We call our home in the Sierra Nevada Foothills The Golden K. This name was inspired by our Golden Retriever Kali. Kali had a big influence on my life. One could argue that without her there may have never been The Golden K. In many ways Kali was the The Golden K Founder. I do believe that she led us to this place in the mountains that has been our home now for seven years.
Kali’s Journey
Before Kali was Kali she was a stray in Taiwan. She was rescued off the streets by a Taiwanese Golden Retriever rescue group. This group took Kali, a stray, into their care and nursed her to good health, and ultimately into my arms. The group in Taiwan partners with True Love Rescue in Northern California and send many dogs into living family in the United States. They estimated Kali to be approximately five-years old.
In the Spring of 2014 I learned about Kali through True Love Rescue’s website and I applied for adoption. Two months later Kali, known then as Nala, flew 10,000 miles from Taiwan to the San Francisco airport where I picked her up and took her home to Livermore, our home at the time.
Kali adapted quickly and easily to suburbia. Dogs in general, and especially rescues who seem to instinctively know they are getting a second chance, do so much better than most humans with change and assimilation. From the moment we met at SFO Kali was never far from my side. I worked mostly from home and she was always at my feet while I worked or at the door waiting for my return if I had left for client meetings. We walked and played every day, rain or shine, and our individual rhythms quickly became aligned. Our two hearts beat as one. We were six legs walking in unison. We began to see the world through a single collective lens. I learned so much from this special girl.
Kali changed my life. She changed how I thought. My priorities changed. I slowed down and began to experience the world at a slower pace.
The Journey
This slower pace and spending so much time doing simple things with Kali rekindled my dream of living in the mountains. Living in a smaller and more intimate community with a slightly slower pace of life. Shortly after we adopted Kali, Holly and I now empty nesters, began thinking about getting a camper and taking road trips, just the three of us; Holly Kali and I. The camper idea evolved into a vacation home idea and ultimately evolved into a full time relocation to the mountains idea!
When people ask me how we found our home in the mountains I tell them we didn’t find it. The home found us! The home and surrounding 5 acres called out to me as I was looking, just for fun, on-line for vacation homes in Tuolumne County. When we saw the photos we knew we had found our forever home. I do believe that if not for Kali I wouldn’t have been emotionally prepared or ready to consider making a big change in our lives. But Kali had slowed my life down. She caused me to reprioritize things. She helped me to remember what was important. I was ready to pursue my long time dream of living in the mountains. It took a little longer for Holly but she got there too. We saw other properties but ultimately wrote an offer on the home that found us and the offer was accepted. We moved in the Spring of 2016.
When thinking of a name for our new mountain home it took only seconds for me to know what that was: The Golden K. The Golden K in honor of my sweet Golden Kali.
The Golden K
After five years in Taiwan and two years in Livermore Kali would now be moving with us to live in Tuolumne, CA. Over the next two years we adopted two Golden Retrieve puppies – Koda and Kloe. K names of course! Kali was a great surrogate mother to each of them and was a benevolant Alpha to the pack.
Kali thrived in the mountains for six years. She was the heart and soul of Golden K. She continued to almost always be by my side even when I was on my tractor working on the property she would trot along side of me. If I left she waited by the gate leading to the yard for my return. As she aged she sat contently in the sun watching her sisters play occasionally joining in the fun.
Old age finally caught up with Kali and she was put to rest on new years day 2022. She continues to be the heart and soul of The Golden K. There is not a day that passes without multiple reminders of her influence. Kali is omnipresent and and remains our beloved Founder and heart of The Golden K.
Even though I knew this story from a blog you wrote long ago, this new one was a beautiful update and reminder of the history of Kali and how you all came to the mountains. Thanks for sharing again!
Kali was an incredible soul. She was and remains my heart dog. How lucky I was for her to find and rescue me!