Cottage Vacation This year same as the last

[gemy]

We just got some sun about now, but it is still quite cool, and I shiver at the thought of taking the Blackies in for a swim, and I think it is too cold for Razzle.....

I hope that tomorrow is warmer and sunnier and that we can get the pups in for a swim or two.

On the other hand my hubby created this hotspot on his cell phone which enables me to go on line from the cottage :-)

[gemy]

Our Vacation 2014 atLake Minominee

SaturdyaAugust 9th - Well the driveup was a whole lot longer than anticipated! Almost 5hrs for what should be a2hr drive. We had lots of traffic andslow downs, and of course we stopped for the dogs a few times.

Our rentalwas as remembered very clean, and they even put in a new T.V. too in the mainroom.

With allthat we needed to do the dogs did not get in swimming, much to Magics’ chagrin! Dara didn’t really realize what all the boysfuss was about, as this is her first cottage vacation.

So after weall basically set up, I take Dara down to her first dock experience andbeach/sand. She had a blast. How-ever I think she didn’t realize where theedge of the dock was and in she goes! Ohdear. I guided her by her collar to theladder steps and helped her up them. Shewas not too traumatized, of course I made little of that little sojourn intothe water. But she was very full of herselfafterwards, lol. Magic is cauterwallingup on the deck, because “she” got to go into the water and not him, howunfair!,

So we had anice easy hamburger dinner tonight, and walked all the dogs, and now we arekicking back and relaxing.!

Sunday andMonday, Two great swimming days, and Dara went off the dock with very littlehesitation! She is learning to swim muchbetter.

Tuesday itrained all day, and I could not return to Toronto to pick up Judy. We did go on the Wednesday, travelled back toTO and returned through mostly rainy weather. Yuck, long drive, bur at least we are all here now. The dogs have not been in swimming sinceMonday! The rain is not the problem,getting them dry afterwards is.

VacationUp-date:

Well theweather did not improve our second week at the cottage. Very disappointing rain and cold. We got the dogs in Wednesday for the fewhours we had without rain, and today while the sun is out somewhat we have hadrain all morning and it continues to threaten rain.

Dara is atrouper in the water, she is still learning to get her water legs workingcorrectly so, she has her lifejacket on always. She climbed into the paddle boat on her own, and when I was ready to goout on the lake refused to come in. LOL.

Razzle isdoing very well in the water, and sadly no duck chasing for him this year! He also has his life vest on at alltimes. While a good swimmer, I don’ttrust him and ducks in the same pond!

Our Houdiniescaped his new play pen, so that got folded up, and I used Dara’s puppy cratefor him, when we were down by the water. A nice waste of a $100 bucks!

I tell youevery time we went out to go for a walk 5 or 10 minutes into it, the rain fellharder, and back home we’d go!

Magic mysenior boy, is getting visibly much older and slower. We have been shaving him down, bit by biteach day, as standing on the grooming table is uncomfortable for longdurations. Magic still lives to workand is happiest having a task to do. Helights right up, when we go out to do some obedience training. My poor old boy, doesn’t ever want it toend. I understand that. Andwhen the time comes I do so hope he dies in his boots so to speak. No cancer, nolong suffering illness please for him!

And ofcourse our brand new 8x8 kitchen shelter that we bought because our older onewas too large for the space we had here, well it got destroyed by high winds andabout 8” of rain the third day here! Wehave to junk the frame for sure… another $150 bucks shot to heck and back. But as we have had very little sun, it hasnot been a great loss!

And thenthere are the technical difficulties, the day before we left somehow my mediafile library got corrupted and it is impossible to upload pictures or videos tomy computer. Sigh. Technology is grandwhen it works, and completely frustrating when it doesn’t. So optimist that I am, I went and bought,gota good deal too on a 32mb media card for my video camera, which sadly I haveused little of due to sic…all of the above.

Well withmultiple dogs, you multiply the number of problems that can crop up. Magic started regurgitating his food from dayone, we did not bring his/hers food stands. So we solved the problem, by feeding Dara in her crate, and Magics bowlwas place on an up-ended cooler! Magicwas getting stressed by Dara bullying into his food, so he was gulping his downeven faster. Separate feeding arenasand an elevated bowl height solved that problem.

Week 2: We started with Razzle constipated, and bothMagic and Dara had some diarrehea. Offto the store we go for some chicken. Boiled chicken and rice for the Blackies, and Razzle has pumpkin in hisfood. Sigh. Both reverse problems resolve after 2days. We are talking about 10 lbs ofchicken lol lol. I used up all therice I brought up, and had to purchase some more.

Oh yes, onone of our short walks we ran into a GSD off lead, no owners around. I had theboys, Magic and Razzle, Dave had Dara. The GSD started forward quickly and Magic took exception to his charge(of course). Dara found her courage andstood aggressively barking, like Magic and thankfully the GSD reversed histracks. Which is the correct temperament response for our breed. Wise decision that GSD made! BTW Dara is a puppy and in her fear stage at8mths old or so. It remains to be seen, how she will viewstrange dogs going forward.

I am ever sopleased with Dara’s development both physically and mentally. She too shows an eagerness to work and toplease her humans, of course with the requisite puppy brain fully intactstill. LOL LOL. Intown she gets admired, and petted which she accepts with enthusiasm.

Dancing: We tried or at least I and the Blackies triedout some dancing! What a loud hoot washad by all. Indoor games fun for 2 and 4leggers! I tried to get Dara to weavethrough my legs, and she got it once or twice, and well just got to dangexcited to do it again. Magic is way totall to weave through my legs, but can backward heel to a beat!

We also hadfun with Find the Toy! Utter chaos,which I love, but makes my husband wince! I think he feels dogs like kids should be seen and not heard!

I often hearthat Yorkies are Velcro dogs, well so are Blackies aka Black RussianTerriers. They will almost always chooseto be in the room that you are. Theywill follow you to the laundry, to the washroom, to the kitchen, and mostespecially the kitchen..lol. They werebred to guard and defend humans. Notlivestock, but people. Many of the breedwill show a profound inclination to bond with one owner over another familymember. In my experience it is justsomething that each dog selects to do, and matters very little who is doing thefeeding or walking. Although other breeders do have differentopinions to this.

Forexample: Magic is always reluctant toleave the house even with hubby when I am home. He doesn’t want to walk far away or be away from me. When Magic and I go out he could not careless how far away from home we go. He iswith me.

Razzle ourYorkie is fine with going out with hubby, although he chooses to be where I ammost of the time.

Dara ourpuppy BRT is still making up her mind on which human she will ultimately bondwith. There are signs she might bechoosing hubby which is a good thing for hubby. How-ever I am the pack leader, second is my senior boy. This creates some dissonance I believe forher. I am the more strict and consistentdisciplinarian in the household. Shedoes get away with much on my watch. Hubby spoils her!



Well we arehome now, safe n sound. It was good toget away, but always great to get back.

As soon asmy technical difficulties are resolved I will post some pics/vids.

[lisaly]

I've read some wonderful fiction and a memoir by my favorite author this summer, but knowing and caring about the characters so much and your wonderful storytelling have made this what I've enjoyed reading most. I'm so happy reading about these memorable moments in your lives and watching your family grow. Thanks for sharing your story with us.

[gemy]

Originally Posted by lisaly

I've read some wonderful fiction and a memoir by my favorite author this summer, but knowing and caring about the characters so much and your wonderful storytelling have made this what I've enjoyed reading most. I'mI so happy reading about these memorable moments in your lives and watching your family grow. Thanks for sharing your story with us.

Thank you my friend. Next year we will go to a different place, and I need to research new spots for us. We have the PanAM games in Toronto in July and it is destined to be a nightmare of traffic, so we go in July.

I think I want a more remote spot, where I can have my dogs off lead without censure. I live in a city where I always have to have them on lead, except in leash free parks, which I won't go to, due to the ignorant owners of many dogs here. I used to go, but no more now.

[gemy]

Well I got my puter fixed up, how-ever I am working with a new video editing program, and I started with a slide show option. Apparently it does not let me order the pictures in the order I want to tell the story in

So my apologies in advance - it is a very basic slide show, but at least you get to see Razzle jumping

Summer 2014 Lake Minominee - YouTube

[lisaly]

I love seeing you video, Razzle, and your big kids too. Look at Razzle's extension of his legs! He's such an athlete! What a beautiful boy he is!

[gemy]

I am so very disappointed, now that I have transferred my vacation photos and vids to my puter, I find out that I have hardly any of Razzle vids that is at the cottage.

My new video editing program is a *bear* to work with - well at least for me it is.

My rant continues as hubby is really not supportive of all this pic and or vid taking. I know there were times all he had to do was press the record button on my vid camera and he blink blank didn't do it!!!

He gets mad at all the barking that goes on when I dock jump with the pups! Well I get that after a time it gets on my nerves too, but hey they are having fun n excitement. When I get tired of the noise we all have a sit down to rest, and then do some obedience or other fun stuff together.

His attitude really puts a damper on my enjoying my/our dogs having so much fun together.

Well end of rant for today.