5 June: It's All Fun & Games Until Someone Loses a Tooth

Alternate title: When Cosmo Met Parker (not entirely true, since they first met on Sunday...)

Nervous Cosmo (L) on a first date with the slightly older, sexier & happier Parker (R)

There are a pleasantly surprising number of flatcoats in this neck of the woods grasses (?). We have Cedar from Eagletarn in Richmond, and Cosmo from Coastalight in Nanaimo. Liz at Blazingstar has a couple of dogs from their own breeding line (Tinbie and Puffin), and Cava from Kennel Bramatha in the UK. Judy Hunt has Roxy and Mazie from Affinity in the Fraser Valley, and Kona from Blazingstar. Sarah N. recently lost Kaleb, who was from Prairielight in Saskatoon.

22 Mar: Spring Training

March has been a month of snowstorms - as soon as the chinook wind strips off the previous snowfall, there's another one to take its place. Since the calendar says it's spring, time for some spring training - field training, that is!

Wet spring snow covers the dry fall grasses.

19 Mar: One Year Ago

A year ago we brought Cedar home from the Coast. We'd picked her up at the end of February and spent a week taking her to the beaches of Parksville, before heading back to the dry prairie.

9 week old Cedar, fetching!

1 February: Cave People

Blue sky and sun, definitely another good day for a walk out at Shelly & Steve's place. Unfortunately they couldn't make it this time, but we made the most of it (as did Cedar with the all-you-can-eat buffet of deer and coyote poo).

View from the top, heading down to the bottom (followed by some serious climbing back up again...). Notice the lack of snow.

The sun angle was perfect for some more 'cave art' shots

Cedar with super thin back legs!

Cedar getting a treat from a giant alien! (aka mum)

Our (prehistoric) family...

...complete with jumping Cedar lol!

Okay people, enough pics - let's get back to this whole walking thing (guess which figure is still taking pics...).

At the bottom of the hill we stopped to enjoy the scenery. Well, Cedar stopped to enjoy the 'snow spa'.

Ahhh, yes, a little to the right...now the left...this hard snow does wonders for my dry skin.

After finishing her little polar rub, Cedar came up to join us on the grassy knoll

I luv you mum...wherz da treatz at?

Wet willy!!! (notice the lovely mud 'gel' Cedar has applied to her coat for maximum effect)

What, do I have something on my face?

I smell coyotes...plus from this angle I look very clean.

I call it my mud makeup

After soaking up a few rays it was time to saunter across the flats and make the long trek back uphill

Slowly heading home - indistinct blobs on the coulee wall...

Next post - Rocky Mountain snow fun...

27 January: Spring?

Well the sun has been shining and the wind hasn't been TOO bad - everyone around here is talking about the s-word: Spring!

We've been lucky enough to be able to walk out at our friend Shelly & Steve's place. On the weekends they come with their dogs, Bella & Fresca - the two girls are littermates and *tolerate* Cedar (just)! :)

Doggy 'cave art' on the coulee slope

For the first time in a very long while, we walked all the way down to the river. With all the warm weather there's been a bit of melting - which some dogs think is an invitation to get wet! I'll let you guess who took the (half) plunge - the open water near shore isn't quite deep enough for a full-on submerging & polar bear swim.

Mmmmm, fresh river water. Tastes like goose poo and cold, with an undertone of dust particulates.

Yeah I got wet! Isn't this great!

Bella was far more self-contained - she and Fresca declined to take the polar bear plunge...

Who you callin' silly?

More to come on our lovely springlike weather - also makes for good picture-taking conditions!