i run for dogs.

this weekend was the st louis komen race for the cure. i've been participating in this race every year since i was diagnosed. it is a powerful and uplifting day. 65,000 people draping the streets in a sea of pink and white, marching together to try to find a cure for this deadly disease. it means different things to different people. melissa etheridge says she runs for hope. people run for their spouses, their families, their friends, their co-workers. and i definitely participate for all those reasons. but i discovered another reason why i run (well, walk).... it's dogs. this was made blatantly apparent by the lone picture i took at this year's race. a pink little mini greyhound.

i love dogs. i love their smiles. i love their sense of wonder. their innocence. their loyalty. dogs seem to epitomize the true meaning of joie de vivre (joy of life). simply put, they are how i want to live my life.

cave of the yellow dog.

if you are lucky enough to have this movie playing at a theatre near you, go see it. what a beautiful film.

http://www.caveoftheyellowdog.com/

delinquent dogs.

what happens when i leave town......

sealions, dog guests, and geese! oh my!

even geese walk for a cure

kristi and little nina-like dog

serrano hotel guest

another serrano hotel guest

a hotel guest that looks a lot like the chopper!

even looks like chopper from the back!

sign outside ravenswood winery (can deers read?)

took this pic for jason (who would NOT be able to stay off hills)

pier 39 sea lions

a lone sea lion (also reminds me of porkchop)

making friends with a seagull

i had extra shrimp

reminded me of steve and nina

when i got back to st louis, i realized half of my pictures were of animals. for starters, the serrano hotel was a pet friendly hotel. and i couldn't help myself. i was like the pet-paparazzi. everytime a dog walked thru the lobby i reached for my camera. i'm pretty sure i won't be allowed back at that hotel. but it was worth it. the highlight was a little beagle that beared a striking resemblance to porkchop.

i also enjoyed the sealions at pier 39. wish i had video. the sound of their barking was overwhelming. i called jason from the docks and held the phone out to him so he could hear.

on the way back from pier 39, my mom and i stopped for some beer and shrimp at an outside cafe. i was mesmerized by the seagulls. what is my deal with animals??? i saved them some shrimp and made friends. i'm sure they will remember me if i ever return.

organic fruit, five dogs, and barbeque.

chewy, mutt, mr daniels, and chopper mesmerized by dog treats.

i just discovered that st louis has an organic farmers market every saturday during the summer. yesterday my mom and i went and bought some delicious tomatoes and peaches. the produce was so pretty i just had to display it in this beautiful handmade bowl (courtesy of my sistah nancy). since the weather has been nice (a la, no storms), jason and i decided to barbecue today. our friends sam and kate, and bryan came by and brought their dogs (mutt & chewy, and raven). at one point we had 5 dogs running around our house. it was pandemonium. i really wanted to snap a photo of the madness. it was next to impossible due to mutt's extreme camera phobia. he believes they steal your soul. but alas i possessed the magic holly hobbie cookie (dog-treat) jar which put them in a spell long enough for me to sneak a pic of four of them. sorry, mutt. your soul is now mine. mr d and choppy played hard. they have currently retired to their beds for the evening.