{27sept2011: so busy!}

Hello out there! Anyone still around? It's been busy busy at work and when it gets busy busy I tend to blog less and less. I feel really bad because I haven't even been commenting on everyone's blogs! I've read and kept up with everyone, but just haven't been able to comment! Sorry about that!
But onto some fun stuff. It seems like fall is coming to Seattle (boo - though I do love fall, I'n not quite ready for it yet) but I still have summer posts to share!
Last month we had a really nice weekend and managed to get out of the house and run a lot of errands. Between making stops in 6-7 different neighborhoods we had a little down time at Green Lake. There were a ton of people out since it was such a nice day, but we found a little spot we could let Darwin off to play in the water.


{woo hoo! look how far out I am!}

{omg! too far! too far!}



We didn't bring a ball for her to fetch, so I did the next best thing... threw pebbles. Darwin even tried to go after them a few times.




Darwin's such a big goof. I can pretend to have something in my hands and say "ready Darwin... go get it" and make a throwing motion... and she'll turn around and look for it. hehehe. I'm so mean. heheh.
After water time we picked out a spot in the grass that had some shade for Darwin and laid out to read a bit.



Then it was a little more water time before continuing on doing errands. Fun sunny day!

{15sep2011: Discovery Park}

We spent another few hours after work at Discovery Park on our own this summer getting Darwin to run around*.

Darwin is very not tolerant of the "heat" (heat in Seattle is definitely not that same as the heat in other areas) and so we have to make sure we have a bottle of water for her or she's constantly panting and her tongue hangs down so low. If she's really hot she won't run back to you for a treat, but as soon as you take out the bottle of water, she's right by your side.

We don't often run into other dogs when we're at the park, but this time we met a few. Darwin's favorite part of the park is a little sandy area that she goes bonkers at. Zoomies, barking, jumping up on you... it's like catnip to her. We met these two collies and another mixed pup (not really a pup, I think she was 13 years old, but she was running around with the other's like she was 2).

Since Discovery Park is not an off-leash park we were worried about attracting too much attention so play time on the sand didn't last very long.
On our way back to the car we met a little puppy who was in love with Darwin.

I love how puppies are so fearless and don't notice that Darwin is 10 times their size. Even Darwin must think she's a lot smaller because she loves to get down and play with puppies.


*Darwin's very off and on at dog parks. Sometimes she'll play with other dogs but most of the time she'll just stand around. It takes a special dog to get Darwin to want to play, but the chances of that happening are slim. She doesn't get much stimulation/exercise when we go and she doesn't want to play so we like taking her to Discovery where at least we know she'll do some running around.

{13sept2011: kites}

Kites are a great exercise tool for dogs! At least for Darwin and her BFF Friday they are.
A few weeks ago we met up with Robin and BB and Friday at Discovery Park for an early evening park session. BB brought his giant kite along and we had a fun time flying kites (we met a couple at the park who let us fly their smaller kite while they flew BB's bigger one) and entertaining the dogs.

Darwin's not a huge roll-in-something-stinky dog, but she found something good in the long grass. (photo edited for viewer's eye safety.)

The only thing with dogs chasing kites is the amount of barking they do. It was nonstop. And when BB got fancy and had the kite diving down, they got even more excited.




After a while we had to hold onto the dogs and make them rest. Their minds were saying "get that kite" while their bodies were saying "I can't keep going at this pace."

{08sept2011: vibes}

Darwin must give off some vibe to other dogs or yesterday was just a crazy (was it a full moon? I don't recall a full moon report by Remington so it must not be).
Yesterday morning I took Darwin out to potty before we left for work and as we were making our way back to the front gate, the neighbor's three dogs (they live at the end of the dead end street around the corner from us) come running around the corner (off leash) barking at us (scared me - I jumped and let out a girly yell/scream) and when  I turned around they just stopped and turned and walked back home. Darwin was totally fine, didn't even bark.
Then after work, Darwin and I get ready to start our wog and are walking up the street when I see this girl and her dog walking down the street on the opposite side of the road. Her dog starts pulling and barking and pulled his owner hard enough that she fell, and his flexi leash some how comes undone. He runs across the street at us, barking at Darwin, and I try to position myself between Darwin and this dog, but of course he just runs around me and is on (at her chest) Darwin. She starts off barking, then yelping and Im thinking HOLY SHIET. I start yelling, HEY! HEY! and he finally stops and looks up at me and I have time to grab his collar and pull him away. His owner finally gets over to us and all she does is say "Ouch I fell"... Like woman, you're so lucky Jason wasn't here or he'd be screaming in your face and he'd probably kick your dog. And what do I do "are you okay?" OI. She finally gets her dog back on leash, but he's still pulling her trying to get back at Darwin and she can barely restrain him. I walk Darwin away and check her out. Luckily no harm was done, no skin broken, no scratches, just a few teeth marks on her leash (I think he was going at her chest and I had her harness on and the leash clipped to the front - which I dont always do - and I think he just bit her harness and leash). The girl finally gets her dog to walk down the street (she doesn't ask about Darwin) and I get Darwin to calm down and keep going on our wog. I didnt know if I should take her back in (we were just across the street from home) and calm or down or keep doing what we were doing... so I kept going since she wasn't physically hurt. I was really worried about her being reactive towards other dogs on leash after this, but we passed other dogs and she was totally fine. She even tried to play with another dog at a park. Whew.
{why do they all pick on me?}

{07sept2011: wordless Wednesday}

fun at Marymoor Great Dane convention (aka Sunday's) edition:

{tessa and sebastian}

{delilah sebastian fiona (tessa's littermate) and dar}

{delilah sebastian and dar}

{delilah sebastian dar and winston}






Now that Darwin has remembered how to get in the water at Marymoor she's always in there. Even if we're by ourselves she'll walk right in. Success!

{02sept2011: lounging}

September already?! Where does the time go?!
Earlier this year our condo building had some repairs done to the first floor balconies (ours included - we're first floor but sitting over an open garage). We were told it'd be done in a couple months and we should have our balcony back by the start of summer. Well summer came and almost went and we finally got our balcony back last month.
During the repair time they blocked off our access (railings came down so they boarded up across the door) and Darwin was not happy about it. In the summer's she's gotten used to having her bed put on and laying out in the sun. As soon as the weather warmed up she would stand at the door to the balcony and just look out longingly. She'd look back at us, with a face that said "why can't I go out there? Hello, it's sunny out!" I think she even whined a few times wanting her sun lounging time.
Finally they refinished the deck, installed new railings and took down the 2x4's. 
Someone couldn't be happier.