Inadvertencies

Four days ago, I left my back door on cross-country skis. A freak spring storm dropped four inches of sleet-sugar snow and I was not going to miss an opportunity. The trails through our 13 acres led me to the Rifle River Recreation Area and thousands more acres of wilderness.

I took cc'd (career-changed) Gus along. 

Gus approaches like he wants to herd me back onto my skis. I had taken them off so I could shoot a photo.

As young, strong and exuberant as Gus is, after an hour and a half I decided to turn toward home--no way was I going to be able to carry his 70 pounds back if he crapped out on me. Never mind what would happen if I crapped out on him!

It was a good choice. The last half-mile was a put-your-head-down-and-slide-one-ski-ahead-of-the-other slog back to the house. But we lived to tell about our wonderful last ski of the 2012/2013 winter.

Today

Yesterday's rain (and today's sun) is making the snow sigh like the wicked witch of the west, "I'm melting, melting! Oh what a life!"

I headed out my back door again, this time clad in hiking boots, not skis, this time with all three dogs. What a joyous, muddy, snowmelt mess! Water ran downhill like miniature waterfalls and filled the hollows into pools.

Dutch's pawprint in the last of the snow along the trail.

"Come on, keep up!" Dutch seemed to say as he looks back at me at the beginning of our hike.

Grousehaven Lake was still frozen over, but open water kissed the shoreline around Grebe Lake. I thought to take some pictures from the iced-in fishing dock on Grebe, which was accessible by a long pier.

The fishing dock on Grebe Lake.

Gypsy and Gus raced ahead. Dutch followed, attached to my waist by a long green lead.

KER PLUNK!

Just a few yards onto the pier, Dutch stepped off into open water; it was deep enough that he went all the way under. His head broke the surface like Shamu-the-whale, his front paws slapped the water like the fins of a circus seal. I guided him toward shore with the lead. He didn't have to swim much before his back paws touched bottom--he bounded onto dry land and shook himself silly.

"What happened?"

 SHAKE, RATTLE AND ROLL!

Dutch's first swim!

Toward the end of our hike, Dutch looks back at me. What do you suppose he is thinking?

FLD Scout's First Swim

Scout, safe on shore.

Andy launched Gypsy with a throw of a stick and Scout bounded unknowingly after her. Gypsy hit the water with a tsunami-splash.

Scout reversed on a dime, had there been one in the sand.

She was content, then, to sniff around the water's edge and wander into the shallows.

FLD Scout gets down and dirty.

Testing the water to get to a stick.

Later, when I waded into Grousehaven Lake, she bounded in to me without regard to the water's depth. Suddenly, she was swimming! And not the usual puppy's-first-time-in-water-slap-the-front-paws swim. She swam like a pro!

But headed back to shore anyway.

FLD Scout's muddy face.

Did she decide to wash it?

Yes, Scout, you are a pretty puppy!

FLD Gus LOVES Visitors!

Monday morning FLD Gus had no idea; he thought it was a day like any other.  He was in for a surprise.

FLD Gus had never met anyone from Connecticut.  But suddently on Monday evening, there she was.

Petal. 

Petal enjoys the water at Grousehaven Lake on Tuesday.

Petal, originally from Michigan, was rescued two years ago by patti's friend, Linda.  This week Linda drove all the way from Connecticut to visit and see the "patch" for herself.

Oh, and also so that Petal could meet FLD Gus.

Petal and FLD Gus check each other out in Grousehaven Lake.

FLD Gus was VERY happy to meet Petal.  They swam and played together all day on Tuesday.

FLD Gus chases Petal, who just retrieved a stick that Linda threw.

Gypsy got into the action, too.  (Swimming is her favorite thing to do!)

FLD Gus chases Gypsy in the water.

Once again Gypsy fends Gus off of her stick.

FLD Gus doesn't care, he's just happy to be in the water with his new friend.

YAHOO!

By the end of the day, the house was full of tired puppies.

Petal opens her eyes just as I click the camera!

FLD Gus lies paw-side-up on the living room floor.

Intercepted Letter

Hey there, Rosie-Dosie!  Gus here.  Dudette—just want you to know how much fun I had last week staying with you and your girls.  Gypsy’s ok, but between you and me, I think she’s getting old.  She acts like she doesn’t want to wrestle and chase with me, but I think she just can’t keep up anymore and doesn’t want to admit it.

I really miss our water-fights.  Patti and Andy take Gypsy and me down to that lake through the woods sometimes, but it isn’t the same.  Did you know that if you keep jumping pretty soon your paws don't touch?!  Anyway, all Gypsy wants to do is race after her stick.  Swim, swim, swim.  It’s like she has a one-track mind.  Personally, I have more fun ripping around your yard and jumping in and out of your little blue pool.  We make a mess of it, don’t we?

I was glad to have you next to me when Patti kenneled us up—it sure was cooler in the basement, wasn’t it?  Be sure to let those girls know you’re ok with staying down there if it gets hot; I won’t mind if you sleep in my crate that we left at your house.

cc'd Rosie, FLD Gus, and Nat

My favorite part was when we snuggled up on the front room floor with Natalie.  You are so lucky to have her as your girl (and Sofia and Elaina, too), but there’s no way I’d let Nat dress ME up like she does you!

It’s not so hot up here.  You would really like it here.  Patti takes us on a hike in the woods every day!  She makes me work when we go into town, but I don’t mind it so much.  I really like when she takes me to the restaurant.  Lots of good sniffing on the floors in there!

Well, thanks again for all the fun!  I think I heard Patti say something about coming down again next week.  I can’t wait to see you again!  Get ready, ‘cause this time I’m going to win!

Licks, licks, licks to you, Rosie!  I miss you!

your buddy, Gus

ps, give your girls a slobber from me, ok?

FLD Gus Learns to Swim

The early morning stillness of Grousehaven Lake is Zamboni-smooth.  Gypsy barks her way through the ice-like surface, keen on the cock of my arm as I ready to throw a stick.  She twirls before I set the stick free, bounding somehow, always, crazily, intuitively in the direction of the inevitable splash.

Gus leaps close behind, but freezes when his belly breaks the surface.

Come on, Gus, I call and wade in after Gypsy.  The clear water isn't as cold as ice, but almost.  Guess I'll think of it as icing my legs after our mile-and-a-half jaunt through the woods to get here.  The bottom is sandy and leads to deeper water in a gentle descent.  When Gus loses footing, I support him so he is swimming.

Gypsy speedboats by us toward shore, her gay tail whipping side to side like a rudder, clenching her stick and snorting water from her nose.  When Gus turns to follow, I let him go and he drops under.  Monster-Lab paws* batter the surface and then his head is airborne like a submarine that dropped ballast.  I buoy him up until he calms into a crawl and this time when I let go he finds the bottom. 

Now Gypsy and Gus are like brown and black porpoises as they curl their bodies to launch their back paws out of the water and splash back in, over and over until they regain shore.

Gypsy shakes herself off at water's edge, stick twirling like a propeller between her teeth.  Unwilling to have my fingers nipped off, I tell her, Drop!  I have to act fast--Gus dives in almost before the stick hits the sand.

I let fly the stick.  Gypsy blasts off into the water with Gus hot on her tail.  He falters at the point of swimming, but I catch up to keep him afloat.  Suddenly he GETS IT.  I take my hands away. 

Gus is SWIMMING--a controlled, Lap-paddle heading out to where Gypsy nabs the stick.  He turns back to shore when she does, but as they pass me by, he circles round as if to show off his newfound skill.

Good boy, Gus!  You learned to swim!

FLD Gus first swam on Saturday.  Sunday evening we took Andy back with us to Grousehaven to show what Gus had learned.  These pictures were taken on Sunday, when Gus readily swam after Gypsy--and came with me into deeper water, too!

FLD Gus heads right into the water.

And takes off after Gypsy!

Here's Gus swimming in the deep water with me.

"Yahoo!  Swimming is great!"

*"Monster-Lab paws" I stole from my niece, Sofia.  She wrote a poem about FLD Gus and his "monster paws."  Look for her poem to be posted soon!