All Kinds of Excitement!

Yesterday we took the day off because Mom and Dad were doing "work" (which seems to consist of lots of time on the phones and computers...) and by the time they got done it was too hot for my mutant puppy sister to go on long walkies, so we stayed home. And I discovered some potentially disturbing news. As you may (or may not) have noticed, my mutant puppy sister is getting bigger. Mom and Dad have been speculating for some time as to how big she is getting, and so yesterday in a very unscientific (and very ignominious) manner, we were both hefted up to a friend who was standing on a scale. Since the initial reading was a bit sketchy, our exact weights are a bit questionable. Fr'instance, I showed up at 53 lbs. Last time I was weighed at the vet, I was 56. So either I'm dropping weight (which, I guess, is possible with all the walking and swimming I am doing, but I doubt it, because I didn't really have any extra weight on me), or the scale was off.

Regardless (or, 'irregardless' as the case may be), using this same technique, the mutant puppy was 56 lbs. Meaning that even if the scale was off by a few pounds, she still weighs more than me. Hello?!? I have demanded a recount, and after the holiday weekend (Saturday is Pioneer Day in Utah, and it is a WAY bigger deal than the 4th of July in this state - seriously... I could go on and on about how some residents of this state seem to think that founding 'Zion' - with all the religious implications that go along with that - is much more important than a bunch of colonies freeing themselves from oppression... But I digress...)... after the holiday weekend we will be stopping by the vet's office, with the Official Scale, so we can have this answered for once and for all.

However, I might be willing to concede that Abby is getting a tad bigger....


Anyhoo. I'll get back to you with the recount. On to today.

Today must have been Official Take Your Goldendoodle on a Walk Day. Because we saw three separate goldendoodle - who were not us - today.

First, we met Rocky. Rocky is 7 years old, 90 lbs, and Very Handsome. Notice how Abby is all social-like?

Rocky was quite the gentleman, and was accompanied by his sidekick, Popcorn.

Popcorn was quite the cutie, too, even if he wasn't a goldendoodle. There was much speculation about whether Popcorn has some poodle blood in him, but he's cute, no matter what!

But moving on. We got to the park, and saw this goldendoodle:

We didn't get a chance to be introduced, so I don't know anything about him/her.

So, we started playing with the ball.

So, we were swimming along (or, in Abby's case, wading along and waiting for me to retrieve the ball from the deep water so that she could attempt to steal it from me), when we met Another Goldendoodle!

His name was Bode (like the ski racer... yes, we live in a ski town!), and he was Very Interested in playing ball with us.


We were perfectly happy to let him play with us (Abby is VERY social, and I am becoming more and more social). However, after a while, he had to go home, and swam off....

After Bode left, we went back to playing in the water. Abby still hasn't quite figured out the swimming thing, but she's getting closer.


For now, however, she's perfectly happy to watch me get the ball and then try to get it from me when I get back to her depth...

Since she puts all that effort in, I let her get the ball occasionally...


Here is a video of some of today's adventure. It's a little out of focus because Mom was trying the 'zoom' feature with some lack of success, but it does show me actually swimming! (And it shows the Mutant Puppy anxiously awaiting my retrieval of the ball!)


For those of you who get this bloggie via email, here is the direct link to the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omKvgRuKRGo

So, another great day! And yes, Goldendoodles are taking over Park City!


Heehee!

*kissey face*
-Fiona the Swimmer and Abby the Mutant Wading Puppy

Performance Evaluation

Okay, my personal assistant has recognized the error of her ways, has done her penance (in the form of feeding me some beefy strips last night), and has corrected her sub-standard behavior. So, I'll keep her on a probationary basis; if she continues to improve, I may take her off probation, but we'll see. As my granny says, "You can always lighten up, but you can't tighten up." In her day, Granny was Quite the Fearsome School Teacher. She could freeze kids in their tracks with her evil eye steely glance.

So um. I think I'll exit that topic gracefully.

On to the important stuff: SWIMMING!!!!

We went back to the park today (being dogs full of vim and vigor, Abby and I are much in need of daily physical activity, and it certainly doesn't hurt Mom and Dad to get off their lazy butts get outside and enjoy the good weather, so we go to the park pretty much every day).

I instructed my assistant that there was no need to take pictures of the walk, as pictures of our walk to the park can be found here and here if you have short-term memory loss. Instead, I felt that she should focus on the whole swimming thing.

We got to the park and headed to the pond. Here we are, waiting for Dad to throw the ball!

Alrighty! Let's get this show on the road!

Note how I have dashed right in, while Abby is wait for me to get the ball. Did I mention that she's still just a wader?


Got it!

Throw it again, Dad!


See how Abby stays in the shallows while I SWIM out to the ball?


Got it again! This swimming stuff is fun. Why didn't Mom and Dad let me do this sooner?!?


Heh. See how my little mutant puppy sister has to wait for me to bring the ball back because she hasn't figured out this swimming thing yet?


She wants the ball, she just hasn't quite made the 'leap of faith' yet.

But she's getting close. I think that a few more days of peer pressure and she'll be right there with me!


But for the moment, I rule the water!

Heehee. This is SO MUCH FUN!!!!


While we were at the park, we met another goldendoodle.

His name is Astro and he hasn't quite figured out the swimming thing, but he was interested.


And yes, he is a goldendoodle, despite his black color - Mom and Dad have met Astro's biological mother - he comes from very handsome parentage!

So it was a most excellent day, and I haven't fired Mom. Yet.

I can't wait to go back tomorrow!!!!

*kissey face*
-Fiona the Olympic Swimmer and Abby the Mutant Wading Puppy