Early Morning Exploration

When we stayed at Uncle Randy's house a couple weeks ago, we got up early Sunday morning and took a walk around the neighborhood.

We walked down to the marina.

Looking for river creatures

I know there are creatures down there

The water was very calm

Looking for creatures from the boat ramp dock

Obligatory pose with a scenic background

The marina from the boat ramp dock

I could totally be a country dog

Walking on a country road

Heading back to Randy's

Relaxing on the dock post walk

Silly Photo Contest - Winner's Circle Badge Available!

With all the excitement going on with the Blogville 2012 Olympics, I'm afraid some of you may have missed my post Announcing the Winners of my FIRST EVER Silly Photo Contest.  


If you haven't already done so, check out my post -- you could be a winner!  If you are a winner, please email me at garth DOT riley AT  rocketmail DOT com with your shipping address.  (If you have already contacted me, please disregard this request.)  Prizes will take a couple months now that my mom is temporarily one-handed, but I'd like to get everyone's address now so I will have it when we're ready to send out the prizes.


The Winner's Circle badge (created by the very talented human of Zoolatry) is now available for copying and display on your blog.  This badge is for all winners in all categories -- please feel free to copy and display it to your heart's content.

Thanks to everyone for making this year's contest a success!  I can't wait until next year!

Happy Dogs: More Scenes from Hole in the Wall aka Dog Beach

The place where Uncle Randy took us in his boat was so beautiful, and we had so much fun there, I wanted to share some more of our photos.

Splashing

Romping

In our family, we always share things

The water tastes funny

Do we have to go home?

Booga's Birthday Bash - Part 2

One day of partying just doesn't seem sufficient to properly celebrate turning 80 years old, so the immediate family (mom, her brother and sister, and their respective spouses and dogs plus one of the grandchildren) had a family get-together at Uncle Randy and Aunt Cara's house a couple weeks after the official party (see Booga's Birthday Bash - Part 1).  All the family labs were there!

My cousin Mia

My cousin Sadie

Uncle Randy and Aunt Cara live on a big river near the Chesapeake Bay, so it's always fun to visit them.  The  weekend get-together was particularly fun because we had the whole family together, which we haven't done in a really long time.

We started out with a game of fetch

Chuck it

Then we proceeded to destroy Sadie's throw
toy, with a game of 3-way tug

When mom's family is together, you can totally see where she gets her silliness and her sense of humor.  Grampa Booga is hilarious and Uncle Randy is also very funny.  Uncle Randy is especially fun because he knows how to throw a ball and a stick really well.  And he has lots of boats! 

Uncle Randy demonstrating his stick-throwing technique

Could I take out one of the kayaks, Mom? Pleeeeze?

Uncle Randy took all of us (dogs too!) out in one of his boats to an island in the Chesapeake Bay.  It was my first boat ride ever, and although I hopped right into the boat with no hesitation, I got a little nervous when it started moving.  I sat on the floor of the boat and huddled up against mom's leg and wore a very worried look until the boat came to a stop.  But then we hopped out into the shallow water next to this beautiful sandy island! 

My first ever boat ride

Sure, I'm ready for a boat ride

Mia, Sadie and I ran on the beach and we followed Uncle Charlie way out on a sandbar into the bay.   We romped and fetched stuff and romped some more.  The island was shallow on one side for running and leaping and splashing in the water and deep on the other side for swimming.  Uncle Randy said it was called Hole in the Wall but we all called it Dog Beach because it was the most perfect place for dogs.

After we had gotten our fill of romping and fetching and swimming, we all piled into the boat to go back.  I was much more relaxed for the boat ride back.  I declared my first boat ride to be a success and I have determined that boat rides are generally a good thing.

Uncle Charlie and Sadie, on the way home

Of course, as part of the festivities, the humans had to have cake from Sugar Cain Bakery (for info, see Sugar Cain Bakery).  Mom got two cakes, an angelfood cake (Booga’s favorite) and a chocolate cake.  Booga is very picky and doesn’t eat many sweets, but he liked the angelfood cake so much he had two pieces!

Booga was born & raised in Chapel Hill
North Carolina and attended UNC

I love seeing my cousins Sadie and Mia and all my human aunts and uncles and of course Grampa Booga and Kay.  Our weekend together was simply awesome.  Booga enjoyed himself immensely, and he really enjoyed seeing how much fun we all had together.  He was impressed by how well Sadie, Mia and I get along and how well behaved we all are. 

Sadie and Mia

Sadie and me relaxing on the dock after a swim

We are SO grateful that Grampa Booga is healthy and happy at 80 years old.  Getting to spend time with him and the rest of the family was priceless.