My cheeks are pink and my stomach is red and purple
Unfortunately, the stomach colors are due to a 100 pound black labrador retriever landing on me as I innocently floated by the dock on a raft. Claudia thought it was the funniest thing she'd ever seen.
I just had one of the laziest weekends in recent memory. After buying four pairs of shoes and some work clothes (tax free weekend, thank you State of Texas), I drove up to the ranch to meet up with Claudia. She'd practically begged me to come up, and since the only real thing I had to do for the weekend was a football game, I figured I might as well. I gave the tickets to the game to one of the guys at the gym, and the pooches and I made it to the ranch by 3:00 on Saturday.
By 3:15, Claudia and I were on rubber rafts in the pond by the ranch house. Holden, needless to say, was swimming in the pond too. Crianza was circling the pond, every now and then getting in up to her knees (she's short, so knee deep for her isn't that far). Relampago, whose feelings on ponds were established long ago, kept watch at a safe distance under a tree. I don't know what he would have done if something actually happened to one of us.
Anyhow, it was a lazy, restful afternoon. Until, of course, Holden found a stick, and started throwing it at himself. He'd hop on the dock, drop the stick in the water, and then bellyflop from the pier. I don't know if you've ever seen the underbelly of a lab as he's falling on top of you, but it's quite a sight to behold, especially in the moment when you become aware that the only place he can land is on you. Claudia said that it was one of the top five funniest things she'd ever seen. I was apparently just floating with my eyes closed, was alerted to Holden's launch by some sound, and apparently the look on my face as I realized what was about to happen was "priceless." Fortunately, Claudia was in a pond, so she could literally pee in her pants while laughing...
I will never complain about Crianza or Relampago's nails ever again. By the end of the weekend Claudia and I look like we were mauled by some sort of wild animal. When Holden would get tired swimming, he'd just come up to one of our rafts and haul himself on with us, not really paying attention that our skin was what he was using for leverage. Despite the bodily injury, we stayed in the water for a good two and a half to three hours.
Sunday was a bit of the same (rafts, pond, dog mauling), though I also spent a lot of time on Sunday stretched out on a blanket under a tree, with my dogs at my side, reading a book. Really, can anyone think of a better thing to do on a Sunday morning/afternoon?
The highlight of our raft time on Sunday is that Crianza jumped off of the dock and into the lake. Claudia and I were some distance away, wrestling with Holden, when we heard a *splash* and looked over to see this flailing puppy trying to figure out the mechanics of the dog paddle. Her's was not the most efficient stroke I've ever seen. I raced Holden over to her (Holden thinks that when I freestyle, he has to a) chase me, and b) tackle me), and helped her recover from the shock of actually being in the water. I felt like I was teaching a small child to swim. I put my hands under her belly and guided her to the shore, though she did the swimming. I'm not real keen on her liking to swim, because when her fur gets longer it'll weigh her down in the water, but I do want her to be able to get out if she falls in. I don't think she's afraid, but I think she's just a little unsure. After she got out, she kept on patrolling the shore, and she'd do the wade to her knees thing for the rest of the afternoon. After her bath (I think she's getting another one today, because I'm not sure I got all the sand off of her), she slept all the way home.
I just had one of the laziest weekends in recent memory. After buying four pairs of shoes and some work clothes (tax free weekend, thank you State of Texas), I drove up to the ranch to meet up with Claudia. She'd practically begged me to come up, and since the only real thing I had to do for the weekend was a football game, I figured I might as well. I gave the tickets to the game to one of the guys at the gym, and the pooches and I made it to the ranch by 3:00 on Saturday.
By 3:15, Claudia and I were on rubber rafts in the pond by the ranch house. Holden, needless to say, was swimming in the pond too. Crianza was circling the pond, every now and then getting in up to her knees (she's short, so knee deep for her isn't that far). Relampago, whose feelings on ponds were established long ago, kept watch at a safe distance under a tree. I don't know what he would have done if something actually happened to one of us.
Anyhow, it was a lazy, restful afternoon. Until, of course, Holden found a stick, and started throwing it at himself. He'd hop on the dock, drop the stick in the water, and then bellyflop from the pier. I don't know if you've ever seen the underbelly of a lab as he's falling on top of you, but it's quite a sight to behold, especially in the moment when you become aware that the only place he can land is on you. Claudia said that it was one of the top five funniest things she'd ever seen. I was apparently just floating with my eyes closed, was alerted to Holden's launch by some sound, and apparently the look on my face as I realized what was about to happen was "priceless." Fortunately, Claudia was in a pond, so she could literally pee in her pants while laughing...
I will never complain about Crianza or Relampago's nails ever again. By the end of the weekend Claudia and I look like we were mauled by some sort of wild animal. When Holden would get tired swimming, he'd just come up to one of our rafts and haul himself on with us, not really paying attention that our skin was what he was using for leverage. Despite the bodily injury, we stayed in the water for a good two and a half to three hours.
Sunday was a bit of the same (rafts, pond, dog mauling), though I also spent a lot of time on Sunday stretched out on a blanket under a tree, with my dogs at my side, reading a book. Really, can anyone think of a better thing to do on a Sunday morning/afternoon?
The highlight of our raft time on Sunday is that Crianza jumped off of the dock and into the lake. Claudia and I were some distance away, wrestling with Holden, when we heard a *splash* and looked over to see this flailing puppy trying to figure out the mechanics of the dog paddle. Her's was not the most efficient stroke I've ever seen. I raced Holden over to her (Holden thinks that when I freestyle, he has to a) chase me, and b) tackle me), and helped her recover from the shock of actually being in the water. I felt like I was teaching a small child to swim. I put my hands under her belly and guided her to the shore, though she did the swimming. I'm not real keen on her liking to swim, because when her fur gets longer it'll weigh her down in the water, but I do want her to be able to get out if she falls in. I don't think she's afraid, but I think she's just a little unsure. After she got out, she kept on patrolling the shore, and she'd do the wade to her knees thing for the rest of the afternoon. After her bath (I think she's getting another one today, because I'm not sure I got all the sand off of her), she slept all the way home.