Friends, Friends

You must know by now that I am a social creature.  This week we have gone visiting, had visitors, and of course had dinner with Granny.


Savvy and me

We had lunch with Auntie Annie, Sandy, and Jim at their house on Wye Lake.  It was kind of a long drive...especially since Mom got lost!  She even asked a county sheriff for help but we were in another county and it wasn't his jurisdiction!  Can you believe it.  Anyway, Mom called Sandy and she said it wasn't our fault because the sign where we were supposed to turn had gotten knocked down.  There were 4 adult Portis and 2 puppies at Sandy's house!  Wow!  I met Annie's girl, Savvy, who isn't really an adult yet but closer to my age.  Most of the time it was fun but they did gang up on me and I had to hide.  Next time it will be easier.  I just play a lot with the Golden boys. Mom gave Annie the pillow she made and they were all oohing and awing about it.  Hey, it's just a pillow!  Annie gave Mom a lifevest for me!  It's really pretty and goes well with my black coat.  More about that later.



company coming



Yesterday, Val and JP came in their boat and ate lunch on our deck.  They brought Jo and Sidney who went into the deck pen with me.  Monty got to be with the humans.  I guess that was o.k. because I met some more Portis.  It's been a Porti kind of week.  Val, JP, and the dogs anchored their boat and came in on their rubber dinghy.  One of the dogs, I think Jo, jumped off the dinghy and swam in.  I was impressed!

new spiffy life jacket

swimming with Dad

After Val and JP left, I put on my life vest...well, Mom put it on me...and Dad took me out swimming.  He says I'm not a very strong swimmer, I guess that means I don't swim like a Golden!  If I keep trying and eating better I'll get better.  After that, I had a bath and if the mist stops today, I'll get a hair cut and Monty will have a bath.  He doesn't know that yet and that's a good thing because he won't like it.  It takes a long time for him to dry.

If you've been paying attention, I turned 10 months yesterday.  I'm really growing up!

                                                           Have a good week!

                                                Juno







Summer Time

the purple squirrel

helping Monty

Big news! I went to the vet so Mom could get some samples sent off for testing...that's not the cool thing but I also got weighed...ta dummmm...29.9#. My hips are not so bony anymore! You know Mom said she was mixing all this stuff up and putting canned with the kibble...well, I decided that wasn't so good anymore. You know you have to keep your people on their toes. She brought home some samples of raw food from this fancy pants pet store and WOW! that was good stuff. I belonged to the clean plate club. Mom bought what she thought I liked best but I've decided it's not so great anymore. Wonder what's next. Maybe she'll kill the fatted calf!

Monty has these two things; one is called the "cookie bone" and the other is his "purple squirrel". They can both be stuffed with food or cookies of a certain size. He gets the squirrel with kibble in it and just goes around the house bouncing it and snarfing up the food, sometimes I get some. I wonder if this is a trick to get food in my tummy. I got the bone with some treats stuffed in the ends and that was pretty good. Mom put the bone up on the desk when I was through so I just jumped up and got it for Monty. Monty would NEVER do something like that so I have to help him out sometimes.

an original by my Mom

Maddie, Tori, and Annie came to stay Saturday night. Mom and Dad took them to a water park but I didn't get to go! Did they forget I'm a water dog?  Monty slept with the girls and I couldn't find him in the morning. I ran all over and up and down the stairs sniffing the air...finally I found the room they were in and waited 'til Mom let him out. That was a bit of a scare, I thought I'd lost him.

We'll be back to the beach this week and I think we will see Auntie Annie. Mom made this pillow for her to take to some water test she's going to.

We are wondering who the people from outside the United States are who read my blog. If you want us to know, leave a message.
                                                    

Later, Juno

Party Girl

Wow! What a week.  Last Saturday I went to a picnic with Dad's sailing friends and crew.  That was really cool because I just had the run of the house and yard. Mom says I went in rooms she'd never been in.  We were at the beach house so they would be gone a long time and just couldn't leave me that long.  We didn't get home until 11:00 pm! I made friends, kind of, with their little dog named Nicky, a baby named Jake and Suzanne!   The baby was actually more fun than Nicky. I've been waiting to meet Suzanne for quite a long time.  Of course everybody liked me.  Even though there were lots of good smells coming from the table, I didn't jump up. Dad took a cooler full of fresh crab to share and boy things quieted down when he took that out.

Baby Jake and Me

Last Wednesday, Mom's little sister and her husband came home from Mexico where they have moved for most of the year.  Betsy and Greg have two dogs, Louis and Abbey.  All four of them came down to the beach house to eat...guess what...you got it, crab.  Louis was very polite and just rested on the deck with his legs crossed but Abbey growled at me a couple of times.  Can you believe it?

Brother Jake and Me

Today I went to a Porti picnic and water match.  I met my littermate, Jake, who's quite a bit bigger than I am and barks like a big boy.  We watched a few older dogs practice their stuff and then Mandy and Sarah showed us what to train for with Ray, Sarah's young dog.  Ray is pretty cool, he's only been learning for a little bit and he had a big audience but he did a nice job and besides that, he likes me.  When they were finished those of us who have not done water work got to take a little ride on the boat.  Dad took me out but I wasn't too happy about it.  I suppose that's something we will do again.  Mom said she'd get me a life vest because swimming will help build muscle but my balance issues make  her worry.

My first boat ride

Well, this week won't be so eventful.  Dad's going to "sailing summer camp"  to race on Tantivy and Mom is going to finish the Porti quilt.  Wonder what I'll do.

   'til later...Juno

My Turn Again

Monty here to let you know that sometimes I can barely put up with her...that's Juno, of course.  She doesn't even walk nicely on the beach.  Has to grab my leash, shake it and pull me along...or my leg...or my ear.  Mom started working on making her be more respectful and it worked a little bit this morning.  Juno had to walk in position on a very short lead and sit every time Mom stopped.  I, being the good one, was out at the end of my flexi lead chugging along until Mom stopped, had her sit, and gave her a treat.  Well, that needs to work for me too so I pranced back, sat, and got MY reward. 

the destroyed leash

Speaking of flexi leads..look what she did to hers!  Here's what happened:  Juno hates toenail time, unlike me who am very good about it, so Dad had her held down and she was chewing on the webbing of her leash kind of relaxed...Mom quickly snipped ALL her nails!  Dad let Juno up and everyone was telling her how good she was...Juno jumped off the deck but the lead didn't go with her because she had chewed through it!  What a little...you know what!  Brat, I guess.  It's a good thing Mom knows how to fix things.  Juno doesn't get an allowance so they couldn't make her replace the lead.  That blue flexi leash had been through 4 Golden puppies, me included, but our first Porti and the leash was broken.

in a safe place

One thing she is better at than me is tolerating the loud noises from this last holiday.  We never stay at the beach for the 4th of July because it's just too hard.  Even Bellevue was bad this year but I did survive.  Juno was actually trying to comfort me.  Guess she can be good sometimes. I just don't understand why there has to be all that noise.  Then there's the stuff all over our beach place from these parachute fireworks.

You know Mom has been working on that quilt for the Porti club and she's about ready to put it on the big frame to quilt and was looking at the dogs on it.  She said that no two are alike and some of them have some real faults but then most real dogs have a fault or two.  Well...I say speak for those black dogs...there's nothing wrong with me!  Mom said, "Not so, you have a few faults."  Nobody's perfect but I'd like Juno to work on perfecting her behavior!

   Oh well...I ccan always hope.
                                                             Monty