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"Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent.

To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden,

where doing nothing was not boring--it was peace."

- Milan Kundera

 

My Canine Kids

 The love affair with Golden Retrievers started with our very first family dog, Feather, shown here in a Porter family portrait by David LaClaire.

When Alison agreed to have a litter with her Golden, "Cali", Erin was the first in line to get one of her offspring.  Erin was the lucky one that got to stay with Cali until she went into labor.

 Cali the day before she went into labor

There is not much cuter than 11 Golden Retriever puppies

 

They call this photo 'the feeding flower' and it was taken by Danielle Boccasini, Cali's breeder and Erin's friend.

Chow Time!

 

This is the little bundle of love Erin and John settled on,

the oldest in their canine crew, 'Nugget'.

Nugget on the way home from Arizona, tiptoeing through the 'tulips'

It wasn't long before she was getting into EVERYTHING !

 

 

And breaking all the rules...

 

 

How about driving AND holding my paw?

Sometimes the time in the car gets tiring, even if they are riding shotgun...

Before too long, they added Smooch to the mix.  The pups became fast furry friends.  This is their first day together.

 The nice thing about being a dog in their family is they include the dogs in EVERYTHING!!  Here they are enjoying a swim in Lake Winnipesaukee

 

Pretty soon they moved in to their new house, and oh what a dog yard it has, complete with a pond!!!

Erin takes her girls everywhere!!

Erin took Nugget and Smooch on a road trip which included her beloved boarding school, Kingswood School Cranbrook.

 

 

 And then there were three!

 

 

At Sleeping Bear Dunes - July 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here is Erin and John's family Christmas card for 2010

Nugget, Erin, Blanche, Smooch and John

Smooch and John

 

 

 They must be 'barking mad' at the Lundin Ladies Golf Club. 

It wouldn't be Erin's kind of club!!

 One of the roadtrips they went all the way to Arizona. Here they are partying with their  canine family from left to right, Cali, Nugget, Charlie and Smooch.

Baby Blanche socks it to her Uncle Charlie

 Back on the home front, Nugget and Smooch are waiting

for the latest addition to the family.

 

 

 

 And on another trip they went to visit Cali and Charlie in Vail, CO.  Charlie, Smooch, Nugget and Cali after the perfect hike to the Arrowhead Yurt.

 

 On a walk in Edwards, CO where Cali and Charlie taught Nugget and Smooch how to swim across the Eagle River, which they did every day.

 

Up near the Boundary Waters in Northern Minnesota at the Gunflint Lodge,

with Nugget and Smooch

Our golden family grew even bigger when Cali's daughter Halle had puppies on December 7, 2008. 

Erin came to Arizona in February 2009 and Alison, Rocker, 

Uncle Charlie, Grammy Cali and Cousin Busy  welcomed Blanche to the fold.

 

 

Our mom keeps us stylin' and profilin'

 

 Happy 50th Birthday to our Mistress McMaster.  You make our lives magical!!

LOVE, NUGGET, SMOOCH AND BLANCHE