The Travels of Buddy

My old Buddy walked with me from 2008 through 2015.

Here he is, Mar. 5, 2008, the day I brought him home from the Pasadena Humane Society Shelter.  He was my travel companion and photographic assistant until his death Oct. 19, 2015.  He looks young in this picture, but he was already about 5 years old, with a bit of grey on his chin.

His first walk with me was at the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area.  He was a little thin then.  He had been treated for worms at the shelter.  The first thing I did was teach him not to chase bicycles.

I probably adopted him too soon after my last dog died, but I was on an epic journey along the L.A. River, and I didn't think I could continue without a dog at my side.  Here he is, watching the ducks at the dam.

 He practiced his sit-stay on the Wilbur Ave. Bridge.  Cars whizzing over bridges made him a bit nervous, but it was a quiet afternoon.

  Crossing on the Corbin Ave. Bridge May 5, 2008.  We reached the theoretical headwaters later that day.

I felt rather lost after that, without a goal.  For some reason, I decided to visit Bellflower.  Painted utility boxes have reached my own neighborhood this year, but I saw them first in Paramount, Long Beach and Bellflower.  

I wanted to take him down the Ballona Creek Bike path too, but near the mouth, the access points were too far apart for me to walk.  He could have done it, I'm sure, but he wasn't going anywhere without me.  We did explore surrounding areas in Culver City, however.  

Los Angeles State Historic Park was a favorite place we visited many times. He was Dog of the Week  in Oct. 2009.

He visited the most photographed building in Los Angeles

 He watched passersby while I look into the office of the Daily Planet.

he spent some time learning to be an urban dog.  He didn't see the no pets sign until he got there.

 We visited the old police station, Parker Center, as well as the new one. 

visited site of first L.A. Jewish Temple

  In sprig we began another epic walk, all the length of the combination of all the streets called Broadway in Los Angeles.  We started at the northeast end, in Lincoln Heights.  We found several of these stairways to nowhere, but didn't take them. 

2010 was a great year for Buddy.  We got his little kitten friend Lila!

July 8, 2010

A door in Chinatown.

He walked over the terrazzo in front of old theaters on Broadway.

took a detour on Hill St.

This was their first meeting

 July 31, 2010

What better way to spend my birthday than hanging out with my dog.

Huntington Park on Christmas.

Continuing down Broadway-- March 2011, he met this guy outside the tattoo parlor.

 In August we reached the City of Cars0n

 and kept on walking.until we reached the place where broadway ends at Main St. 

We had more adventures closer to home.  Walking on the city's oldest paving stones--

He met a lot of dogs.  Some of them looked like him.

 Many walks by the river at North Atwater Creek.  

Once, he had been afraid of trains, but he waited by my side while this one went by.  He waited patiently while i photographed the North Main St. Bridge. If he was afraid, I didn't snow it. 

It was an unexpectedly happy day when I took him to see a doomed house in Echo Park and we met a man with two little poodles and a 12 year old Golden Retriever.  He usually liked the little dogs best, but he was happy to find a pal his own age.

Sept 23, 2015

He only lived another month. He was the best walking companion I ever had.