Swimmin' in Bear Lake

Jodie and I got a chance to do some swimmin in a lake near Seward, Alaska. Now, we're staying at a place called Bear Creek Campground and the trash cans are "bearproof". There are bears in the area and we were going to Bear Lake.

You make too much out of it, Coco. It's standard knowledge up here that people keep dogs around to keep the bears away. If we were to see a bear, a few barks would have him running like the wind.

OK, OK, maybe you're right. I'm just trying to build some interest in our blog. At any rate, the water was cold, not that we expected it to be warm. In fact, it is considerably warmer than the ocean water in Cook's Inlet.



You may notice the seaplanes in the background. It seemed that all the homes on the water had at least one. I started to check out one of them, but I was called back.



Here I am bring the ball back. What a great time we were having.



Coco and I are dashing into the water in this picture.



Here's another one of Coco doing what she loves to do. Trouble is, when she drops the ball, they throw the ball back in the water. I try to keep my ball so I don't have to keep chasing it.



Mom or Dad must have gotten the ball from Jodie and threw it back in the lake. That's the only time you'd see Jodie fetching the ball. Once she gets it in her mouth, she tries to keep it.

We didn't see or hear any bears.

No, we didn't, but I didn't expect to see any.

Well, I can always hope!




I want you to meet a friend we made in Homer, Alaska. His name is Fritz and he's from Germany. Not just a German Shepherd, but actually from Germany. He and his human run a shop down on the Homer Spit. He was a nice dog, but he spoke funny.

Yeah, I said woof, woof, and he answered voof, voof. What's with that, anyway

Back on-line

Jodie told you yesterday that our blog was going to be dowen for awhile. Well, we're almost back. It'll take some time to work out all the kinks, but just hang in there.

Yes, and a big shout out to Annie and Max, Riggs, and Lola. Thanks for your comments.

News from our typist.

We have been told that we cannot dictate anymore information for a while. The claim is that the computer doesn't work. That could be true or it could be that our typist is too busy on his own pursuits. More later.

From Ninilchik

Hello from Ninilchik, Alaska. I'm happy to say that we're getting out a lot more now. The campground we're in allows us to run free.

Yes, but with freedom comes responsibility. We're located on a bluff overlooking Cook Inlet and down at the bottom of the bluff is the beach, and water. Without much thinking Coco and I jumped down the bluff and headed toward the beach. Between us and the beach was a growth of bushes with a lot of thorns and it wasn't too good. We might have made a mistake.

Saved by the Dad! At this point he called us back and we could turn around without looking like sissies. The trouble was that the steep slope that was so easy to run down, was almost impossible to climb.

We ran back and forth trying to make our way up the slope and I finally made it. No more jumping down there for me. Coco was having a harder time getting up as she just doesn't have the power in her rear legs.

Yup, it took me longer, but I made it. Nothing felt so good as Dad's hand on my collar when I got close. There doesn't seem to be any hard feelings.

No hard feelings for jumping down the bluff, but you're still on the outs for getting into the bag of coconut cookies.

Jodie, they were worth getting into trouble. Besides, the issue has probably already been forgotten.

I guess so. This afternoon they took us down the beach at Ninilchik. Coco and I raced for the water and got wet. Then we got out and were not going back into that frigid water again.

Oh, we ran up and down the beach some and then the folks started throwing the ball, but we were through with that ice water. And I thought the Nenana River was cold.

On the way home we stopped at Deep Creek and had another dip. Here the water was cold, but not too cold. We ran in the water and swam with the current downstream and came back to shore and ran in again.

You know Jodie, with the bluff excursion, the beach excitement, and the dip in the creek, the only thing I'm looking for is my supper and my bed.

Ditto!

Swimmin in the Nenana River

Howdy all, Coco and I got a chance to swim in the Nenena River, just outside Denali National Park.

Let me tell. Let me tell.

OK, Coco, go ahead.

Well it was cold. I MEAN COLD. This is glacial runoff, which is a scientific term for ice water.

Yes, that's true, but I was going to tell our friends first about the problems we had with the wifi. We already dictated his blog and it was all typed up, except for the spell check. When we tried the spell check, it would not respond. The wifi system had gone down and took our blog with it. Our typing person could not be consoled and we didn't get his service back until today. But, back to the swimming.

Like I said, the water was cold and not really too much fun, because of that, so we mainly played "catch me if you can".





As you can see, some times I'm the chaser and sometimes the chasee.






Coco found a photograph in the motorhome that has us troubled. We can see Dad on the back of a dog sled and the dog in the picture is not Coco and it's not me! Our first thought was that Dad was not being faithful to us, but he really treats us well and with a lot of affection. We've also noted his references to sled dogs. Could he be planning on getting some additional dogs? I wouldn't mind that, there's room for more.



WAIT JUST A MINUTE!!! He's been raving about the sled dogs and about a show that had the dogs pulling a man on a cart of some kind. What if he's planning on training us to be sled dogs or cart dogs?

Dad wouldn't do that? Would he?

You never know with humans. I think I'm going to start faking a limp.

I guess it might not hurt to practice walking with one paw in the air. That would keep the two of us out of the work. In the end, I'm not really worried. He'll forget about it in a day or two.

Ha!!! With a memory like his he can forget it in a sec. I guess I worried for nothing.

A note from Jodie

Hi Y'all. Coco had quite a say in her blog of yesterday. I admit that I need a bit of extra rest as I find the long ride to be less than the wonderful ride that Coco experiences. She gave the distinct impression that her attention is vital to the trip while I just wile away the day in dreamland.




I admit that this would be a common position, but is she really helping or is she just nosy?



Here she is studying the map, but does she know what she's looking at?

NOT THIS TIME!!!



As a matter of fact, I was called upon to confer with Coco and give our opinion to Dad, who relies way too much on his electronic gizmo. As it was, there is little to deviate from on the Alaska Highway. You can spend some time in some of the towns on the way from Dawson Creek to Delta Junction, Whitehorse being a prime example, but you will be getting back on the Alaska Highway whether you want to continue to Alaska or decide to go home.

OK, I've put in my two biscuits worth and I feel better now.

Up In The U-Con

Hello Riggs, Annie, Dodi, and all our two legged friends. Jodie and I are up in the U-con or maybe it's Yukon, still a day or more from Alaska. We're having a great time. We were camped beside Moose River a couple of nights ago and had a fantastic time in the river. It's not really Moose River, but I call it that because of all the moose footprints and moose poop in the campground.



This, of course is Dad, trowing a stick in the water for me to fetch. Jodi looks interested, but actually she just waits for me to swim ashore where she tries to take it from me.



Here she is trying to rob me of my prize even before I set paws on shore.



This is a long view of the river. It was a nice clean river and we really enjoyed the exercise and the swim.



In this picture I've got my eye on the stick. Jodie just chased me out, but hasn't a clue about the stick.



And, this is my position at the Forward Observation Post. I'm looking for rock slides, traffic problems, new animals, or maybe a paper wrapper from McDonalds.

I thought that Jodie would be up by now and add a few thoughts of her own, but she's still in the sack.

More later,

Coco

Two Wild and Woolly Days

Coco and I had a couple of interesting days, to say the least. Last night Dad took us for a ride while he went shopping. A ride is always a nice thing, and we get to bond with Dad. The way they do this is Dad will open the back of the Jeep and then Mom will let us out of the camper. We scurry out of the camper and leap into the Jeep. Then, when we return, Mom opens the door of the camper and then Dad opens the back of the Jeep. Normally, we then jump out of the Jeep and run up the steps to the motorhome.

Normally, but not always. We'd been cooped up in the camper much too long and there were things in the field behind the motorhome that needed much more attention. So, this time, Jodie and I jumped from the Jeep, made an end run around Mom and ran like the dickens out to the pasture beyond.

You should have been there, Dad was running his heart out trying to catch us.

Not that he stood a chance, especially now that he's slowing down so much. But it was so funny seeing him chase us with the leashes, knowing that he didn't stand a chance of actually catching us.

So, we ran up the pasture as far as we could, sniffing all the prairie dog homes along the way until we came to a fence, so we turned and continued along the fence. I was starting to realize that the fence was part of the campground enclosure and that we were not going to get out. We continued until we were at the far end of the campground, with Dad still following, when we discovered the smell of barbecue. To me, barbecue smells better than bacon and we had to investigate.

Yeah, the people were very friendly but we were not invited to the table, and that's where Dad caught us. Oh, we got quite a scolding, I think. All I could make out was Blah, Blah, Coco, Blah, Blah, Jodie. We didn't get much out of it but I guess it made the folks feel better. Tell them about today, Jodi.

I was just about to. Seems the folks found an off-leash dog park not far from here and took us there this morning. WHAT A SITE!!! It's right on the Bow River in Cochrane, Alberta and what a river it is.


I really like moving water, rivers, surf, and such, so this swift running river was my cup of tea. Though it ran swiftly, there was no danger to me and Coco as we could easily swim to the side where it was nice and shallow.

The folks would throw a stick and I'd be quick to retrieve, but it wasn't as easy as fetching in a pond. I'd see the stick and jump in,but before you know it the stick would be down stream quite a bit. I'd get it though and bring it back for another toss.


We were there for quite a while and swimming against the current really takes a lot out of a dog, even a Lab. Did we mention that the water temperature was cold as it was running from the snow melt further up in the Rockies?




The folks might have noticed that we were two tired puppies on the way home. The cold water and then towel dried, it made me sleepy.



Me too!

Two Dogs Traveling

Coco and I are still on the road expecting to get home no time soon. I notice that it stays light very late where we are, not getting really dark until after 10. I also note that we don't get out much up here, though we are in an interesting campground.

Yeah, the folks don't seem happy here, but there is SO MUCH going on. There are kids everywhere and they want to play with us a bit, as we don't intrude on their stick game. The field where we are walked is full of little animals that live in the ground. When we get near they disappear, but we look out the window and we can see them scurry from hole to hole. Dad calls them "prairie dogs", but they don't look like a dog to me. They are small, but don't even look like a chauaua....er...little Mexican dog. They look like tan colored rats with a short slightly hairy tail.

The folks took us for a ride, telling us that they found an off-leash dog park. Naturally we were excited as we LOVE playing with other dogs and without a leash its heaven. I guess that some of the information on the internet is out of date. The directions were specific, but the empty property is now under construction for condominiums. So much for a dog play area.

I'm also disappointed! No dog plays harder than I do and a dog park is where I burn off a lot of energy. Perhaps tomorrow.

The Furry Girls from Florida

There is no POOP FAIRY

Well folks, you get all the latest news right here with me and Jodie. We talked about the evidence of elk in our campground, but we could never see them. Jodie didn't care much, bit I have the better nose and I could smell their presence. This afternoon there were a couple of herds of elk on a hillside overlooking the campground. They grazed and laid down a lot,but they didn't come down the hill.

Later on, just before it got very dark, at least two elk came to the edge of the grass, but quite a distance from us. All the folks were out there gawking at them with binoculars. Coco and I did not make a single noise. We were TOTALLY quiet.

Well, Jodie, I was hoping they would let me out. I was gonna double back in the woods and come at them from the other side. That would have driven them right out onto the field where everyone could get a good look.

Coco, you're getting delusional again. First, as clumsy as you are, you could never and I mean NEVER get close to the elk. And if through some sort of elk stupidity you did, they would make mince meat out of you. Let's see 80 pounds of dog against 1000 pounds of elk. Plus it could be one dog against a herd of elk.

No! No! We are a team, there would be two of us!

Let me state this again there would only be one dog, 1, singular, a chocolate Lab to be specific. No intelligent yellow lab is going to get kicked or stomped by an elk. I may chase a squirrel or a rabbit, and even then I hope that I don't actually catch it. It's only a game I play, but I'm not going to play the game with something that could EASILY KILL me.

Jodie, you're just a chicken!

Well, cluck, cluck, cluck!

Getting off the Leash!

Yes people and dog friends we have been getting out without being bound by the leash. Since I am the more trustworthy of us, Dad took me out yesterday on the leash, I think to get by Mom, who might have a fit if she knew we were loose. Once outside, he removed the leash and we had a nice romp, him and me. He chases me and tried to grab my tail while I race around in circles getting very close to him, but dodging aside at the last second. This is a fun this to do and it's almost as much fun as having a toy and trying ti keep it away from him. All I did was run around the meadow, running into the woods to take care of business. When he called me to come, I came instantly. I hope I'm gaining his trust and I will be off the leash more often.

Yes, I'm aware that Jodie was off the leash. Only a few minutes later Dad took me out and let me off the leash, too. I didn't waste time running around in circles around Dad, but broke into a dead run for the area where I smelled signs of dear of elk. I raced into the white birch and made a wide right circle to the right, taking me into a deep stand of fir tees. It took me only a moment to small all I wanted to smell, but then I was surprised the I couldn't see Jodie, Dad, or the camper. I like my freedom, but I was just a little concerned that I couldn't see anything I'm used to. Then Dad called, obviously from the other side of the firs. I races through the pines and there was Dad and Jodie. Was I ever glad to see them. I sure wouldn't want them to know how insecure I am. Dad immediately attached the leash and led me and Jodie back to the camper.

Later in the day, Dad got the tennis balls and thrower and took us into the field for fetch, We had a very good romp and we were both ready for a nap when we returned. No we are taken out without the leash and we both run into the woods to take care of business. Then we come right back and are let back in the camper. I think we're building up some trust and may see a lot more loose time in the future.

There is a lot of freedom where we are staying because the park is almost empty.

More later

The Tempesta Quadrapeds.