One year update

Hi there everyone. Richie tells me that I have been here for a full year now, so I thought I would fill you all in on how things have been going here in Cambie.

I have really settled down here, and for the most part, no longer have any of the apparently bad behaviours that I had arrived with. Ok, so I still can't be trusted with the toilet paper roll, and once in a very rare while, I do a little bit of digging in the backyard. I still don't get access to the laundry hamper, but I'm not as obsessed with getting socks and gloves as I used to be. Yep, this place really feels like home now, and I have been acting like a doggie twice my age.

You see, this place is very secure and I feel comfortable that my humans are going to be here to take care of me. Richie is here almost all the time to hang out with, and even when he does go away, either he or Christine comes home later. Not that it really matters, as I come and go (outside) as I please. Actually, these days, I've been sleeping a lot outside on the cool tile and only come in later to spend the rest of the night in the basement.

I've even started behaving like a guard doggie sometimes... I can tell if it's Richie or Christine coming into the house, but if someone knocks on the door, or is making noise behind the garage, I give my best, deepest bark - Halt! Who goes there!?! One of Richie's neighbours even said that he wouldn't come into the backyard unannounced... little do they know that I'm really just a big scaredy cat.

Here's to another new year!

Buddy

Point Roberts getaway

Another summer weekend, and off we go to Christine's parent's cabin again. But this time, they aren't there, and it's just us? We had a pretty quiet first evening there, and Christine was busy organizing the spare bedroom for some reason.

My new dog house?

The next day, Richie put up this new room outside for some reason. I thought, "This is awesome! Is this where I get to stay?". I tried to help him with the soft air thingys, but apparently I was making it difficult, so he shooed me out of there. I found out later that our friends were coming to stay with us, and this is where the small humans were going to sleep.

We spent almost all of our time outdoors, and we had all our meals out on the deck. One day, I decided it would be nice to lay up on the cushy chair, and eat my breakfast off of Richie's lap. 

I also had my dinner out on the grass... you will notice that in all of the pictures, I have a tether attached. That's because if left on my own accord, I tend to wander a bit, and then it is a good game to try and get me back to the cabin. I'm not used to it, and I'm constantly getting tangled up, or tripping up the humans.

They spent a lot of time playing silly games, and I was not allowed to play along, so I would stay out of the sun, and watch the action from the deck.

Here I am, on one evening, taking up all of the space on the comfy chair, so that Richie has to sit perched on the edge. Why should the humans get all of the good spots to hang out?

Here's a good one of me with my humans, hanging out at the seawall while Heather and Tyson played fetch in the water. I don't know how to fetch, and they tell me that my fur gets a bit smelly if I go in the ocean, so I stayed up on dry land.

I had a good time down there with my humans and all my friends, but when Richie started packing up the car to go home, I was the first one in. I don't get my naps in with all of the action down there, so when we got home, I slept for what seemed like two days.

Buddy

Long weekend away

We went away for a long drive recently... longer than our trips to Point Roberts, or a drive to my brother Cooper's place. This seemed like an awfully long trip, as I sure slept lots. We finally arrived at Richie's parent's house in a place called Kamloops. Richie's other brother Daryl showed up with that poo-poo head Harley, who still didn't want to play with me. They also brought their kitty, and surprisingly we got along ok. We'd even lie on the cool floor in the basement together. It was really hot there, so we spent most of my first afternoon and evening there in the air-conditioned house. But after it cooled down, we went out into their backyard. I was so excited, and ran around on the concrete and out onto the blue tarp thing. But what happened! All of a sudden, I was in water, and not like at the beach where my paws are still touching the sand! No, this was full swimming, and I splashed for a few seconds and paddled to a spot where Richie grabbed me by the collar and pulled me out. It turns out they have a "swimming pool", and there is this thing on it at night that makes it look like I can walk on it, but I can't.

Here's Richie showing off, as he jumps into the pool, as I watch, cautiously. The humans spend hours lying by the pool, or in it, apparently to stay cool. I however, stayed on the shady concrete areas, and so I didn't get too hot.

Then on our last day there, Richie's sister showed up with my old pal Barney, and a new cousin named Rosie! She is a 12-week old Newfoundlander, and is supposed to be a water dog, by nature. Richie and Deb tried to get her to swim - not like my experience, but with a floaty thing on, and gradually going into the water, very slowly. She did it, but did not seem to like it - I don't blame her.

Anyhow, after that, we all just hung out in the shade, and even managed to get all of us sitting nicely for a few seconds so that Richie could get another silly picture. After two hot days, we got back in the car and came back home, where I was only too happy to relax on my cool, shady grass.

Buddy