Days slip into weeks at Tails-By-the-Bay Doggie Bed ‘N Biscuit. The summer is flying by with lots of doggies in and out plus fabulous weather suitable for beachcombing and ball chasing hounds. Tuesday morning and time for a run to the beach in Veve. Dukie, one of the big dogs has decided after a romp in the gravel pit that he wants to hang out under the house instead of in the house! That’s all fine and dandy except we are ready to load up for a beach run and he won’t come out from under the house. So, after tempting him with a hotdog that he cannot resist, he moves closer to me – my body is partially under the house in a scrunched up contortion as the opening is not really big enough for me but somehow I have managed it. With an outstretched hand holding an Oscar Meyer Weiner I am able to grab his collar with the other hand as he chows down on the beef – he also LOVES cheese but forget the dog treats - he won’t touch them! ☺ He didn’t resist coming, just wanted to know that Yes I am giving him the special attention he deserves, and Yes I really do want him to come in the house. The hardest part was getting my body to unwind out of the predicament while holding his collar. That done, Dukie meanders into the house to a doggie bed for a nap - fully sated after eating an entire hotdog.
Okay, now I think we are ready to go. I open the car door and 5 dogs jump into Veve each claiming their spot. Teddy is a yellow lab with more energy than ten dogs – he’s off the wall hyper and will chase the ball until he drops. No matter how much we exercise he never wants to quit! He could actually be the Marley dog, reincarnated. And then there’s Issy, another yellow lab that loves the chase but can’t come close to competing with the Tedster in speed, although she never gives up. The big dogs are relegated to the back area, while the smaller ones share the front seat. Yang believes he is a big dog most of the time and prefers staying in the back with Teddy & Issy. So that means Luce & Woody are in the front seat with me.
Okay, so you’re wondering - where’s Zippy? Well, she is not invited to the beach because she doesn’t really like it much, but instead prefers the bakery right next door. Off to Two Sisters Bakery first chance she gets to pester the outdoor diners into giving up their croissants, or at least a portion thereof. When that happens (and it always does) I end up spending more time looking for her than throwing the ball. So consequently she gets to stay home when the rest of us go to the beach for a serious ball-throwing session.
Getting there is always a thrill as the excitement in the car is totally over the top. The dogz are whining, barking, prancing, and panting in anticipation of a run in the sand. It’s approximately three miles down the hill and what a ride it is! The big dogs are in my face (Teddy manages to slime me twice), standing on my shoulder to get a better view, hanging out the window in hopes of getting there faster while the smaller dogs are climbing on each other trying to get a spot on my lap to look out the window. Are we there yet? Are we close? Meanwhile Veve continues down the slope on autopilot. I’m sure anyone passing me would swear the dogz were driving her down East Hill Road since I am barely visible in the crowd – which also means I’m struggling to see the road for most of the ride. The good news is I have driven it so much that it’s not necessary to see exactly where I am. Are we there yet?
Finally we get to the parking lot at Bishops Beach just as a man in a wheelchair, and his dog are leaving. He looks stunned when we pull in next to him, and yells over the chaos: “How MANY dogs do you have in there?” just as his dog jumps up to peer in the window. OMG, the 5 dogs already excited, now go berserk! So much so, that I’m sure the car is rocking back and forth as they all begin barking and jumping up and down at once. Needless to say the windows are fogged over and I’m sure he didn’t hear my answer. I finally manage to get the door open (I’m ready to get the hell out of the car!) and all five of them fly over my lap to meet his dog. Lots of circling, butt sniffs, posturing and doggie communication is necessary before we leave the parking area heading toward the beach. Are we there yet?
I get the chuck-it ball, the bag of treats, my camera and a couple of leashes just in case I need them, and head down to the water. At last we arrive at the Homer public beach where dogs are allowed to run free without leash rules. People often do a double take when they see me and all the dogs – some actually ask if all these are mine, while others just have that look of wonder. It’s low tide so there is a large area of packed sand for the dogs to run. And run they do! Chasing the ball, swimming in the ocean, sniffing butts, getting treats and generally having a doggie good time. Issy and Teddy develop an efficient system for ball retrieval. Teddy swims out to retrieve the tennis ball while Issy waits in the surf. When he reaches her he drops the ball allowing her to actually bring it ashore and back to me, as he waits in the wings for another long throw into the icy waters of Kachemak Bay. It’s interesting to watch them work so well together while still totally enjoying themselves! Of course Yang is trying to figure it all out while running in the surf and getting his feet wet for the first time. The spaniels are content to watch this evolve as they have been there done that many times in the past.
After over an hour of running full speed, we head back to Veve. My friend Kay is playing Frisbee with her dog Tango and is curious to see me get 5 wet dogz into a Volkswagen. No problem, they follow me back to the car at a much slower pace than when we arrived, and one by one jump into Veve and shake off. Okay, so I have a sandy, wet-dog smelling car. That’s okay; I have 5 happy, content dogz almost immediately asleep for the drive home. What a contrast, you could hear a pin drop in Veve. When we get home the dogs stretch out on the deck to dry in the warm sun. Teddy did make one attempt to bring me a ball, and I just looked at him with that “you’ve got to be kidding” look. The next thing I know he is sound to sleep snoring in the sunshine. It’s been quite a day - 5 Dogz, Veve and Me. Life at Tails-By-The-Bay is always an adventure. And, a tired dog is a happy dog! Woof! Woof!
Did I mention how much I love my Job?
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