Cassidy enjoyed his couple years in New Jersey. He devoured several pieces of Carol's furniture to help improve the house's decor. Shortly thereafter, he ventured with Danielle to Boston for a time. His swimming skills were unparalleled, and his backyard squirrel-free! Unfortunately, the family had less time to spend with him, as they were busy caring for some elderly family members. Though Carol and Dick hated to see him go, Cassidy returned to California for more adventures with friends and family.

Needless to say, Mark was happy to have his company again.

Phoenix Lake was a great place for dogs, and Cassidy enjoyed romping here with Sam and Parker, another black lab. Fetch competitions were fierce.

One of Cassidy's best friends was Roland, who lived with him in Berkeley. He loved playing ball and gardening in the yard with Roland. Around this time, he began his odd stalking around the house, hiding behind plants, like this one. He may have been stalking food, which Roland caught him pilfering many times. Turkey legs, pizza pies, and London broils topped his list of kitchen counter thefts.

Here he is enjoying his favorite easy chair, dubbed the "Cassi-Throne." It was left by some other housemates, who had a toy poodle named Teddy (not to be confused with his stuffed teddies). Despite the name, Teddy was not Cassidy's favorite dog (a tribute to his taste). Teddy would bark at anything, and liked to poop under his master's desk. 'Nuff said.

This is "Poodie," Cindy's dog from the pound. Cassidy enjoyed his housemates Poodie and Cindy. Nora, another housemate, had a Field Spaniel, Ulysses, who spent most of his life in the back yard. Ulysses enjoyed his company, despite an occasional scrap over food.

Coding stinks. Cassidy knew it, too. He would keep Mark company in the computer room, hoping to play ball instead. There's a hidden "back door" in Math League's Math Contests software: if you click the professor on the main page 77 times, a dialog box appears; if you type in "CASSIDY," you'll get to see a picture of him.

Kally loved the little guy, too, and he appreciated her playfulness and sweet charm. He posed for a number of photos with her, like this one, while camping in Big Sur. Chasing the gophers at Andrew Molera campground kept him busy for hours.

Roland took great care of Cassidy when Mark biked cross-country. Kally took Cassidy to visit Mark in Mendocino on the first leg of the tour. As you can see, Cassidy had a great time teasing Mark with the stick on Mendocino's beaches.

Of course, one good tease deserves another, and the tables were soon turned on Cassishwartz.

His swimming skills were perfect for the beach, one of Cassidy's favorite places.

Muir Beach was another favorite place, with all dogs off-leash for maximum pleasure. It was a better place for Cassidy to test his excavation skills than Roland's garden.

A dog can work itself into a frenzy when excavating. As this sandy mush shows, it can be dirty work. This particular expression was known as "Crazy Face," and usually preceded unpredictable antics.

He shared his excavation expertise with Socks, a Lab-Rottweiler mix who became part of the family in July, 1998. Socks and Cassidy loved each others' company, and became inseparable friends.

Socks suffered sandy snoot shortly after joining the dig. Nothing a short swim won't cure..

One of Mark's favorite pictures. It speaks for itself.