How Urbane: Dog Rides Seattle Bus To Get To The Park

By Bill Chappell. Written on January 13^th, 2015

Eclipse, a two-year-old black lab-mastiff mix, gets around Seattle on the D line bus.

“Did that just happen?”

That’s the reaction one bus rider had in Seattle, after realizing a dog had just joined him for a ride through the city, traveling several stops to her destination: a dog park.

The story comes to us from Seattle’s KOMO 4 TV, which reports that Eclipse, the black Labrador who is winning fans for riding a city bus by herself, lives very close to a bus stop.

Eclipse is owned by Jeff Young, who does not seem to be a control freak.

“It’s not hard to get on” the bus, he tells KOMO. “She gets on in front of her house and she gets off at the dog park, three or four stops later.”

It all started when Exlipse refused to wait for Young to finish a cigarette before getting on the bus that takes them to a dog park they regularly visit. Then she took the bus by herself again. In the past few weeks, the two-year-old dog has been noticed by many commuters, such as radio host Miles Montgomery of station KISW.

“She is most concerned about seeing out the window, and I couldn’t figure out what that was” Montgomery tells KOMO. “It was really just about seeing where her stop was.”

This week, the story of the well-mannered dog and her beguiled fellow bus riders is being embraced by web readers hungry for a bit of uplifting and interesting news (we confess: we’re in that group, too!).

“All the bus drivers know her. She sits here just like a person does,” commuter Tiona Rainwater tells KOMO. “She makes everybody happy. How could you not love this thing?”

Pictures by Eric Jensen @EricJensenTV

 

 

 

 

 

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A short trip to the coast

Earlier this month my friend Susie and I decided to pop down to Lincoln City, OR and visit her brother David and his wife Penni.  I love the beaches in Mexico but every once in a while I need a North West beach fix.   The kind of beach you bundle up in a sweatshirt and walk along the sand.  This trip was just what I needed!

David and Penni are such wonderful hosts!  They have a beautiful place right on Olivia Beach.  We were treated like Queens.  David is a wonderful cook and prepared the most delicious meals.

Beautiful table scape

We sat and talked and laughed for hours as well as taking lots of walks along the beach.

Susie and I standing on the stairway down to the beach

David and Penni look for agates while they walk and have found tons of them.

Penni, David & Susie looking for agates

Penni, David & I

On one of our walks we encountered and interesting thing.  A drone flew right up to us!

Drone checking us out

It was flying along the coastline and stopped right in front of us to check us out.  So of course we had to wave at it 🙂

Waving at the drone

Not being sure it was a drone, when I returned I googled drones and saw this picture posted on a site.

Picture of drone found on-line

Low and behold there was an article in the newspaper telling how the NOAA was testing drones to fly along the coastline to monitor sea birds and survey marine debris.  Well, they got a look at us too!

The night before leaving Lincoln City to head to Ocean Shores we checked out the sunset.  The sun was dancing on the waves and made such a beautiful sight.  What a great ending to a wonderful visit!

Next morning Susie and I drove up Hwy 101 to Ocean Shores.  A doe and her fawn greeted us by walking right across the road in front of us.  I got my camera out just in time to catch them walking into the brush on the other side.  Look closely and you can see the doe.

Doe and fawn crossing the road in Ocean Shores

The next morning we drove right onto the beach to drink our coffee and enjoy just looking out at the water.  Then we took a long walk along the beach.

Gotta love those seagulls!

Wading in the COLD waters at Ocean Shores

Soon the fog started rolling in and we could barely see in front of us.  We did manage to find our way back to the car by following our footsteps.

Susie with the fog rolling in in back of her

All too soon we had to head back inland and to Wenatchee.  Thanks David, Penni & Susie for a much-needed trip to the beach!

Beautiful morning at Lake Chelan

I am so lucky to be able to stay at such wonderful places while I pet sit.  Today I’m at beautiful Lake Chelan.  This morning while Halle and I were taking our morning walk three deer were checking us out on the hillside.

Can you see me?

Good morning!

What deer?

Then the Lady of the Lake passed by on her way to Stehekin on the beautiful glistening lake.

Lady of the Lake

All the while Jack was sunbathing in his cozy bed by the window.

Ahhh, what a life!