Meet writer dogs. Rider dogs. Best dog friends. Surf the couch, the www, or a wave. Wave back at us!
It's all about the ride. The ride of life with a dog.
Ride along with us! Surf dogs hit the streets to celebrate holiday joy.
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Surf Dog Diaries in the Hood River Holiday parade. Left to right: Kelsey the Christmas tree girl, Barb and Doodle “windsurf” the streets, Dasher, the 7-foot weiner dog on the roof of Red, the truck. Photo (c): Robb Severdia, DogDiary.org
Ride along with us - Surf Dog Diaries - in our annual Christmas parade in the Columbia River Gorge. Together, we’re surfing the streets in Hood River, Oregon.
Doxie Doodle and I (Barb Ayers) surfin’ the streets 12/7/18. Photo: (c) Terri Vann, DogDiary.org
The 2018 Hood River Holiday parade. Photo: (c) Blane Franger, BeautifulHoodRiver.com
We surf dogs love our home town, tiny town - Hood River. A.k.a. Who-Ville. Photo: (c) Barb Ayers, DogDiary.org
Surf dogs’ 2018 Hood River Holiday parade float. Photo: (c) Barb Ayers, DogDiary.org
Doodle on his windsurf ride. Photo: (c) Barb Ayers, DogDiary.org
Surf dogs - human and canine. Photo: (c) DogDiary.org
Back of the windsurf rig - license plates from our three stomping grounds. Photo: (c) Barb Ayers, DogDiary.org
We surf dogs have lived (and surfed) in three states, searching for life’s perfect wave - Dog Beach (California,) Dog River (Oregon) and Dog Mountain (Washington).
Yes, those are real places, all important to the history of the wild, wild west. And surf dogs everywhere - man and animal.
By the way, Dog River and Dog Mountain are neighbors here, across the Columbia River where we live and surf.
We started parade surfing the streets in San Diego’s Ocean Beach in 1992, promoting our old home beach, Dog Beach, which needed repairs.
Back then, my first surf dog, Howdy Doody and I marched with the O.B. Geriatric Precision SurfBoard Drill Team - an OB institution, and a killer-good surf club.
OB geriatrics were surfers that were 30 or older. We carried surfboards in parades. Howdy and I “skied” behind a ski boat or “surfed” land boards down Newport Avenue.
At the time I was OB Town Council President. Howdy and I were co chairs of the OBTC Dog Beach Committee, responsible for fixing up America’s first leash free beach.
The parade tradition carried on, after the OB Geriatric surf club retired for good, and after we moved to Oregon.
Today, doxie Doodle is the fourth generation Ayers family surf dog to ride waves, and parades, with me.
All four of my surf dogs were low riders- three bassets and a doxie. All were rescue mutts. No pedigree necessary.
Dasher in this year’s parade. Photo: (c) Barb Ayers, DogDiary.org
My dog son, surf doxie Doodle, and his rad rig. Photo: (c) Barb Ayers, DogDiary.org
Surfing the streets- downtown Hood River, on Oak Street. The Surf Dog Diaries crew. Left to right: Tree girl Kelsey Jacobson, Barb and Doodle and dog mom Stacey Castleberry. Photo: (c) Robb Severdia, DogDiary.org
Christmas Tree girl Kelsey Jocobson. Photo: (c) Barb Ayers, DogDiary.org
Who’s that green “Who” of Who-Ville?
Kelsey Jacobson, our next door neighbor girl, dressed as the Christmas Tree in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation movie.
On her shoulder is the cat that tore down the Griswold’s Christmas tree, tangled in lights.
Here, we all come out to celebrate the holidays - together - at the parade. Or ANY day!
Together, we are all the Whos in Who-Ville.
As the parade ends, the countdown to Christmas begins… with kids and adults chanting…
… Then lights fill the sky -
and songs fill the streets - carols filling homes and hearts all around…
All the Whos in Who-Ville. Hood River Christmas parade & Tree Lighting 12/7/2018. Photo: (c) Blane Franger, BeautifulHoodRiver.com
From Doctor Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas:
The front window view the morning after the parade. Holiday magic on our Columbia Gorge cliffs! Photo (c) Barb Ayers, DogDiary.org
Who-Ville got its first gift of snow December 8th, decorating hills and homes… rivers and forests, mountains and roads…
Doodle and I, Surf Dog Diaries writers and riders, lit up by snowflake lights.
Photo: (c) Terri Vann, DogDiary.org
Snow magic - Santa magic - Grinch magic.
The spirit of Who-Ville.
It can happen any time - any season.
Give with your whole heart - just like your best friend dog does - every moment of every day.
JOY TO YOUR TWO FEET AND FOUR PAWS!
Barb & Doodle Ayers
Surf Dog Diaries
While we wouldn’t say that cleanliness and pets are related to one another, to think that having an animal inside your home will make it dirty is a huge mistake.
They might not have the same standards as we do when it comes to neatness, but pets care about us and if you train them right and take certain steps, you can certainly keep your living space very tidy.
If odors and filth are your biggest grievances and you want to find a way to make your rooms smell of fresh flowers rather than wet fur, take a look at some of our tips that will help you keep your home nice and clean.
Fur is probably the first thing you’ll want to tackle if you have a pet that sheds a lot and tends to leave hairs seemingly everywhere.
A good vacuum can really make a big difference, and you want to get the kind of model that you can easily whip out every few days or once a week to deal with all the fur. Look for a vacuum that uses a canister that’s easy to empty instead of utilizing bulky bags, and try to find something light and cordless with enough suction power to clean both rugs and furniture.
Another thing you want to invest in is a lint roller—have several of these lying around so you could quickly brush away fallen hairs before heading out.
It’s important to air out your house by opening the windows in the morning and in the evening, but instead of using fresheners that could potentially be toxic and harmful both for human and animal health, rely on a purifier. Placing a good air purifier in your living room will neutralize odors and even help filter dander and other allergy-causing particles. Get something that has quality filters to make sure it runs with efficiency and you’ll make your life a lot easier.
It’s very hard to keep your home clean when your pet is dirty, so make sure never to neglect their own hygiene. Smaller pets can be washed in a sink or a basin, and some will need to be washed in a bathtub. How frequently you need to bathe them will depend on several factors: their coat length and thickness, whether they spend time outside or not, whether they have a skin condition, their grooming habits, and their activity levels. Furless animals such as tortoises don’t need washing unless it’s to deal with a skin condition, the same goes for very tiny pets such as guinea pigs or hamsters.
The rule of thumb is to generally wash your pet when they start to smell, but it’s best you consult the vet so they could give you more specifics. Besides washing, you should also brush cats and dogs regularly to keep their coat shiny and prevent fur from getting all over the place.
If you have a cat, quality litter is another thing to have in your home to help you neutralize odors. Find the kind of cat litter that will be easy to scoop and won’t track all over your floors, and clean it out regularly.
Pet toys are a great way to keep the animal entertained, but they do catch scents and can end up stinking to high heavens if you don’t wash them. You don’t have to do it often, but do give them at least an occasional rinse. The same goes for food bowls.
Rather than having to wash and scrub the whole couch, it’s easier to use throw blankets to keep your furniture safe. You can also spread them over your sofas and even your bed in case you allow your pet to climb it. Throw blankets can easily be put into the washing machine, so find some stylish ones to match your décor.
When your dog pads inside after a walk and a roll in the mud, you want to have a towel there to wipe their paws before they drag the dirt all over your carpet. Keeping them clean this way is a good way to make sure they stay healthy and it’s a good opportunity to check for ticks on their skin.
A towel is also handy for other pets, too—top wipe them down after a bath, or to help clean up any accidents.
Bad pet food is one of the biggest culprits for nasty odors. Feed them only with high-quality foods, avoid giving them table scraps, and make sure to check how your pet responds to a certain diet before pushing them to keep eating it.
A little dirt is a very small price to pay given everything our pets do for us. Use these tips to keep your home fresh and clean, and enjoy being a responsible pet parent.
