‘Tis the season!
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
Dog Beach. Dog River. Dog Mountain.
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.
Surfing the streets
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.
Up on the roof! A 7-foot weiner dog. “Doxie Dasher - up, up and away….”
Dasher in this year’s parade. Photo: (c) Barb Ayers, DogDiary.org
Windsurfing right behind - 16-pound doxie Doodle...
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.
This is small town community spirit.
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:
“Every Who down in Who-Ville,
the tall and the small,
was singing — without any presents at all!”
“… and then the true meaning of Christmas came through…
and the Grinch found the strength
of ten Grinches, plus two!
“Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store -
maybe Christmas perhaps, means something more….”
The front window view the morning after the parade. Holiday magic on our Columbia Gorge cliffs! Photo (c) Barb Ayers, DogDiary.org
The Morning After the parade - a Christmas visitor…
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
Don’t stop believing!
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