While Bucky and I may be lost in America, geographically we know exactly where we are. We live in a quaint little ski town nestled in the Rocky Mountains. Summers consist of long blue sky days with cool mountain nights. Spring is lush once the snow melts with the air filled with the fragrant pine scent from the alpine forests. Winter is a wonderland with so much snow it puts Narnia to shame. And the fall, almost the forgotten season is breathtaking. The reds, orange and golds cascade down the mountainside in a veritable symphony of color.

I have to pinch myself to make certain I am indeed not dreaming. Not only do we get to live in a magical place but all of our children and grandchildren live in this same town. And best of all we actually all really like each other. We regularly get together as a family for Sunday dinner. When I tell some of my golfing buddies about this I sometimes feel like they think I am making this up.

Bucky gets the benefit of not only being surrounded by lots of family including little kids that will play with him endlessly but he also gets to be around two other French bulldogs multiple days of the week. My daughter has a black and white franchie named Bos and my son has a tanned franchie named Ollie (pictures attached). When the three of them get together it is a circus. Not a well run circus with elaborate tricks but rather unending chaos and mayhem with three clowns unwittingly performing comedy skits. Most dog owners go on about how well trained or industrious their dogs are, not us. These dogs go where they want to go and do what they want to do.

What did I do to deserve this life? As near as I can tell absolutely nothing. I try not to take a minute for granted but the truth is we are simply not programmed to live in such an introspective way. Every now and then I do stop to appreciate these extraordinary blessings and when I do the one thought that hits me is this truly is like a dream and then I am reminded that eventually we all have to wake up. But not yet, please not quite yet.