River Dog

I am home from a weekend at the river. I can't tell you how much fun it is to hang out on the water in the summer heat of Eastern Washington. The best part about it is that I get to be dirty and I mean dirty, dirty, dirty. Of course, the worse part about it is coming home and having a bath.

Oh well, it was totally worth it.

Gretchen took lots of photos so I think I'll tell you about my river dogging adventures pictorially.

First, this is the Wenatchee River -- the view from the hammock...

Pretty cool, huh? We have lots of these photos, but we're obligated to take the same photo every time we visit the cabin because, frankly, it's beautiful and it makes us all take a deep, deep breath.

I'll tell you about the hammock in a second, but first, you have to meet the two girls who make my life all the more entertaining...

Sakura (7 years old)...

And Akina (5 years old)...

Why are they so entertaining? Well they like to walk me around, the like to throw sticks and balls for me, and I feel very connected to them. They are, in essence, part of my pack and when they wander off or float down the river in their own raft with their parents, I worry about them tremendously from my own raft.

But they're tough little girls and while it's in my nature to protect them, I'm pretty sure they can handle the wild woods by themselves!

Okay, back to the hammock. The girls like the hammock very much and so does Ann. The three of them hung out there a lot!

Meanwhile, I hang out in the river...

I think you can tell how happy I am at the river and even though I had to have a bath, I'm happy and content to be home after such a great weekend!

She's Still Learning

I have been wrongly accused. It's been going on for years, but finally after months and months and months of trying to tell her, Gretchen has finally learned that I am not as alpha as she thinks I am.

The lesson was finally learned a few weeks back when Quillette was visiting. She's visiting now as well, but finally Gretchen has learned that Q is the alpha and I am merely respectful of her status.

This is how it went down. When Q comes to visit, we are often given a chew bone in the evenings. This is to relax us after our day's adventures and is meant as a treat for being such wonderful companions. I generally am not interested in chew bones, but when we have a guest, my interest perks up and I'll chew down a whole bone in one sitting.

But I won't chew on it until our guest is finished. The same is true for eating a meal. We are served at the same time and I will wait until the other dog - Monty, Q, Woobie -- finishes their meal. Gretchen thought this meant that I was being dominant. That I wanted to be the last to eat both so the other dogs would be jealous that they ate so fast, but also because I wanted to protect my food.

How wrong she was. I've tried to tell her this on numerous occasions. True, I will protect my food and I've growled at Monty and Q and I got into a big fight over a morsel or two in the past, but I've learned that Q is Queen (Monty is King) and that the polite, respectful way to eat is to wait until the top dog of the moment is finished. You see, in dog etiquette, the top dog eats first and the rest of the pack follows. While I might protect my food (I'm not that submissive), I will always eat last.

What's a bit maddening is that I was not the one to teach Gretchen this lesson. Her new boss did. Gretchen was talking about how I wait to eat a chew bone or my meal until after all the others eat and Sheila, Gretchen's boss, explained that I wasn't being dominant, I was following the pack rules. I know I should be grateful to Sheila for finally getting through to Gretchen, but there are times when I wish humans (mine in particular) understood my language better than they do. It seems that I am always having to clarify and repeat, to go over the way I think and act again and again hoping that my humans will understand what I mean.

Quillette says that I need to realize this is how it will be for the rest of my life. Repetition is the only way humans learn, she tells me. She's eleven-years-old and has had to train her fair share of humans, so I respect her words of wisdom. Still, it's a bit frustrating at times. I mean, imagine having to say over and over and over again, I would like to take a walk and feel as if no one really hears you, as if no one is really listening. Okay, I'll admit that my humans finally get when I need to take a walk, but they are still learning so many things about me that I find it kind of exhausting.

Who knew that when I agreed to be a part of a human family that the teaching would fall on my shoulders? The lessons never cease. It's a good thing I love my family as much as do because sometimes they can be exhausting!

Birthday Celebrations!

What a weekend it's been! Okay, Saturday was kind of laid back, but I needed it after my full and grueling week as a dog dog walker. But Sunday, now that was a different story.


It appears that some of my good friends have recently celebrated birthdays. The first was Ginger who turned eleven a few weeks back, but since we've been so busy we haven't had a moment to get together with her (or her papa, Richard who I like as much as I like Ginger!). But today was that moment and after sleeping in, we headed out for a play date with Ginger! Woo hoo!!!!





Richard always brings interesting toys for me to play with and really yummy treats to bribe me. Yum yum yum, it's so much fun playing fetch and keep away and chase at the big field with Ginger. For being eleven-years-old that Ginger gets around like there's no tomorrow. Of course Richard informed me that Ginger would spend the rest of the day resting and recovering from her wild party romp with me!
I rested, too, but not right away. After my party with Ginger, we went home for another birthday celebration. This time it was breakfast with Quillette who also turned eleven-years-old this past week. We invited Monty and his mom, Colleen to the breakfast party and then Jessica (Q's mom) showed up with Wally...silly, silly Wally. We had a one-to-one ratio of humans to canines this morning and when we went off for another romp at the park, I was ecstatic!






































Finally, when everyone went home I was left to rest and boy did I ever need it! Partying takes a lot out of you and two parties in one day pooped me right out. Even on our evening walk I was dragging myself up the hills. I'm tired, but I must say it's a good tired. A very good tired.

Happy Birthday Ginger and Quillette!

Your buddy,
Rubin

Woobie Love

The weekend has been both laid back and busy. Laid back because we didn't go anywhere special, but busy because we have a house guest -- Woobie!

I love having Woobie around because she can be mellow when mellow is needed and crazy when crazy is needed and really, really sweet even when you don't think you need it.

We've been having fun starting with Saturday when we got to go for a long walk by the lake. We even got to go into the water. Well, Woobie went in without much coaxing. I needed someone to throw a stick and once I got the stick out of the water, I just wanted to chew on it. Not Woobie. She got in the water, swam around, and then sat on the shore looking wet and happy.





























Today, Sunday, we got to go to the big field and play fetch with Monty. Well, Woobie doesn't really fetch, but if you egg her on, she runs around like a crazy, hairy dog.










And then rolls around in the grass so happily it's hard to tell her head from her tail!


Monty and I really like Woobie. Monty especially.


We've taken lots of walks, too and hung out in the kitchen while Gretchen cooked us food and in the backyard while Ann graded papers.

Tomorrow Woobie goes to work with me (dog walking). I know she's gonna LOVE that because frankly, Woobie loves everything!

And shhhhh! I kind of love Woobie, but I haven't told her yet!

Captured

The thing about photography is that sometimes you don't know what you've got until you know you've got it. So was the case yesterday when I played with Gemma (red) and Saber (gray). Gretchen was taking photos, as she always does to the point of being annoying. She holds her finger down on that shutter hoping to capture a certain moment and sometimes she gets it and sometimes she doesn't. The photo right before this one was actually the photo she was going for, but she held her finger down for a split second longer and this is what she got.

She didn't even know she got it until she came home and uploaded the photos. But what she's captured here is more than a silly moment of our play. She's actually captured our dog-analities. First, there's Saber who is nosing his way under Gemma, which is something he does all the time. He literally tries to lift her up off the ground and since he's remarkably larger than Gemma, he often succeeds.

Gemma, on the other hand, is all about biting -- legs, ears, necks -- whatever she can get her mouth on. She never bites too hard (if she did, Saber and I would both have pierced ears), but her mouth is always working, her teeth always bared, and her intent is to grab onto something, generally a part of our bodies. so in this photo, she's going after my neck.

As for me, well since I'm the oldest in the bunch and can dictate the level of play with a play bow or a growl, Gretchen captured my often-used strategy -- get the hell out of the situation and take off running. Since I'm an agility dog, this is precisely what I've done -- used my agility skills.

And at that exact moment, with the slip of a finger and a moment's hesitation, Gretchen captured not only our fun, but exactly who we are.

Not bad, not bad at all!

Sunday at the Park

And here I thought it was going to be a typical lazy Sunday.

Boy, was I wrong.

We went to Disneyland!

Well, that's what I call a trip to Marymoor Park's off-leash dog park. It's big, it's fun, it's got lots of activities to do, and it's very popular, but there's no standing in line at this park. Nope, I get to just run around with all the other dogs, play fetch every time the ball is thrown, and best of all, go for a swim in the river. Man, oh man is that killer fun!

Of course, when it was all over, I was one messy puppy. My moms didn't take pictures of all the fun I had, but they did get me in the back of the car smiling and dirty.
Little did I know that I'd be coming home to a bath, but getting to play in all the dirt and mud and cold river water made it all worth it.

Everyone expected me to fall asleep after that, but I just stared at Momma Ann while she tried to work, barking at the people stopping at the house for sale across the street, and then racing out in the backyard to play with my toy. Momma Gretchen had errands to do so she missed my energetic bursts, still, when she got home, I was still not asleep.

Good thing, because Colleen and Monty came by, then Jessica with Quillette and their guest, Teabiscuit! We all headed over to the little field where we played more fetch (and I got a little dirty) when even more dogs showed up -- Lizzie and Desi and Blackie.

Still, when we got back to the house, was I tired? Not on your life! Momma Gretchen had to play with me. She's been trying to teach me to play dead and I pretty much have it though she doesn't say "play dead." She says something about halitosis, whatever that is, and then breathes on me. That makes me bark, which apparently isn't something she wants me to do. Eventually, I flop down and play dead, but I don't get why she just doesn't ask me to play dead and stop all that blowing in my face.

But now...now I'm getting kind of sleepy. I guess I've had a pretty big day what with a trip to Disneyland, no naps, and a wonderful outing with my good friends. Maybe that's why I feel the need to lay down...like right now!

No Yolk

Humans have a fascination with food. Well, humans and Labradors. Yes, I know. I am part Lab, but that gene isn't as strong in me as it is in some. Food is not my obsession. I do have my obsessions, but food is not one of them.

Not so with my human and some of my canine friends. Case in point...humans watch the Food Network channel. Dogs, while they may be in the room, are simply there to enjoy the company of humans NOT to watch competitions involving food...humans throw dinner parties for each other. Dogs don't.

Such a dinner party was thrown on New Year's Day. I was not informed until after everyone arrived, but apparently, the party had been in the works for the previous week with a menu laid out by Gretchen and our good friend, Jessica.

I love Jessica and I even love her dog, Quillette. Yes, that's Quillette humoring the humans by wearing a chef's hat at the beginning of this tale. They'd never try to put that hat on me. Never.

So the menu consisted of salmon (wild Sockeye to be exact), orzo, ratatouille, and fresh Italian bread -- one of Gretchen's specialties.

But the la piece de la resistance was Jessica and Gretchen's attempt to make a Gateau Basque or a Basque cake like the kind Gretchen and Ann ate in France this summer (yes, a whole vacation around food!).

Apparently, these cakes are quite involved and difficult to make, but Jessica was very excited about it and though a tad nervous, Gretchen was happy to play sous chef. She got out ingredients, she softened the butter, and she separated the 6 egg yolks from their whites while Jessica worked through the recipe with expertise and precision.


The cake consists of a crust into which a very particular cake batter is poured. By particular I mean that the process and ingredients are intricately balanced and whipped into something fluffy and rich. There's almonds in everything, ground by the spice grinder and then mixed with the flour and a hint of lemon, a zest grated into both the crust and the batter.

Next, the crust is pressed into a large tart pan and though we don't have one, everyone agreed that a spring-form pan would work.

Meanwhile, the guests arrived and though I wasn't thrilled by all the focus on food (and not on me!), I was overjoyed when more of my favorite people and their dogs showed up!

First, was Richard and his wild girl, Ginger!
Then Colleen and my best buddy, Monty!

Yes, I know this is not Monty, but rather pushy Ginger who not only had to be in every picture, but had to try out every piece of furniture we own...without regard to the humans occupying it!

Of course, all canines got some love...

...until it was time to sit down to dinner...

All the canines behaved remarkably well. I wasn't that interested in the meal so I slept on my bed, but the others -- Monty, Quillette, and Ginger -- they did their best to nudge a human arm or two in hopes that something would fall to floor.

It never happened.

Meanwhile, Jessica fiddled with the Gateau Basque, worried that something didn't look right. She even enlisted Ann to help her figure it out.

But they didn't figure it out until after dinner was done and Jessica asked, "What am I supposed to do with these egg yolks? Do you want to feed them to the dogs?"

Monty, Quillette, and Ginger's ears all perked up. I cocked my head. They were excited about the prospect of cooked egg. I was worried, but none of us got to eat any because Gretchen said, "Those are supposed to go into the cake batter!"

Whereupon a discussion ensued: Egg whites got mixed in and not egg yolks. Should the yolks just get added or should the whites stand on their own? The consensus was to put the yolks in as well with the hope that everything would turn out okay.

Did it?

Well, apparently the whole thing puffed up way more than anyone expected and the middle jiggled like Jello, which is not what it's supposed to do. In fact, it jiggled so much, Jessica had to be careful pulling it out of the oven.

Jessica felt awful. Everyone else tried to reassure her. All the canines just looked at her and wondered, "What's the yolk?"

In the end, it seems like it turned out to me, but then again, what do I know?

They sliced it up, scooped some ice cream on it, and not one of them left a scrap behind. Well, there was a little scrap in Richard's bowl -- ice cream, I think -- but he let Ginger lick that up.

The rest of us? Well, we just took in the dregs from the salmon dish fed to us by Richard and then lounged around while the humans rubbed our backs, scratched our ears, and laughed at their silly human mistakes.

In the end, it was a wonderful evening, I must admit. Even though I didn't understand all the rigmarole about Sockeye salmon and ratatouille or egg whites versus egg yolks, I sure had fun hanging out with my favorite humans and canine friends!

We walked Jessica and Colleen home, along with Monty and Quillette and on the way, Jessica vowed to "get it right." I think she was referring to the cake, but I'll have to wait and see when the next dinner party rolls around.