#12 - Take Gracie Swimming

Crossing #12 off The List! Turns out that there are a lot of places to take your dog swimming if you know where to look or are connected to the all-that-is-required-to-raise-an-active-dog circle (which I am not, but have a very good friend who wrote the handbook!).

In our case - lots of bark.  Little splash.  Loads of fun!

Yes.  It's a real event.  Requires pre-registration and a fee!  Turns out that the city of Lakewood lets the canine population swim in the local community pools just prior to the draining and winterization (August 22 in Denver seems a wee bit early to me).  Oh, and the pooch gets a goody bag!

Turns out that my water loving little girl only likes water that comes out of a hose, a faucet, a sprinkler, a stream, or in her water dish.  She's not a swimmer nor does she like swimming pools (be it the large kind or the baby kind).  She's more of a spectator really.

She did have a tremendously good time seeing all the other dogs and their water antics.  She did chase a ball into the (baby) pool, but if it went further than she could reach, she quickly lost interest.  On a few occasions, her mom helped her into the pool to get that ball (for a very quick exit and a shower shake to let me know that is a no-no). 

Another thing, the baby pool isn't really for babies either.  Isn't there some kind of height restriction or age limit for swimming in a baby pool?  Those giant dogs tromping around in the baby pool scared the bejesus out of Gracie.  Definitely a deterrent to getting in!

All in all a good event (great photo opp).  She was tuckered out.  Slept the whole way home. Oh, and the mom came home wetter than she.

We may try again.  Next year.

Happy Belated 1st Birthday (to me)

A friend helped me realize just yesterday that my blog is officially one-year old!  How did that happen?  How did I forget?  Blogging still seems so new to me.

I really do love the outlet to record my musings.  Looking back, even though I'm not that exciting or entertaining, it sure is a great on-line, pictorial journal of my every day life. 

For that...I am grateful.

#41. Go on a hike

From my earlier "summer photo prompts" list was #41 - go on a hike.  For lots of reasons:

1. Exercise Gracie (a tired puppy makes for a pleasant evening)
2. Enjoy beautiful Colorado
3. See something new
4. Get fresh air
5. Exercise Judy (and Bill)

Truth is, this is our 3rd day-hike this summer - all of which have been fabulous.  We are really enjoying this activity and find ourselves getting into it more and more.  We've got backpacks, new hiking boots, rain gear (due to not being prepared on an earlier hike), trekking poles, and a portable jet boil (for a hot meal when we come off the mountain).

Just yesterday, we conquered Blue Lake (in the Brainard Lakes area north of Nederland) a 5.1 mile roundtrip trek.  Probably the most beautiful of the three hikes so far. The wildflowers are beautifully abundant this late in the summer because of the record snowpack.

Enjoy the scenery!

Looking back down the valley.

Almost there.



The payoff.



August snow melt.

Just included this one for grins!

Deck Love (part 1)

Thanks to blogland, I stumbled upon a post written about reclaiming & redesigning your deck space...so, I wondered...could that work for us?  Yes it can!  We've been working hard on getting our deck all gussied up and beautified (is that a word?) and taking it back (literally) from the birds.  The history is that when we built the house, we had the option (added expense of course) to extend our deck...and because there were not many additional options that we didn't take, we had it enlarged.  I did not know at the time, how the neighborhood would lay out and how the slope of the lot would come into play.  (Hard to envision, when you're looking at dirt.)  Although I don't regret the larger deck or the corner lot, I have always felt like we are on display for the whole neighborhood to see every time we go outside to the deck.  Also, because of our south-facing home, we get the hot, blaring sun as it sets every single day which makes for very uncomfortably bright and hot patio time. I have always wanted to add a roof, but would've settled for a motorized awning.  Could never get Bill to come over to the dark side and spend a few dolores.

But, this year, while I was out shopping for my annual flowering plants, I stumbled across this pergola.  I loved it.  Wondered...could it fit?  I hurried home to measure and happened to see it on sale in the Sunday paper.  Karma?