My Domain

Josie checks out the view from our front porch.

Going for a Ride

Josie opts to sit in dad's lap on a quick ride to the store.

Taking it Easy

Josie takes it easy on the futon while mom tries to get some work done.

Sleepy Girl

Tired from our walk to the park, Josie snoozes in her bed.

Boardwalk

Josie checks out the boardwalk path near our house. Still doing great on the leash!

Josie in the Posies

Josie stops for a quick rest in a field of yellow flowers near our house.

Josie Meets the Girls

Josie meets the chickens...from a safe distance.

Going Home

Josie gets comfortable in the backseat of the car with her toys during our 12 hour trek from Volcano, CA to Corvallis, OR.

Nap Time Again

Josie crashes in her bed with some of her toys and blanket from her Great-Grandma Pat.
This puppy won't be spoiled....not at all.

Under the Coffee Table

Josie decides to take a rest on the shelf under the coffee table.

Tuckered Out

Tuckered out from a ride into Volcano and a walk around town, Josie crashes on the chair next to Aunt Elsa.

Looking Out

Josie checks out the view from the front deck at Elsa's.

Morning Walk

We took a walk with Elsa and Maxx after breakfast.


We walked down to the meadow that Simone used to love to run through to spread some of her ashes.


Turns out Josie loves to run through the tall grass too.

Lap Dog

Glad to be out of the car, Josie takes it easy in dad's lap at Elsa's.

Welcome to California!

We stopped for a quick stretch break on the Nevada-California border.

The sun seemed to be coming out (finally!) and things warming up a bit. Josie decided she was tired of sitting in the backseat, and decided to try and wander up front.

But then that got boring, so she went back to the back for another nap on dad's jacket.

We stopped again at Carson Pass (elevation 8650 feet) for another stretch break, and Josie had her first encounter with snow.

She had fun romping and sliding around on it.

Cozy Girl

Are We There Yet?

Twenty minutes into our road trip, Josie seems to be wondering if we're there yet.

Road Trip

Josie settles in for our three hour car ride from Virginia City to Volcano, California.

Foot Fetish

Josie likes to lie on feet. We like this puppy more and more by the minute.

Grandma & Josie

Grandma Sue enjoys a moment with her new granddoggy.

Hansen Family Portrait 2011

Marney & Jasper, Carley & Josie, Matt, Sue & Odie and Corb

Josie and Uncle Matt

Thank you, Uncle Matt, for taking care of Josie the past couple of weeks.

Chillin' with Odie

Josie and Odie hang out under the counter at Grandma and Grandpa's house.

Morning Stroll

Walking up the driveway to Grandma and Grandpa's house on a cold May Nevada morning.
Josie did great her first time on a leash. She's a natural!

Mom and Josie

Mom and Josie

Morning Snuggle

Dad snuggles with Josie on the floor in our old room at The Castle early this morning.

Nap Time

Josie crashes on Odie's bed after all the excitement of meeting her new family.

Meet Odie

Josie gets to know Odie, Grandma and Grandpa's dog.

Meet Josie

Meet Josie.

Josie was born on March 26th in Gardnerville, Nevada.
She was one of 11 puppies born to a half bloodhound, half lab mom.


She spent her first seven weeks living outdoors in a goat shed with her mom and siblings. The people who had the dogs didn't take very good care of them, and the mom was really sick with worms.

Enter Ingrid.


Ingrid is good friends with my brother Matt. She lives next door to the puppies, and once she became aware of their living conditions, took great strides to find each and every one of them a home. She took one, my brother took two.

Matt called me about two weeks ago and said that there were two black female lab mix puppies that were in need of a good home. He wondered if we might be interested. We were a bit hesitant at first, nervous at the thought of adopting another dog since Simone's passing, but quickly became excited at the prospect. We told Matt we'd take one, and next had to decide between the two sight unseen. One was described as being active and more of an "alpha" female, while the other was smaller and sweeter. We said we were interested in the smaller, sweeter one, and Ingrid soon walked next door to take her home. Ingrid watched her for a few days, and then took her over to Matt's where she stayed with her two brothers.


Josie and her brothers keeping cool under the pickup truck.

Any hesitation we initially had quickly dissipated, and within a few days, we'd acquired all sorts of new puppy things like a bed and toys and a new food dish. All that was left was to go and pick her up. And since we'd already been planning a trip down to Nevada to visit, the timing was perfect. She could stay with Matt for two weeks until we would be able to get her. Interesting thing is if we hadn't been able to drive down, Ingrid had a friend who would be coming up to Corvallis soon who would have been willing to bring her to us. We decided this puppy was just meant to be.

Gary picked the name Josie. When I was initially on the phone with Matt, I put the receiver down for a minute to ask him if he might be interested in adopting a puppy. Gary said the name "Josie" just popped into his head and presented itself to him. So we've called her Josie ever since. And fortunately, it seems to fit her.


We drove down to Nevada last week, and Matt brought her up to Virginia City to meet us today. We were a little nervous, but as soon as we met her, we knew she was the right puppy for us. She has a very sweet personality and has many mannerisms that remind us a lot of Simone.

We thought it was also fitting that Josie arrived just as we were planting a tree in Simone's memory.

And thus we now begin a new chapter in our lives....The Josie years.