Aiden

A few weeks ago, after Gunther died, I checked Craigslist for a dog that we could adopt to replace him. There was one ad for a dog that a couple in Brea could not keep due to a new baby that turned out to be allergic to dogs. Lucky us!

Aiden is about 2 years old. He is a mix of cattle dog and Jindo. He sheds almost as much as Gunther but is otherwise a perfect dog. The kids and Huong love him. His former parents took really good care of him.

Death Valley cont'd

DJ made this video compilation of our Death Valley trip as a GoPro commercial.

Death Valley

We just got back from a week-long trip to Death Valley - a first for the Borklunds.

Death Valley is large. We went on one or two hikes each day which usually involved walking about an hour into narrow canyons that partially protect you from the intense sun but we saw less than 10% of the magnificent valley. Our electronics didn't work well in Death Valley, so our time was used hiking in the daytime and sitting around the campfire at night. Winter has to be the best time of year to see Death Valley. The weather was mild and I can't imagine hiking up these dry falls and canyons in the record high temperatures that Death Valley is famous for.

We spent the first two nights in Furnace Creek, the second night in Stovepipe Wells, and the fourth night in Wagon Wheel, an OHV area on the way home in Trono, California. In Wagon Wheel, the kids discovered the Millers from Brea which is a family we have camped with before. Small world.

The Labelles traveled with us towing a trailer and we had our Navion RV. The fridge on the Navion quit on the first day, but I brought my icemaker for iced coffee so I was making ice and keeping it stainless steel bowls in the fridge to keep our food cool. We had plenty to eat and never needed to get more food or eat out.

DJ took a lot of video using his GoPro, so I look forward to seeing an edited version of the trip on Youtube someday soon. Riley took some pictures also but hasn't sent me a link yet.

The rest of my pictures are on Picasa here.

RIP Gunther Borklund

We had to put Gunther to sleep today. He had too many illnesses and was in too much pain to suffer another day. He was a great dog the entire time he was with us. To Riley and Holden, Gunther always existed. To DJ, it was the second dog that had to be put down. We all went to the shelter as a family to see him off. It was sad but he is no longer in pain. Originally, we were going to walk the kennels to look for our next family member, but we changed our minds after we said goodbye to Gunther. It just didn't seem right.

DJ's Tribute to Apocalypse Now On Youtube

DJ (aka Boswell) made a video as a tribute to the opening scene in Apocalypse Now. It's funny and weird at the same time. I think we all have the same sense of humor. DJ is trying to submit it to the Brea Film Festival for consideration.

Holden Got Straight As

Holden is in the 4th grade and the first trimester grades just came out. I was shocked to see that Holden earned an A grade in every subject. I sometimes ask him about his homework and occasionally help him with it but it's rare. When he handed me the sealed envelope I expected to see the normal mix of very good and very bad that you would see in a kid with ADHD. However, somehow Holden managed to excel in every subject. For each A he earns $10 so I had to give him $50 on Friday. Money well spent.

Brea Wildcats Party

Holden had his end of season football party at a club house in Brea. This video shows Holden receiving his participation award and shaking hands with the coaches. The season was a losing season and Holden didn't get enough action, but the coaches and team mom were great. We are hoping that next year Holden will be in a division that is more appropriate to his size. Holden weighs about 69 lbs and due to strange circumstances was moved up a division to play against players over 100 lbs. He never complained and wants to play again.