Why is the one who does not like water wet and I am dry?

We visited Houston again this weekend and stayed at the Holiday Inn Select on Southwest Freeway, pet friendly with one high paw ($50 one time fee for Bud and me). The hotel workers love me and pet me. Maxey off leash dog park is two doors down which is great for an early morning run and bathroom break. I always hold it until we get to the dog park. We met two Great Danes that were almost as tall as my mother. We played in our favorite dog parks and got to see all of our favorite sites.

The last day Dad dropped Mom, Bud, and me off at Danny Jackson Dog Park so he could drop off his car that he borrowed and pick up our wagon at the shop. Meanwhile Bud and I chased balls and met new dog friends at the dog park. Mom would not let me go passed the water fountain since she knew that I would make a bee-line for the pool, and she had no towels to dry me off. It is amazing how she can read my mind.

It was a little rainy but it finally stopped. Bud ran down to the pool with the other dog friends, but made me stay with her. She knew that Bud would not get in the water unless someone threw the ball in the water, and no one was throwing balls. Bud ran around the pool and played keep away from the other dogs. Then some woman with a little dog walked over to Bud and took his ball and threw it in the pool. My momma yelled out NOOO! Too late Bud jumped in after the ball. All wet and stinky with the ball in his mouth Bud came running back to us. Mom talked to the lady later, and she said that he needed to get his feet cleaned off because of the pebbles. What? Now I have to ride two and half hours back home with stinky Bud.

Daddy came back and asked why the water loving dog (me) was dry and the water hating dog (Bud) was wet, and mom pointed to the ball and the lady outside the gate that caused the problem.

Puppy Pool Party in Austin, TX

We traveled to Austin, Texas in the second weekend of October. Bud, my parents, and I swam for hours every day. We stayed in this great house with our own private heated pool near UT campus and was next to a leash-free park called Upper Shoals Green Belt. We played until we passed out.

Austin Vacation House 512.481.2816, info@austinvacationhouse.com

Mom would wake us up at 5:30 am, and we would swim and play until 8:30 am, and next breakfast, and then sleep. After the nap, we awoke and swam some more. Over 50% of my day was in the pool.

At first, Bud was scared and would not jump, but I was fearless, leaping high and long into the pool. When Bud was swimming, I leaped on top of him from the side so that he would not get the toy. Down Bud would go. Then I would be in time out for dunking Bud. I would save my mom and dad a few times when they splashed too much, and take them back to the side.

Our last day mom bathed me and blew my hair dry (which I love), and dressed me in my Texas flag Bandanna. We went down to the pool and she said that I want to stay clean a little bit longer for my photo shoot.

A car pulled up and ran to greet the photographer, Kurt, who has two goldens. He used a bunch of different cameras, and I posed and smiled. Finally I was told to jump in the pool. Hurray my favorite part of the photo shoot. I leaped and soared over the pool to get the toy. I tried to give the toy to Kurt, but mom always yelled for me to go to her. 

I had a great time, and I will be the month of June 2008 for the Gold Ribbon Rescue Calender for Austin Golden Retrievers.

Traveling back to H-town

We left my hometown a few weeks ago, and I sure do miss all my puppy friends. Finally my family takes us back and I got so excited when I saw the skyline. 

We stopped by my old doggy park, West Webster, and played with Maggie and Max. 

 My family stayed at Hotel ZaZa in the Museum district, and we were so excited until after we pulled up.

First the manager came back and said the two retrievers are not allowed (only one 20 pound dog). Daddy tells the manager that yesterday when he called the front desk he asked up if dogs were allowed. The front desk said yes with a $50/fee, and he said that we have two full size retrievers that are well behaved and travel everywhere with us. They said that is fine (retrievers are allowed). 

Now this mean man tells us that we can not stay. We have to stay outside with momma until all this is over. Finally the nice Concierge, Mo, comes back out to tell us that we can stay. 

Then the mean manager says that we cannot bring in our bag from Spec's outlet store and tells us that we cannot bring in outside food. WHAT? My dogfood is in that bag. So we put the food in a cooler and brought it in. Illogical and irrational. The room was okay, but no doggy beds or doggy treats. They did offer dog walks but with all the rudeness that we felt in the very beginning my family would not use it. We lay by the cabana doors watching my family play in the pool area, with five horrible childen jumping on all the cushions and hitting each other with noodles.  No one told their parents that they were too big.  Herman Park was so close, and we loved walking the trails.

Journey to Estes Park, Colorado from Houston

Camping in Las Vegas, NM (National Forest)

Palo Duro Canyon, TX

Pups Painting the Cadillac with Texas Mud

My Own Personal Cook!

My matriarch has been doing tons of readings about dog food and what I should be eating. She has now started cooking our own meals for us and boy are they good. Yesterday and today was cooked hamburger, brown rice, carrots, roma tomatoes, oil, and a cup of iams. It was so good and our wastes were so much smaller than with just plain iams. She chops everything so that Bud will not choke since he inhales his food versus chewing.

She went to the big farmers market and bought tons of fresh vegetables for us, and even to a meat market for hamburger. Tomorrow she said chicken, brown rice, carrots, roma tomatoes, and steamed broccoli. Wow, I must have done something wonderful to get all this great food.

I am still scratching and licking, although not as much. So maybe it might take a few meals to help with my allergies. She has been mixing the new food with iams so that it will be a smooth transition. I wonder how she is going to cook for us when we go camping in Colorado. Any suggestions out there.

She still questions the raw meat diet (too scared about E-coli and salmonella to attempt, and not willing to shoot an animal for me).

Galveston Beach Exploration

We returned to Galveston for more Birthday celebrations and rented the same house as always on the Seawall (known as our beach house) with our family.  The house has a big kitchen to ask for treats, and a front porch to watch everyone walking, running, or biking by.  The steps down to the beach is right across the street with many friendly dogs to play with and waves to jump.