Friends at the Beach - Life is a Beach!

Where's the Biscuit?

Waiting for Best Friend and Biscuit!

Water Makes Canines into Chums!

Follow the Leader!

Off-Leash and Making Friends

Riley couldn't make the walk, which was a shame. Everyone had a blast! This was a "social" dog walk on Tubbs Hill park on Coeur d' Alene Lake. The dogs were on leashes (and we carried our baggies for the poo!), but we gave them a break off-leash by the water. It was the best part of the walk. These dogs were strangers at the outset, but became fast friends when given their freedom.

After Tubbs Hill, we, humans and canines, got refreshments at the dog-friendly Bakery by the Lake downtown near the park. Delicious dog biscuits are available, along with lots of scrumptious goodies for people, and your best friends are welcome to join you on the terrace.

Serious Visitors

Mama Moose and her baby

Peekaboo, wish I had a zoom lens!

Baby Moose looks my way.

Baby Moose gets on knees for apples.

We had visitors for over a week, and they hadn't been invited! Turns out they could not resist the apples on the property, so they camped out. I had to keep Riley on a tight leash any time she went outside. Sometimes our visitors were very close to the house because there is an apple tree in the side yard, 40 feet from the house. Riley thinks she is all big and bad when she sees a moose, but, of course, she doesn't realize how dangerous they are and unpredictable. For over a week I played the game Avoid-the-Moose, which consisted of leaving the house from exits that are on the opposite side of the house from the apple trees. Usually that worked, but I had to be on my toes because I spotted moose droppings on that side of the house. So the moose could be anywhere!

In the early mornings before sunrise (I'm an early riser.), the mom and baby were difficult to see in the dark. They'd stand perfectly still until I got too close and then the mom would snort and move. Fortunately for me she moved away from me and not towards me. At these times I was Riley-less. If Riley had been with me she'd have spotted them or smelled them or heard them long before I could.

One time I surprised our visitors and they jumped the five foot fence into the dog pen (the dogs were in the house.) Both mom and baby were in there in an attempt to get away from me. (I had been going to my vehicle when I surprised them.) I thought, "There goes the fence." However, they both cleared it a second time and moved on to the field below the main yard.

Mama Moose and her baby have been gone awhile. I have to say it is a bit of a relief. On the other hand, it was truly awesome to have such magnificent animals in view.

Out and About

The girls, Riley and Della, had an outing to English Point at the south end of Hayden Lake. They had a fabulous time in the new-to-them environment. Della, always the good girl, was allowed to be off-leash the entire time. Riley, on the other hand, had to be on-leash most of the time. Horses have the right of way at this park, so dogs must be under the control of their owners at all times, verbal command or leash. Well, I don't have a lot of authority with Riley at this time (I haven't truly gained top dog status yet), so for safety reasons I kept her restrained for the most part. Riley had a great time despite being on a short leash; she tends to have fun in most situations.