Sunday, April 30, 2006

New Friends

Charlie has a new best friend - Gabbie, a 4 month old Bernese Mountain Dog puppy.

She and Charlie run and jump and chase and PLAY! Up the terraces, down the terraces, around the yard, and back. Nipping, herding, body slamming - no holds barred. Even sitting on the other's head is fair game!

Gabbie quickly learned to jump the terraces and discovered where the best hiding spots are.

When one is tired, they both lie on the grass and chew on each other until it's time to play chase again. Sometimes they even lie quietly and contentedly, as if posing for a picture. But peace never reigns long!

At the end of playtime, both are exhausted, and Gabbie's fur is wet from head to toe. That Charlie!

To the right is a video of their first play date together (click on the photo to play the movie):

Gabbie's already almost 48 lbs and gaining 10 lbs every 3 weeks, so Charlie had better watch out and be nice. He's going to be the littler dog soon!

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

Oh, the beauty! Oh the indignity!

This week found Charlie at the Tulip Festival in Woodburn, just south of Portland.

There were fields and fields of beautiful tulips of every color and shape imaginable.

More to Charlie's liking, there were dogs and admiring humans of every variety, as well! Tiny fierce barking dogs who wanted to eat him, big quiet mellow dogs who ignored him. Little children to be petted by, old humans to avoid for fear of knocking them down.

With no etiquette guide to study in advance, Charlie had to just wing it. And he did fine - he was a gentleman to all!

He even suffered through the requisite tulip-head photo session with grace, albeit with edible incentives.

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Ummm... Mom...


That sure looks like my dish. But what's it doing in there? And where's the food?!