End of Summer Labrolympics

Oh Dear! Summer's almost over and we haven't had our Summer Labrolympics!

Glory? Are you ready for some games?

The first game is the tomato agility maze. The object is to successfully jump the wire fence avoiding the weave poles and various jump stands, navigate to the nearest tomatoes and devour them as quickly as possible before 'mom' chases you out. Are you ready?

This is harder than I thought. There must be some way to get in here easily. If only 'mom' hadn't put those weave poles and jump stands to make it harder. This must be the advanced course. I easily got in there before. Those green tomatoes, so close I can smell them. I can see them. Woof!

Next up, the picnic table ball relay. Jump up, grab as many balls as you can and keep them away from the other Labs. Ready, go!

This is lots of fun. Ready for the final event. The "anything edible" Harvest Scavenger Hunt.

For this event you simply check all those favorite haunts where we have snacked all summer.

The apple tree, yum! and the cucumbers and string beans. Don't forget the blueberries and raspberries!

We're exhausted! This was a great Labrolympics. Will there be a Fall Fest? Most definitely! ...and of course don't forget about the Happy Holiday Labrolympics.

Vanity Plates

New Hampshire ranks second in the nation for having the most vanity plates. I now join the ranks. I have never had vanity plates but when we purchased a new vehicle this summer and my husband suggested that I get vanity plates that reflected something about my second life with Labs, I thought that maybe this was my opportunity to try it out. Of course it was a bit tricky to limit my choices to the seven letters allowed. My first choice would have been my kennel name, Pondview. But for one extra letter, oh well. My husband thought perhaps "Pondvu" but that somehow didn't appeal to me. If it couldn't be spelled correctly(the teacher in me, I guess), then it was not to be. LABSR4ME would have been a great choice, too. Oooops, just that one extra letter. I began to think that vanity plates were not for me and that perhaps the 7 letter limit was a government conspiracy to discourage people from getting vanity plates. I have 7 Labs and so another good choice would have been 7NHLABS which was available but I won't always have 7 Labs and I certainly want to keep my plate for a while. Finally I settled on PondLab. It satisfied part of my kennel name but also gave credit to my beloved Labrador breed. Now I am easily identified as I drive about town. There she goes, the lady with the Pondview Labs.

Cape Cod Dogs

Being a vacationing dog on the Cape in the summer is a challenge if you want to enjoy the beach and a swim. Most beaches are closed to dogs until after Labor Day. How unfortunate that natures beauty cannot be enjoyed by all God's creatures. Irresponsible dog owners who don't pick up after their pets and allow them to run free when joggers and children are about ruin it for those who are resposible. We did manage to enjoy the bayside after 4pm where dogs are allowed. At low tide we walk way out to the water's edge where, for a brief moment, dogs can be dogs and run free.

Simple Pleasures

Coda at Carolina State Park

A Lab, some water, and something to retrieve. Happiness found. A great place to cool off on a hot evening. If only we all could find joy in such simple pleasures.

My Two Year Olds

Hawksmoor Pondview Glory My crazy Glory, who reminds me so much of my sweet Vixen, is beginning to focus her energies and is fast becoming an attentive, quick learner. Now if only her mom would have more time to spend on her Rally and Agility training, she would surely rival all that Vixen once accomplished.

Hawksmoor Pondview Caroline

My sweet Caroline, constantly seeking her sister's attention. She seems at bit softer, in personality and expression, but looks can be deceiving. She holds her own with the rest.

When these TWO pups claimed their stake on our pack and my heart, I couldn't believe that I was actually adding both at the same time. If only there had been more girls in Meadow's litter, my decisions might have been different. If only Meadow hadn't had to be spayed during her emergency C-section, I might not have felt the importance of having more choices to continue the line. But the what if's are now in the past and I can't imagine my life without them both. Whatever happens with decisions about breeding them, they will remain two special girls in our pack of 7.
Happy Birthday my sweet girls.