Thinking about our dear Sugar Pie led me to reflect on our old dogs of the past. When I was born, Mom & Dad had a doggie named “Heidi.” She was a boxer (related to my Dad’s summer endeavor “The Boxer Boys Club”), but she passed away when I was seven and I don’t have any pix.

When we moved to 1375 Tareyton Drive, we had three dogs over the course of the rest of my childhood. “Pasha” a Siberian Husky, “Dudinka AKA Dude” a Samoyed, and “Ziggy” a black Lab. Here they were…

Going through those old photos led me to some others of my wonderful family…

In the process, I also found some other fun pix: some student ID cards from my junior year abroad, and travels in Mexico, France, Togo, and Sequoia National Park…

Finally, sometimes I tell folks about an extraordinary experience at Idyllwild School of Music and the Arts. I took a painting class from Picasso’s former partner Françoise Gilot. During that summer in 1977, she brought along her husband, polio vaccine discoverer Jonas Salk. In the middle of the two week course, Françoise & Jonas flew to Washington DC where Dr. Salk was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom Award (along with Martin Luther King, Jr.) by then President Jimmy Carter. Here they are showing the award whilst pouring me a glass of champagne at the after-class party. Good times!