We spent the night in Kaaawa again, and managed to get out for our walk a few minutes before dawn. We’re discovering that most of the dogs we knew so well out there in Kaaawa have died of old age, or are hanging on despite the ravages of time. A friend carried Paco, a little chihuahua, out to “see” us, although I’m pretty sure he couldn’t see much at all. And back on Kekio Road, Pono came out to bark at the front gate of his house before accepting a biscuit, like in the old days. But he was a lot slower and it took a bit longer for him to process the interaction.

We were glad to see these two, but were really very happy to later find ourselves face-to-face with Mr. Boogie. He lives just around the corner from our old house in Kaaawa, and would often be the first dog we would see in the morning. We haven’t seen him in quite a while, and were worried that perhaps we had missed our chance to see him again. And now, there he was.

He’s a lot older now. A lot slower. His eyesight and hearing seem to be failing. But he perked up when offered a treat, or two, or three.

I tracked back to the first photo of Boogie that I posted at the end of 2007. He had just recently become the new puppy on the block. And quite an addition to the neighborhood.

Boogie was a big, strong dog in his prime. He always liked most people, except for people on bicycles. And his friendly enthusiasm could be a problem because of his size. Too much of a good thing at times. He was a breakout artist in those earlier days, and always managed to escape in order to wander the neighborhood. Some neighbors were pretty unhappy with his antics, but somehow he survived all those years. When another friend’s Rottweiler across the street was in heat in 2009, Boogie managed to make it over, under, through, or around several fences in order to father a fine litter of pups.

Here’s how I described him a couple of years later.

If you don’t know Boogie, he might be intimidating, but he is a totally sweet dog. And that tail! When it’s in full swing, it is almost a weapon! Watch it going from side to side. It manages to make the full circuit, hitting first one side of his body, then swinging around to hit the other. I’m surprised he doesn’t have bruises on both sides!

Anyway, without further introduction, here is Mr. Boogie and his tail.