If you go to your file cabinet, pull out the file marked Snodgrass Family Christmas Letters and find the 2010 issue, you will see that Bailey made the ambitious New Year’s Resolution of going on 500 walks in 2011. Well folks, as most of us said good-bye to our resolutions in February, Bailey kept walking. He walked and he walked. He walked as we all fought through the emotional saga of his Grandma Margaret’s three month long losing battle against cancer. He walked through his Dad’s constant back and forth to San Bernardino for those several months. Bailey learned to share his walking with the constantly pooping Micki back in April. He walked through his dad’s insanely busy 8 class teaching schedule. As his mom entered her third trimester during the warmest part of the year, Bailey kept walking. He walked even with a newborn baby at home. Down the home stretch he walked after learning of his own diagnoses of terminal cancer. He walked and he walked. Bailey walked all over Irvine, down to the beach, at the dog park, to the Top of the World Park, on hiking trails all over Orange County, and around Woodbridge North Lake again and again. Bailey walked with the help of his loving human Mom and Dad, grandparents, and of course Riley, Micki and Reagan.
We are happy to announce on December 30 2011, Bailey completed his 500th walk of the year. He was very happy to reach this hard-fought goal. His 500th walk was a one mile loop around our lake on a beautiful Southern California winter day, with the company of Terrence, Susan, Reagan, Randy, Ginny, Riley, and Micki, Each walk helped keep Bailey as fit as a fiddle and helped Micki transform from obese to a toned stallion of a dog. Bailey is a joy to be around in all activities throughout the day. He is a great dog to lie around and watch TV, he has a youthful exuberance at play time, and is the perfect walking buddy. All who ever get to walk Bailey are better off after the experience. Sometimes I want to stop walking in the middle of the trail to pick him up and give him a hug, but hey, we’re dog people.
My sister likes to make the strong differentiation between dog people and people who own a dog. Brenda owns a dog. We are dog people. One way to tell if you’re a dog person, your dog makes New Year’s resolutions and you write a blog about it.
Here are some photos of Bailey’s 500th walk of the year. Enjoy.
When Susan and I were still dating I told her to me, peace and happiness was having dinner with my family and taking a walk. We have been doing just that for years.
The original walking duo.
Many of my favorite walks included a leash in each hand and a baby strapped to my chest. I am a do-it-all kind of dad.
Micki has joined every walk since April. She'll walk right under your feet and stops for too many twosies, but she has been a great addition.
We kept a chart on the refrigerator all year to write down the date of each walk. Bailey is filling out the very last square. Good for you Bailey!
