Camping Season has started!

So, Aud and Bob kicked off camping season - we went to Normandy Farms in Foxboro to take the puppy (ME) and the motorhome on a shakedown run to ensure no mechanical (or puppy) malfunctions for our 17 hour run down to Myrtle Beach. Will Riley get carsick? How will he handle the motorhome? Only time will tell. . . So, we hit the road. I tried to help Bob out by trying to crawl under his feet to help him out with the gas and brake pedals but got turned away at every attempt. Go figure. . . But as you can see by this picture, I appear to be OK with riding in the motorhome. When I wasn't trying to snuggle up with Dad, Mom was Ok with snuggling up with me. . . It was a short ride, less than an hour and after my initial trepidation, I settled right down and claimed my spot in between the front seats of the rig. Mom's thinking this was pretty easy and things are looking good for our travel plans this summer! Guess what, Mom? I appear to be pretty mellow but don't let that fool you! As we arrived at the campground, I appeared to be pretty calm. Mom leashed me up and I was sitting quite nicely when she opened the door to the motorhome and didn't I take off like a shot? Mom got taken by surprise and since she had the leash firmly wrapped around her wrist, I took her airborne from the motorhome, neither of us ever hit the steps. Mom managed to land on her feet (although she describes the feeling that she was going to get a gravel facial) and I proceeded to drag her a couple more feet before I stopped. And stood there shaking like a leaf. I have peed next to this rig my entire life but suddenly it was a frightening entity and I'm not taking this well. This was a weekend of LOTS of new experiences for me. I did fairly well with the minor exceptions of almost faceplanting Mom in the gravel and there was the unfortunate incident where I pooped on my dish. But then my homies arrived. First, Liam (black lab) and his little brother Murphy (yellow lab puppy) arrived. Normandy Farms has the most amazing bark park and we had ourselves a wild rumpus every chance we could!

I really, really liked the bark park - Mom spent her time with me at the bark park and walking the frisbee golf course rather than the hot tubs - although she and Dale (Liam and Murphy's Mom) discussed how they could sneak us dawgs into the hot tub for a quick bath!

Here I am, wearing my peace sign kerchief (that everybody kept making fun of) - I can run and run and run pretty much forever! And you know what? The best spots to stop and roll around in is under the benches where the mulch bark isn't and the mud is nice and slimy! Me and Murphy spent a fair amount of time rolling around under there. . .

By the time everybody arrived at the campground (we were also celebrating Liam and Murphy's Dad's 50th birthday with a surprise party) - we owned that bark park! Mom wishes we could've gotten a picture of the "Smores Dawgs" walking down the street with all our peoples and the crossing of leashes and random poops and pees and needs to sniff that interesting WHATEVER! Cars and any other traffic got out of our way and we set off every dog we went by. . . LOL

Smores Dawg count - Riley (white golden retriever), Liam (black labrador retriever), Murphy (yellow labrador retriever), Hunter (golden retriever), Levi (black labrador retriever), Rusty (golden retriever), Chloe (cocker spaniel that can kick big dawgs butts!).

Watch out campin' world! I'm gonna get the hang of getting in and out of the camper and, with luck, will master being able to walk with the Smores pack of dogs without either clotheslining a kid with my leash, tripping an adult or creating chaos by crossing several leashes (especially with the folks that are working so hard to keep their two pups from crossing the beams)!

GREAT news since we got back? My half-brother Windsor has been united with Christy and she's got some awesome tales to tell as well!

I mellowed out during our camping trip enough that Mom and Dad didn't need to break out the crate, or even the corral. Mom and Dad were OK with the random checks I did on them (OK, panting in their faces was kindof a wakeup call). The end result is that Mom got her breakfast nook back since they broke down the "nursery" and I now have the run of the house. If you end up being a guest here, I don't recommend leaving socks or shoes on the floor. . .

Next trip - Myrtle Beach! We'll keep you posted and ~ CHOW, BABY ~

I have this really cool half-brother. . .

So - a flashback on my life for my fans (yup - all three of you who've dared to identify yourselves!). When Aud was first thinking about getting a new puppy, she came across JRS Goldens . She was looking for a British (or English as some call us) Cream Golden Retriever and she ended up visiting Rhea and Jim with her buddy Heather (Levi's Mom). There they met my Mom and Dad (Gabby and Logan) and there was a pup from a litter with Mysha and Logan named Windsor, he was going to be travelling to training to become a service dog for a wonderful girl in California. Aud and Heather had a great visit with Gabby (who was pregnant with me at the time) and Logan (who is my and Windsor's Dad), Windsor was such an energetic and loveable fuzzball that Aud signed up immediately to add a Windsor-like fuzzball (ME!) to her family. If I do say so myself, it's a decision she's never regretted despite the fact that I've excavated her entire back yard! But I digress. . .

So you know that Aud posts comments about my escapades on facebook and recently she and Windsor's Mom, Christy, friended each other on facebook. Christy is an amazing girl who is triumphing over an injury from a devastating accident and my half-brother Windsor will be a great addition to her family as he's been training for months! Both Christy and Windsor have been working so hard and making incredible strides and they will be such a wonderful match once they are united - and that's happening this week! We're so excited for both of them!!

Aud and I thought I was pretty smart but Windsor is so focused and dedicated to his training that it's just stunning what he can do. . . Christy has a blog that has photos and videos of Windsor's accomplishments as he sails through his training (I'm pretty sure there was no crazy-puppy attacker cat involved, which is good!). You must check it out at Christy & Windsor .

Christy and Windsor - I thought this stick was pretty darn cool. But I'm even more psyched about you guys finally getting together this week! We wish you absolutely the best and can't wait for updates on your adventures together!

God Bless and best wishes to you both! You guys are our heros!

~ CHOW, BABY ~

Marley, Me & Mud - Yay!

Sooooo. . . Last weekend, the boy-child Jeff came home from college, waited long enough to get his laundry done and clear out the refridgerator of anything edible (and then some). . Then he suddenly had very important business to attend to back in Boston and pressed Dad into service to take him and all his gear back to Boston.

So, Mom's on facebook messin' around and channel surfin', and doesn't she come across the movie Marley and Me?

I thought it looked pretty interesting. I even abandoned the squeaky monkey to check it out!

We'd never seen it, Mom decided to watch it. .

It looked really funny and I wished I'd seen this scene before I finished obedience class - I'm sure my instructors Mary and Katie would've loved me re-enacting the training scene in class!

I got some really great ideas about jumping in stranger's pools (Mom and Dad have decided to get rid of our above ground pool, wonder why?)

Oh - and that beach scene? I am SO going to do that. Aud & Bob will be taking me on a weeklong camping trip down to Myrtle Beach with my buddies Levi (black lab), Rusty (Golden), Chloe (cocker spaniel), Hunter (Golden), and Mom's lost count of how many other families will be with us! It's gonna be great - I can run like a lunatic on the beach, bark at all the golf carts that will be driving by and the best part - campsite in SAND = great digging! All week long! Woo, hoo!!

So, the Olympics are still fresh in my mind - even though the only thing Mom and Dad watched was Hockey (grrr. . . Canadians. . . ). I've decided to get into training for the Myrtle Beach puppy Olympics - DIGGING!

The back yard is AMAZING, I love it - Levi and Rusty came over the other day and we just slipped and slid all over the back yard in the mud! I'm competing with Dad - I found spots by the pool and by the gate that I can dig out and Dad's filling them in as fast as I can dig them!

Can't help but wonder why Mom groans whenever she brings me back into the house? :)

CHOW, BABY!