I woke up on Rusti’s couch this morning to a quiet house— Rusti was up early and headed out to walk Piper. I didn’t want to inconvenience her, so the first thing I did was look for a hotel for my next destination. But before leaving, I wanted to thank her properly, so I had wanted to treat her out to lunch.

Leaving Redding this morning, Ashley and I headed north with Max curled up in the back. The drive carried us past Mt. Shasta, its snow-capped peak towering against the sky. I couldn’t resist pulling over for a photo with Max—the mountain rising behind him, his ears alert as if he knew this was a moment worth remembering.