Samwise Gamgee the Wonder Dog

A year ago yesterday, August 29, 2013, I called my friend, Slim, said to her, "get in the car, come pick me up, we're going to the pound to get me a dog." Here he is, Samwise Gamgee, a year later. The pound, Pima Animal Care Center, found him as a stray near the I-10 freeway and Ruthrauff Road, when I took him he had been there for nine days. I was so totally not prepared for how hard it was to walk around the many kennel stalls to see so many beautiful, misplaced dogs hungry for affection and a place to call home. Sam had been neutered and chipped, with no response from the previous owner who had the foresight to chip him. I walked around the kennels and kept coming back to him. There was a lovely dog in the stall next to him, who was barking loudly, whereas Sam was at the gate looking at me. In retrospect, the pound may have named him Harpo because he did not bark. He finally barked three days later, a small one to let Slim and I know that he heard us at the door.

Sam is a true companion, and well-named. Samwise Gamgee went with Frodo Baggins all the way to Mount Doom and back to their home in the Shire. Sam is a good trail dog, a good car dog, logging many many miles with me across the west, a good sport, sweet and gentle. Best guess by the vet is that he is eight or nine years old.

Samwise Gamgee, c. 2014, Nancy Charak photograph

Samwise Gamgee, c. 2014, Nancy Charak photograph

Harpo, c. 2013, Nancy Charak photograph

Surface What Is It?

Surface: tactile, edged, shadowy, illusory, lustrous, spiny, woven, shimmering, satinous, smooth, watery, patterned, rough, wavy, irregular, abraded, luminous, finished.

All pieces are 18"x24", oil, oil wash, polyester thread, copper roofing nails, wood glue on unprimed cotton canvas, will be on display at SPACE Gallery, from September 26 through November 1, 2014. Opening reception, Friday, September 26th, please come on by.

These pieces will be on exhibit with a number of fine artists, including Jo Marks Aardsma, Sharon Swidler and Diane McGregor.

How Many Miles to Babylon No. 6, c. 2014, Nancy Charak artist

How Many Miles to Babylon No. 8, c. 2014, Nancy Charak artist

How Many Miles to Babylon No. 9, c. 2014, Nancy Charak artist

How Many Miles to Babylon No. 10, c. 2014, Nancy Charak artist

4,947, On the Road to Crater Lake

The first four were taken with the GoPro Hero mounted to the dashboard on the Road to Crater Lake National Park. The map says it is 43 miles from Klamath Falls to Crater Lake, it felt longer, miles and miles of towering evergreens. And then, to see that caldera of the ancient volcano filled in with the most astonishing blue waters is mind-blowing. There's where I used the DSLR.

Road to Crater Lake 01, c. 2014, Nancy Charak photograph

Road to Crater Lake 02, c. 2014, Nancy Charak photograph

Road to Crater Lake 03, c. 2014, Nancy Charak photograph

Road to Crater Lake 04, c. 2014, Nancy Charak photograph

Crater Lake 01, c. 2014, Nancy Charak photograph

Crater Lake 02, c. 2014, Nancy Charak photograph

4,974, ctd.

Inglenook Vineyard, c. 2014, Nancy Charak photograph

View of Columbia River, c. 2014, Nancy Charak photograph

Birds Over Columbia, c. 2014, Nancy Charak photograph

Drainage Pipe Astoria, c. 2014, Nancy Charak photograph

Raven over Portland Wilderness, c. 2014, Nancy Charak photograph

4,947: Zion National Park

Once again taken with the GoPro Hero camera in hand held burst mode through the mile long tunnel in Zion National Park. Note, this is a silent movie.

4,947 Miles

Samwise Gamgee, otherwise known as Sam the Wonder Dog, and I just completed a journey by car of 4,947 miles. Sam was a trooper, rarely complaining as he was hauled in and out of cars to visit family and friends, then national parks and humongous western scenery for all those miles across 24 days. On the last two days, when asked to get back into the car, he'd look up with this "really, Nancy?" kind of mild glare. A couple of times he nudged me to stop the car for a rest wherein he did not pee or poop, just walked. Good dog, Sam.

Our route took us from Tucson to Los Angeles, to Napa, to Grants Pass, to Portland, to the Oregon beach, to Vancouver BC, back to Portland, then to Crater Lake, to Lake Tahoe, to Elko, to Promontory Point, Zion, Bryce, the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, then via Flagstaff back to Tucson.

Nancy Charak photo c. 2014

Nancy Charak photo c. 2014

Nancy Charak photo c. 2014

Nancy Charak photo c. 2014

These particular photos were taken with a GoPro Hero. I originally had the camera mounted on the dashboard of the car only to realize that I was mostly taking pictures of the hood of the car at 60 second intervals without any control. So, I took to hand holding the camera, which has no viewfinder and no feedback until it is downloaded back to a computer, out the window of the car when I saw scenic views, in burst mode, three at a time.

Parenthetically, I should add, that for huge portions of the road, it was the phenomenon of "oh look, there's another scenic vista," and another, and another.