Week Two When Life's A Beach!

Phaedra here: By now, you may have read Zoe's blog. She didn't make up too much, so I'm glad I have someone to help with writing. Sometimes I get writer's block. She doesn't stop for anything! For instance, from the minute she wakes up until well after mom and dad are in bed, she chases her ball. Mom will even hide it from Dad because he likes to play as much as Zoe. Class will out - Mom and I are calm and charming - then there's Dad and Zoe running full out with tricks and naughtiness. Dad really loves to throw the ball down from the bed for Zoe to chase it. But, guess what? Dad especially loves to throw it over the top of Mom while she is quietly reading. Zoe uses her as a spring board to jump down and capture the ball. Mom tries to ignore this behavior. She calls it extinguishing undesirable actions. It never works and Dad gets the reaction he wants! Mom grabs the ball and hides if away so that he has to get out of bed to get it. That usually works! See what I mean by "Class will out"?

The beach is wonderful! At least it was until May 15. That's the beginning of summer. Zoe and I can't run on the beach anymore. We have to get down there before 8:00 or the folks could be fined $150 for each one of us on the beach. If we were off leash, it could cost them $250 per dog. I guess Myrtle Beach is trying to "update its image" to compete with more chichi types of places. The beaches are great and I love to run. Poor me! Sometimes they sneak us "off-lease" and let us run with the little leash on. They plan to say, "Oh, gosh! She just got away from me, officer."

Bike riding has been fun for the folks. But, sometimes I have to wonder about them. They took a 5 mile ride a couple of days ago and came back gushing about this water bird that they couldn't identify. Dad had gotten an App for his iPhone for Mom for Mother's Day. She loves it! But they couldn't find the bird there. They searched another computer program that Anne and Dov had given her - still no bird. So, yesterday, they did the ride again and guess what!!! (Do you hear my giggles?) It was a DECOY! NO JOKE!

At least they laughed at themselves and took this picture of the "special bird" you see here. I'm glad they don't take themselves too seriously! They're not like me at all. I even got invited to be posted in a Flickr website called "Serious Dogs". I can't help it. Border Collies have to remain alert and on duty at all times. That's my job!

Zoe celebrated her one-year anniversary adoption day. She came to live with us on May 13, 2008 and now it seems like she has always been here. She's so spoiled, though. She thinks that it's all about her. Her celebration breakfast makes that point perfectly! See what I mean?

Golf is time when the folks go off without us. They even got new golf shoes! Mom never had them before. And, they get to ride in golf carts. They're not the only ones, though. We got to drive one, too. Maybe Zoe isn't the only one who's priviledged...

You all know that the folks are "water signs", right? Well, rain has come to the beach again. It poured all night one night and turned cold. Today it's going to be a high of 62*. Hopefully, it will get better this weekend when Parker and her folks come back to visit. Parker is going to stay with us for a couple of days after the weekend. This is a first for us - that is since she was 14 months old and her folks went to Chicago. We're going to the aquarium, Huntington Beach State Park, and find some other "little kid" types of things to do. I'll have Zoe tell you more about her visit in the next installment. Enjoy spring!

Signing off for now...

P

Summertime And The Traveling Is Easy!

Zoe here: We’re on the road again. As you see here, we are supervising the loading of our camper. It has been so long since our parents loaded up the camper and struck out for places known and unknown. Actually, they have visited the unknown, but left us behind to guard the house and contribute to the economy by having a dog/house sitter live with us for a couple of weeks. They know that we love Eileen-Margaret and her family and she wouldn’t mind staying with us just ‘cause we’re so cute. But, they insisted on dispersing the “wealth” just to help the economic situation. (Whatever that is anyway???) We heard something about it from our dad who rents out hours during the night to their friends worrying about things like that.

Let’s see… the last time we were in our camper we faced two Nor’easters, one flood, and coolish weather in October when we were in Edisto Beach and Myrtle Beach. Then they put the camper away for a long time.

That didn’t stop them from going to Mexico two times. This time in April, they even let Parker and her folks join them in Cancun. It didn’t seem fair that we didn’t get to go. Phaedra staged a protest by curling up in Mom’s suitcase in December when they went to Cozumel, but that didn’t change their minds about leaving us at home at all. We didn’t want them to think that we really didn’t care if they went or not because we got to play with Eileen-Margaret and her family. They might have gotten their feelings hurt too much if we didn’t do something.

I got in trouble while they were gone. I just couldn’t help myself. You know, “the devil made me do it” or something like that. Anyway, those pillows kept falling on top of me when I jumped on their bed during the times E-M was gone and we were staying in the bedroom. I got so frustrated (maybe a little bored, too) so I gave them what for. I ATE the end off of one, a whole in another, and then the comforter got in my way so I had to chew the stuffing out of it, too. E-M felt so bad that I felt bad too. Mom and Dad didn’t like what I did one bit. Upstairs came the jail.

I’ve been pretty good since then. I try to divert myself with games like "Chase the Tail" and Frisbee. I got out of jail when they left. I even earned back their trust until that darn comforter made fun of me one day. I declared war on it and back in jail I went. Then their Gabbeh rug had this really cute fringe on it. It was only a couple of inches long so I didn’t think they would miss any of it so I ate the middle of it. Guess what? Back in jail for me!

We finally left on May 1 for the beach in Myrtle. We’re going to be here for a month. The jail came along, too. It is better than the one I have at home, though. It belongs to my cousin Franklin. I can see out of the top and the sides. Plus I get treats every time I get into it so as long as I have long dog and my other toys I don’t care!

The beach is so much fun. Phaedra and I swim in the waves and play war and chase each other. The water is 77* so it’s not too cold. We just love it.

Parker and her folks came to visit for Mother’s Day. She loved throwing my ball and then chasing me down the beach. She also loves swimming in the ocean. She is getting tons braver, now, and even stands up when the waves crash onto her body. Then she laughs so loudly you could hear her in Mexico if you listened for her. She’s coming back in two weeks for Memorial Day with her folks and will stay down with us while her folks go back home again. That’ll be fun. Phaedra even enjoys Parker as long as she doesn’t run after her. I love it, though! She’s just another puppy to me! Even if I am now one year old, I still like to be silly and have a friend to be silly alongside me!

I’m going to have Phaedra write the next installment about our trip soon. Don’t forget us! We’ll see y’all soon I hope.

Z