Winter warmth

Thurmon knows how to stay warm in the winter!

Window on the world

Thurmon loves the new wide windowsills from our renovation.

Aug 12, 2012: Water Dog

Thurmon finally got to immerse himself in the joys of water:

- his first boat ride (he hung his head over the edge snapping at foam, stood tall looking out over the prow, and was so relaxed that he had a nap in the bottom)

- a proper swim, jumping off a pier into waves, swimming out as far as his extendable leash would let him, shaking off and rolling on the beach, then jumping back in to repeat, over and over...

Thanks Joe and Clarissa for hosting Thurmon's first cottage trip!

Reno Dog

Thurmon's enjoying the renovations fairly well. He's gotten used to being penned up in the "back 40" (the back 2/3 of the yard), safely out of range of open gates and doors that he could escape through - he really only barks while we're at home - the contractors tell us he spends the rest of the day hanging out in his cedar hedge forest. He seems unfazed by the changing topography of the interior of the house. And occasionally he gets a treat - like free gloves. Or a trip to pick out faucets.

June 2012: Krillin'

Thurmon has a new activity: krillin'.

We got a wading pool for him, hoping that it would help him to stay cool when it's hot outside. What it actually seems to do is wind him up.

He jumps in, and fixates on the ripples he's made. Then he tries to bite them, which generates more waves. When he can't stop them, he starts madly kicking water out of the pool with his back legs. Then he jumps out, tears around the yard at top speed for a few circuits, shakes himself off (sometimes adding in a good hide scratching against the tree trunk or roll in the grass), then hops back in and starts over.

We call it krillin', since his attempts to bite the waves remind us of a whale scooping and filtering huge mouthsful of water in order to feed.

We may have created a monster...

May 2012: Grubbin'

Thurmon has been helping Mark to dig the garden beds. Well, actually he's been jumping into the piles of freshly overturned sod and eating all the grubs. When he comes in the house with a dirty nose I know that he's been out grubbin' again!

May 2012: Warty

Thurmon's a handsome dog - except for his puppy wart! At his recent check-up the vet said it's at maximum size, and should clear up soon on its own. Can't happen too soon...

Addendum: within a few weeks, the wart started to dry up. Over the course of a few days it came off spontaneously in little pieces, and now you'd never know it was there.