Summer is AWOL, and we discover "Stinky" the Mink

“Another blustery Monday morning. Rain for everybody... a bit of fog, a bit of wind. Quite strong winds. About 3 mm of rain. And there’s moose. So, be careful behind the wheel today!” ...  That’s the word from VOCM this morning. 

A quick glance out the window corroborates the weather conditions. Yup. It’s raining and foggy. Again. *sigh* I thought it was heading towards summer.  It was dry and non-rainy this past weekend. The sun, while a bit washed-out, was shining. We actually sat out on our back deck for several beautiful afternoon hours, playing cards with friends. Somebody seems to have hit the Rewind button again.

Ah well. That’s the way it goes. I’m sure that once we have summer in our grasp, all pains, agonies, and suffering will be forgotten and forgiven. I can hardly wait!

Moving on...

Paul found a baby mink on Friday night! It was chirping miserably on the parking lot of the Torbay Circle K, attracting a lot of unwanted attention from a pair of circling cats. He watched and waited for nearly half an hour to see if Mama Mink showed up for a rescue. No such luck. He says that he squatted down and reached out his hand and the little thing scrambled over and crawled in for a rescue.

You know your rough, tough, he-man is a softie when he shows up at the door with a ragged little bundle of fur snuggled in the crook of his arm. A STINKY little bundle of fur! There’s a very good reason that ferrets are de-scented. This guy has his musk glands firmly in place, and when he gets stressed... whew! Imagine the very worst smelling underarm scent you’ve ever encountered. (think back to that hot summer day when you sat on the bus with the sweaty, smelly guy next to you!)  DOUBLE IT. You’re getting close. 

Fortunately, we’re not noticing it so much anymore. (It’s Day 3) Either we’re getting used to it (it’s not all that unpleasant in small quantities), or our noses have had their linings singed off. Considering our Saturday afternoon guests noticed a slight odor, but weren’t offended by it ... his quote was “I like it!” ... it’s not that bad. Actually, I kept circling the kitchen in an effort to discover the source of the horrid armpit stink, (yes, I’m weird), only to discover that the smell was coming from the package of fresh basil!  

We tried contacting the Wildlife people, to no avail. Did you know that Government services close down over the weekend?! The SPCA didn’t want anything to do with it. Even Heavenly Creatures, as helpful as Jessica was, couldn’t do anything for us. 

No worries. We’re going to feed him up for a week or so and then release him ourselves. He’s eating well. Very well. I wonder if they eat until they bust or if they self-regulate. Hmm.. 

Because he has such tiny baby teeth, we figure he’s just teething now. We fed him small bowls of evaporated milk mixed with water. A 1: 2 milk to water ratio seemed to be favored. Some canned cat food, using the sample of Taste of the Wild that I picked up at the NL Pet Expo last weekend. I started thawing the feeder mice I keep in the freezer for our snakes. I thought, since he’s a small critter, we’d begin with the smallest size available. I was impressed to see him chomping through a half-frozen hopper! I picked up a handful of minnows from the pet store, and he seems to have enjoyed the first one, once he found it. I guess it doesn’t have a strong odor. Their noses aren’t their strongest asset. 

We’re thinking that we should let him get some exercise so he doesn’t turn into a fat lump of furball with poor digestion (think of your last airline flight!), so we started releasing him into the downstairs bathroom for feedings. I’m planning to set a pan of water down for him to explore. Mink are semi-aquatic hunters and damn good swimmers, but the bathtub experience was traumatic. A smaller setting might be more appropriate. Tossing a pair of minnows in for good measure. Something for him to chase and catch. 

lol... which reminds me of last evening! Our next door neighbour has one of those live-trap mouse catchers. She caught a mouse and offered it to us for little Stinky. Let the fun begin.

Sequence of events:

Set trap in mink bin.

Slide open the trap door.

Mouse FLIES out.

Mouse zooms around mink bin and returns to trap.

Flies back out of back side of trap.

Decision is made to remove the trap so the mink has a chance to catch it.

Open mink bin.

Mouse flies out of mink bin and zips into kitchen.

Mook and I scream. I dance in place, my heart going pitter-patter. Mook jumps onto the couch.

Regina and Paul scramble after it, dustpan in hand. Paul laughing like a loon.

It took some work, but the dreaded mouse was soon clobbered and ready for re-insertion in the bin. 

BUT!!!  ... there’s always a “but.” ... There was a second mouse in the trap! Who knew?! It took advantage of our distraction with his compatriot and also flew out of the mink bin. (More screams from Mook and I.) This one stayed behind the buffet in the dining room. It took a bit more work to finagle it out, but again, the dustpan proved to be a good tool for sedating the damn thing. So, two adult mice, one live, one definitely deceased. 

Moments after putting the still-barely alive one in, I heard a startled squeak, cut off quickly and replaced with a sort of crunching noise. Apparently, Stinky starts at the head and works his way down to the tail.

Well, we know he’s capable of eating larger prey. Now we’re going to see if he can catch it himself. I’m not sure how to do that. I am sure I don’t want to go through the role of mouse-catcher again.

It’s kind of interesting to have a wild mink around. We looked on the ‘net and found that many people have taken them on as pets. Probably the domestic ones that are used in the fur industry. Apparently there’s a window of opportunity when they’re young where you can socialize and tame them. Ours is probably in that window, but we’re more keen on releasing him into the wild than turning him into a pet. With that in mind, we’re not handling him more than necessary. Leather gloves. Did I mention he was able to eat a half-frozen mouse?! I like my fingers just fine where they are. 

He strongly resembles a black ferret with a white chin-spot. Heavier headed, longer and stronger neck, and solid bodied. Soft, plushy coat. I can understand why people favor them as coats. But he’s got such an expressive face and I’ve watched a few of them cavorting in our stream over the last few years. They’re beautiful to watch! How could you peel the skin off and wear it? I don’t get it. 

Catching up a bit...

Hello again, all you wonderful Blog readers... lol... you know who you are. (Hi Mom and Schum!) :D

It's June 16, and spring may be here. Okay, it's PROBABLY here, but some days it's hard to tell. In fact, if it weren't for the dandelions and lush greenery (mostly on the same plant), it'd be tough to tell by the weather. It's been foggy for the majority of June. A couple of nice days. Tuesday was gorgeous! Sunny and almost warm. Wednesday (yesterday) wasn't too bad either. I took a walk on the East Coast Trail with Paul and the doglins in the afternoon. I wore mini gloves, but that might just be because I'm a wuss. Or not.

The dogs got all-over muddy, as usual. The trail is somewhat wet. I wonder why?! ;p I've discovered a great way of pre-washing the beasts before letting them in the house. The stream! I stand them in the stream and give them a little rinse. Yes, it's cold. No, they don't like it. Do I care? No! When they've got mud all the way up to their elbows, they need the pre-wash! Have you ever tried carrying a pair of 15 - 20 pound dogs up to a shower? At the same time?! No? Well then...

Today is a rainy rainy day. Paul drove in to work with Alia instead of riding the motorcycle. I guess it's not comfortable standing around in wet clothes in the cold basement at the hospital. Nope.

I'm putzing with my drawing of Karen and Sean, Alia's cousin and cousin-to-be. The wedding is on July 9th, (my Sean's birthday!), and I'm sure they'll love it.

Family  members... shhhhhh!!! It's still a surprise!!!

I went to the NL Pet Expo this past Sunday. I'd hoped to see the Newfoundland Agility Demonstration, but sadly, I missed it. I stood in the arena, listening to some guy introducing a bunch of dogs in a ring. I didn't hear the announcement for the Agility Demo being held outside. I spoke to a lady on Tuesday who said the fellow at the demo wondered why there weren't many people watching... Bad acoustics? Yep.

It was a fun event nonetheless. I met a number of people with Cavaliers, and one woman (Hi Mel!) who's anxiously waiting for her first Cavalier to arrive! One of the little Cavvies, a 7 month old, looked exactly like Niki! No, I didn't get a photo of her, but believe me... the face was identical! Cute and pretty.

There were a number of vendors at the show, food samples (I prefer the Taste of the Wild), pet treats, (I discovered a new treat for the beasties... Freeze-dried Beef Lung! Yeah, I know... yuck... but hey! They love it) a pet groomer, NL Pet Finder, The Doghouse, Little Angels Doggy Daycare... many more!

One of the vendors was a pet portrait artist whose name completely escapes me! I have one of her cards somewhere around the house, but I can't seem to be able to find it... I'll be keeping my eyeballs peeled. She does really good work. She's been in business for about a year and doesn't advertise on Facebook or Website or anything. Just word-of-mouth. She says she's doing pretty well. I'd love to get in touch with her, so if anybody reading this blog knows her name or has her contact info... please let me know! "Dana" Something...  (She and her mom at their booth in the background)

Here's Niki and I with another purple-apparelled, black & tan Cavalier owner. 

They had a Pet Fashion Show and a Pet Walk where they talked about the different kinds of dog breeds. (Miranda walked them on their tether... Igor fell off the stage... funny!) Niki and Igor wore clothing borrowed from The Doghouse for the fashion show. Igor wore an adorable xoxo's jacket, while Niki wore a very amusing red snowsuit. (I don't think she was amused.) The winner of the Fashion Show was a Great Dane wearing a homemade Batman costume. Not a surprise. It was a fabulous outfit! (bad photo, sorry, he twitched and the camera isn't the quickest.)  Ferrets, rabbits, rats, dogs, cats... All kinds of pets were in attendance!

Igor's trying to get out of the ring.

Niki's not too keen on wearing the snowsuit. I can't blame her... It looked pretty funny. 

Oops... He sort of fell off the stage. Miranda had her hands full with these guys!

A rat in a flower costume

Bat Dog!!! 

A pair of ferrets and their girls

Little Niki got a piece of hair bling at the pet groomer's. It looks so sweet on her. I like it and if I can figure out where to get the metal beads that the groomer used to crimp the feather to the hair strand, I'm definitely picking up a handful! Very, very pretty!

Hair Bling for Niki

Miranda's getting fitted for some mouth metal this summer. She had her orthodontist appointment this past week. They put the mold material in her mouth and she nearly gagged (breathe through your nose, honey!) ... not too much fun. Then they took photos of her teeth (very funny), and her jawline, some x-rays. Several girls in her class have braces already, so she knows what to expect. She's not very thrilled, but rather resigned. Here's a picture of how they took a photo of her teeth. Enjoy!

And just to wipe away the memory of that picture, here's a few more that we've taken over the past few months.

Crazy Hair Day

Bun Hawk. Super easy to do!

Fuzzy hair as a result of wearing a Bun Hawk

Pretty hair

Knotted hair into a pair of pigtails. Very charming.

And here's a few pictures from my recent walks.

There. Did I wipe out the memory of the lip spreaders? :D

*sigh* I just want it to stop...

What's that? I want the g.d. harassment to stop. My neighbour down the way is still irked about the way the Dominion Hill issue went. Obviously. It's not even THEIR issue, but it's her brother's. Ah well. They do say that blood is thicker than water. Apparently other things are also thick.

I've been sick with a lovely flu bug for the past 3 weeks, and have been doing small perambulations with the dogs whenever the weather permits. Usually a 15 - 20 minute walk, down the road, down and around the trail, maybe as far as the beach, then back up and around on our hillside. The other morning, after sending the Mook to school, I decided to walk the dogs. I paused briefly at the neighbour's place to pat their dog. He wears a shock collar, so is unable to go as far as the end of the driveway, so I walked about 4 feet up the driveway to visit with him. He was happy and wriggling his entire body as only a border collie can. Suddenly the neighbour's voice boomed out, "Do you MIND getting of my PROPERTY?!" I paused in my patting of the dog and said, "Sure." (not happy about that, because the dog looks lonely and unloved.) Then he went on with, "No PSYCHOS allowed!" ... um... huh?

My first thought was, "Well, YOU'RE sure in the wrong house." The second was, "Ooooh... He's learned a new word!" ...

What a slack-jawed putz! Seriously! Other people stop off to pat the dog all the time. I've seen them! He's never yelled at any of them to get off his property. AAAgh!

Psycho? I'm not a psycho! I may be crazy, but I'm NOT a psycho!

Anyway... my day proceeded along its merry way with no other problems. I fetched the Mook home from school at 3, and decided that since the sun was out, I'd go for another little walk.

As I approached the end of the street, I noticed the missus standing outside. With a camera! She's pointing it at me, and I suppose she's taking pictures of me walking down the road with my *gasp* off-leash dogs!!! I continued my walk, ignoring her the entire time. (I thought I did very well... I didn't stick my tongue out, nor did I shoot her the finger.) I was wearing my sunglasses, so she couldn't tell if I was looking at her or not. She stood there, camera to her face, until I finally turned the corner.

I'm waiting to hear from the Animal Control guy (it's a new one again) to tell me that there's a leash law in town. I'll smile and nod. Agree that there's a leash law. But you know something? My dogs are actually very well behaved and typically don't wander more than 8 feet away from me. If I'm on a main street, they're on a leash.

However, Moore's Valley is a dead end street with a grand total of 5 houses on it. 4 on one side, ours on the other. We own 3 acres, and that encompasses a pretty huge chunk of frontage. From our fence line, down the road, and then down the trail, it takes @ 2 minutes to stroll back to our hillside property. Speed limit is 30 kph. (the only people who go faster are the odious neighbours themselves.)

I've also seen a ton of people walking their dogs on the trail. Off leash! Do I have to start taking pictures of them? I sure don't want to... I like the idea of letting my dogs get a bunch of exercise while I enjoy the great outdoors. I think well-behaved and under-control dogs should be allowed their freedom on the trails.

But you know, I can't help but wonder when these people are going to step over the line into actual harassment. I mean, they've already written a letter to the town indicating their displeasure with the idea of me running a home office in the form of a pet portrait business. Yes, really. She wrote that she's concerned about all the traffic my tiny (mostly online) business will bring to the neighbourhood. She also tried to get me in trouble by pointing out that we're already known to be running a B&B in our home. (No... we don't.)

She talked about how we had 4 vehicles, only have 2 now, but when my son comes to visit there's 4 cars. AND since we have the B&B, our guests are vying for parking. She mentioned that people park half on the street, half on the boulevard. There's no sidewalk here so our cars come straight out onto the street. (huh? How's that relevant?) ... well, her math is skewed, (2 + 1 = 3). Strange for a teacher, you think? AND, take a look around at ANY house in town when there's a party going on. EVERYBODY parks on the side of the street. *grumble* ...

The town granted me my business license, but they indicated that they will be keeping an eye on our parking lest it become a problem. Believe you me, the next time they have a party down the way and somebody parks on the street, I shall be photographing their g.d. licence plates and reporting THEM to the "proper authorities." *grumble grumble*

It isn't going to accomplish anything. We're not leaving. Like it or not, we live here, dammit. Sure, they're getting under my skin, but I don't let THEM know that! So why? Why? Hmm???

End of rant. Thanks for listening. Again.

I'm DEFINITELY using the credit card!

So, there's been this disturbing stuff in the news today. According to an Evangelical Christian group based in California, Judgment Day is coming up this long weekend.

http://news.sympatico.ca/oped/coffee-talk/the_world_will_not_come_to_an_end_on_may_21/5e605131

According to this blurb, on May 21st, true believers will ascend to heaven and non-believers will be stuck on Earth, subject to natural disasters and horrible catastrophes.

It's a bit odd, to say the least. Apparently this same group had made similar claims several years ago. So... does that mean that these guys are the ones who were left behind?

There's even a website where believers (true optimists, indeed) can pay to have their left-behind pets taken care of by confirmed atheists who will (of course) be left behind. http://eternal-earthbound-pets.com/Home_Page.html

Can you say "Crazy?"

So, I'm planning to have a table at the Dog Show taking place on that weekend. I've been busy planning my table display, drawing, making business cards and posters. Should I worry about finishing the job? Maybe I only need half of the items I figured, since I'd only be there for one day. ?

And hey, I've bought a bunch of paint so that I can colour up the house a bit! Should I return it, or just do a giant Jackson Pollock with them all?

Also, I'm thinking of replacing the toilet in the master bathroom, calling a plumber to make sure the pipes are unclogged. I wonder if they'll take credit cards?

Well, if it doesn't happen this weekend, there's always the Mayan calendar to go by. According to them, there will be some sort of big happening next year, just before Christmas. On Kyle's birthday, I believe. hmm... I wonder if I should plan the party for the weekend before. Just in case.

I do wish they'd make up their minds.

*sigh*

I'm not a "believer," so I'd be "stuck" here. I'm okay with that. Actually, I really hope that none of the things they're talking about will happen. I like this place. I like the idea of it being here, in great shape, for future generations. If people'd look after it more, stop letting other people muck it up... It'd be pretty darn nice!

We could be here for a long time! I like that idea even more.

Mother's Day, 2011

We've had a couple of eventful days this week!

On Thursday, Paul  made cookies. Yes. Paul. Made. Cookies. He brought some into work for sharing. The rest stayed home in multiple bellies and bowls.

Oatmeal, raisin, flax, sunflower, coconut cookies. 

The boys took me out on Friday for Mother's Day dinner and 5-pin bowling! It was pretty fun. We took Paul along, rather than forcing him to sit at home by himself. He kicked our asses at bowling. Such style, such grace. He didn't land on his face... This time. :D

Paul and I did the East Coast Trail custodial trail hike from Flatrock to Torbay on Saturday. 2 1/2 hours of walking through varying conditions of trail and with a light misting rain. The point of the exercise (hahaha) is to assess the condition of the trail for maintenance and safety issues. Since the ECTA had just done a massive overhaul of that section last year, there really wasn't much to report. Some mud, but that's to be expected. It's spring in Newfoundland... helloooo... 

Muddy patch

Lots of moose tracks. Big moose. I'm very grateful that we didn't bump into any of them!

Moose

Another moose

Lord tunderin' jaysus! Another moose!

We took food. I'm glad we took food. I needed it! You know me... I forget to eat. Well, I had a slice of cheese toast before leaving the house, but it wasn't enough. Half an hour into the hike I found myself huffing and puffing, getting all shaky and feeling abused by the gruelling pace set by the Hike Nazi. (Heil, Paul!!) We stopped for a sandwich and a rest. The food energy kicked in fast, and within 10 minutes I was hustling along, cheeky and opinionated again. It was GREAT! 

Shortly after our lunch break we paused to enjoy the view from Whale Cove. Right on cue, a gigantic bald eagle drifted by just below our feet. Only moments later, he drifted back the other way, a little quicker, pursued by a quick crow. No picture. Mouth gaping. Busy being Zen.

Surprisingly, (or maybe not, given the grey skies), we only saw one other hiker on the trail. A bird-watcher and her dog, PJ. We paused for a quick photo and dog greeting and moved along.

Suddenly, through a thin layer of scrubby pines, we heard rustling. Cow rustling. (sorry... couldn't resist.) As if drawn by some irresistible force, the black and white cows drifted towards the fence, keeping a sharp eye on little cow-coloured Igor. Greetings were in order. Igor wasn't thrilled, but the cows were enthralled. 

Tapper's Cove continues to be an attraction for photo shoots. Just as we got to the stairs, a car zipped to the wharf and unloaded a prom-clad couple and their skater-esque photographer. He was wearing a white pimp-daddy suit and she wore a confection of pink fluff. Too cute.

The cookies came in handy for a quick burst of energy at the end of the trail. Thanks for baking, Paul! You're welcome to try making a batch of banana bread anytime you like. :D

Pause for cookie break

Nearly home. 2 1/2 hour trek. This is where we ate the last of the cookies.

The dogs got a much-needed shower and collapsed in their respective blankies for a nap. They're still looking a bit bagged today.

Matt D., an adventurer/sailor who's been living in Iqaluit for the last 6 months,  arrived in St. John's last night just before midnight. We visited with beers and Mike's Hard Lemonades until the wee hours of the morning. The hot tub made prunes of all of us, but it was so nice relaxing and gabbing. Matt had some tales to tell of his life. Kangaroos and sled dogs. I'll never think the same way about either of them! We finally crashed around 2:30 am. Sadly, my internal clock woke me up for coffee at 6 am.

Matt will be in Whiteway for the next couple of weeks, getting a crab boat rigged up as a research vessel for northern waters. He'll then take the boat to Greenland where it will be used to observe the narwhal breeding habits! He's getting off the boat and heading back to Manitoba to work on another project. His brother, Chris, the lawyer, will be staying on the water. I'll have to get more info from Matt, but it's a project funded by one of the big family-run organizations. All I remember about the name is "Pew" ... family name. Kind of like Ducks Unltd, but not.

Mother's Day has been pretty quiet. I got a bit tied up with odds and ends in the morning, and the afternoon stretched long and languorously into evening with a nap followed by a short hike down to the beach. Paul cooked dinner. Grilled Arctic Char (Matt brought 2 pieces) a scoop of yummy grains (thanks Paul!), a bowl of Cream of Leek soup, and a glass of wine. Okay, okay! A bottle of wine. Blueberry. My favourite.

It's 9:30 pm and Paul and I are relaxing in the living room in front of the fireplace. The dogs are snuggling. I think it's time to finish the wine and end the day with an early bedtime. That brief nap didn't really help all that much. Or is it the wine? 

 

May 1st, and the weather is still a bit touchy...

The sky is grey and overcast, and I hear rumours of freezing drizzle, possibly snow. I hope it doesn't come to that. Pity the foo's in Winnipeg (lol... you know who you are!!) who woke up to a blanket of the white stuff. This, after a "fooler" of a high temp of 22 and sunshine last week! Hahaha!!!

Of course, you realize that this is merely sour grapes on my part. At least you will, once you get past spring, achieve an actual summer with sunshine and heat. Those of us in Newfoundland will continue to get grey skies mixed with rolling fog banks, and occasional bouts of sunshine. Summer is expected on a Wednesday this year. I think. Sad for those who work weekdays and only have the weekends off. They'll miss it.

Paul's did a jiu jitsu seminar this weekend, and achieved blue belt status. Yay him! We went out to the Celtic Hearth for dinner last night for the visiting sensei's birthday party. Instead of the Jiggs Dinner Pie that I usually order, I had the Beef and Guinness stew. Mighty good stuff. I could've done without the two chunks of mega-heavy soda bread that it came with. Steamed veggies or a salad would've been great. Ah well. Note to self: NEVER order a bloody caesar at the Celtic Hearth. The bartender managed to mess it up. Twice!

Today was a great day to take the dogs for a walk. It wasn't raining! They gallivanted up and down all the hills nearby, down to the beaches, (all 3 of them), and then up and down some more hills on the way home. They got good and mucky, tangled with twigs and burrs, and needed a shower. Igor's a hoot. I usually shower him first, then Niki. He really enjoys getting wet. So much so that he typically strolls back into the shower while I'm busy washing Niki and tries to duck under the spray! What a little nuisance. :D

Did you know that Cavaliers rub themselves dry on any available surface? Niki typically uses the back of the couch, which is one of the reasons I keep the living room furniture covered with blankets. Today, she used the side of the house in the back yard. Igor watched in amazement. Really. His eyes were huge! Finally he deigned to rub his head on the siding. I don't think it's his gig. He went back to the backyard and ran around in circles until he was semi-dry. There's enough of a wind blowing that I was surprised the dogs weren't drier than they were!

Tomorrow I shall consider prepping some surfaces for painting. Rooms. Not paintings. Actual walls. *sigh* Putty the window frames first. Let them dry for a couple of days. Prime. Prep the bathroom. Paint. Did I mention, "sigh"?

Bye for now. I'm going to sit down with a cup of chai. Relax. Wait for dinner.

Walking around the Lake...

This was going to be a rant against the never-ending winter, however, after several days' worth of snow falling and melting over and over, it appears that spring is going to make an appearance. I still wouldn't recommend going out in anything less than a pair of long pants and a wind-proof jacket, maybe bring a pair of mini gloves and a pair of ear-warmers... Kleenex, for when your nose runs with the cold air...

Alia, Mook, and I took Niki and Igor for a walk around Quidi Vidi Lake this afternoon. It's a nice jaunt, nothing strenuous. It was a time of several "firsts" for little Igor.

1. First time on a leash for more than 10 minutes

2. First time encountering more than 2 dogs on a walk

3. First time at a dog park

4. First time seeing a bicycle

5. First time seeing ducks

Probably more firsts that I haven't listed.

He started his walk with the most pathetic crying, whining, and howling you've ever heard. He settled down fairly well, and actually insisted on entering the dog park when he saw all the activity going on in the fenced yard. Once there, he proceeded to greet as many dogs as he could, exposing his belly when he had to, then running around like a noodle-head. It was great to see him having so much fun.

Niki wasn't so enthusiastic about the dog park. It was her first time entering one, and she was under-whelmed by all the excitement. Dogs coming up, sniffing her butt, trying to climb on top of her. She stayed pretty close to my feet and kept asking to be picked up and taken out of the melee. No distress, just disgust.

Igor really got into the idea of greeting dogs after the dog park experience, so he was delightfully friendly with the all dogs on the trail around the Lake until we got to the 9-week old boxer. She was NOT a good experience. She grr'ed, chased him around, nipping all the while. He finally growled back at her and scrambled onto my lap.

I'd been clever and forgotten the water bottle at home, so I let the dogs drink out of the placid areas along the shore. Of course, Igor tried to drink where the waves were a bit more energetic. He tried lapping the water but the water lapped him instead.

Moving along a bit further, Igor noticed the ducks. He dashed into the water after them and started swimming. No worries about him and the pool. I think he's going to be a fine water-dog. Good thing I keep towels in the truck.

All in all, a good walk.

The dogs are napping. I'm thinking about joining them.