Gizmo is back there, I wonder what he is yapping about."  Rob looked a bit perplexed for the moment.

I asked him to repeat what he had just said.  I needed to be sure I was right.  He did repeat it and I busted out laughing so hard that tears were coming out of my eyes.

"That wasn't Gizmo that yapped," I laughed out, trying to catch my breath.

"That was me....I hiccuped."  I was still laughing so hard that I had to look away and wipe my eyes.

I have always made it a joke that when I hiccup I say right away, "Did you hear that doggie?"  It's because it sounds like a little dog just barked.  So, this time, without me saying it at all, Rob beat me to it after my hiccup.  Too funny!!

THE PERFECT FAMILY CHRISTMAS TREE

'Tis the season had more meaning to our family when I was younger. I couldn't wait until the day when our Sunday drive consisted of some extra curricular activities.
I remember the family tradition from when I was about 7 years old to my young teens. Shortly after Thanksgiving, Dad would come up with tickets from the local lumber company. It was special tickets to go cut a tree in the woods.
After church, we would go back home, change in to our winter clothes, bundle up warm and pile up in the car. It was going to be an all day event, so Mom usually had a picnic dinner and snacks ready for all of us to enjoy later.
Dad drove as we headed up to the mountains towards Mount Lassen. There were specific directions on a little paper that Mom would read to Dad. We had to go on a highway and look for certain ribbons on trees put on by the lumber company. These were on roads that would take us in to the woods.
There was usually snow on the ground, so Dad had to drive the car carefully on the dirt roads so that he wouldn't get the car stuck.  
We had an old Chevy Station Wagon for a couple of years, then I remember we went up to the mountains in an Oldsmobile Station Wagon. Those kinds of cars were best for our family because it worked well as we grew.

As we drove in to the woods, we came upon a small stand with some signs on it. A man was standing in there all bundled up. He was wearing a wool cap and had a full scarf wrapped around his neck. A red plaid coat made him look like a bubbly Santa just waiting to send us in to our direction for a perfect family tree.
Dad gave him the ticket and the man with the happy smile pointed us in the direction for us to go. After a few instructions of how to cut the tree, what to look for and how deep in to the woods we could go, we were on our way. The excitement in the car could hardly be contained. Our eyes were peeled to be on the lookout for the perfect tree now.
We parked and all got out of the car. Mom carried the youngest while Dad, Stephen and I crunched our boots in the snow. A few snowballs flew past as Mom tossed some towards us. We returned the favor by tossing a few back to her. Laughter echoed in the forest that was absolutely silent except for our laughs. The air was crisp and fresh with a slight chill to it. A couple of branches would let down a few snowballs of their own as piles of snow would fall to the ground and crash to the snow floor below.

“I found one,” Dad said to all of us. “What do you think?”

It was a beautiful Douglas Fir. It stood proud in the forest, strong branches and perfect form. Mom walked around it to inspect it thoroughly and gave her approval with a smile.  
“What do you think, kids?” She asked Stephen and I.  
“Yes..yes.” we said as we jumped up and down in excitement.
Dad got out his red lumber saw and he let us help him cut the perfect tree down.

We all took a branch and dragged the tree back to the car. Our noses were red from the cold. Our breath could be seen like fog as we panted from weight of the tree we were dragging. But it was for a great reason....we were taking this perfect tree home to decorate and enjoy.

After getting the tree tied down to the top of the car, we headed back out to the old man in the shack so that he could inspect our tree as well. He needed to be sure that what we found was within the regulations of what was available. Our tree passed and we were on our way home with our prize.
Every year it was a family tradition to go in to the woods to pick and cut our tree for the family. The only reason that it came to an end was because the lumber company stopped the tradition.

That was a sad year when that happened....that's when we bought our first artificial “aluminum” tree. Oh yes....from then on, our trees were of different personalities. Frosted, Aluminum, Flimsy ones, Arificial trees. Still, the holidays were filled with beautiful memories because Mom and Dad always made sure that their family was happy....and we were. The memories will last beyond their years.

Thank you Mom and Dad for everything that you have taught your children and have given to us over the years. We love you.