And a good time was had by all

Boy, does that vacation seem a long time ago! Like it wasn't even this summer. I don't know why we couldn't stay there all the time in those nice, cool mountains. Now I'm confined to the house most of the day as it's HOT and STICKY here. I don't like it one bit.

You're probably wondering if we chased off that coyote yet. Well, it's still around, but hasn't been too bothersome recently, which is good, because the Fish and Game people have been a bit busy with another visitor.

This guy doesn't live around here anymore.

But let's get back to my vacation.

Of course, I got to ride in the front seat most of the way. It's my favorite place to ride, even though my travel bed is in the back, I just go there if I'm really tired. That's usually on the way home. Actually, I think Mum should ride in the back because she takes up more than her fair share of the front seat when she insists on riding in it with me.

Some of the time I do have to be in the navigator's seat, helping Dad by keeping my eye keenly on the road, and my paws pointing the way. You never know when I'm going to have to leap to action and take over the driving.

This is where we camped, near the lake. I had my very own special camping table. Yes, it's true. The keen-eyed among you may have noticed this is in fact my ramp for getting in the back of the car. Apparently, it weighs quite a lot, and took up some of the luggage space Mum and Dad had reserved for (in my opinion), frivolous and unnecessary items. A second cooler for wine and beer, for example - see what I mean? Who needs that? Anyway, it meant it had to serve double duty.

I could have run for miles on the mountain. This is the place with the biggest meadow in the world where we went last year. You can't even see how big it is in this picture. I think it would take me a whole day to run from one end to the other, but I didn't get a chance to find out. Mum insisted on keeping me close by, because we saw a bear on one of our trips up the mountain road. I've never seen a bear, but I smell them a lot when we're up there.

Although there are lots of lakes where we go camping, no one is allowed to swim in them. They're for fishing only. I love to fish, so it seems a bit unfair. To make up for not getting any water time, on the way home, we spent a whole day at the creek with the blue/green water. I swam and swam, and fished and fished, and finally got so tired, I had to find a shady spot on the beach to recover.

Now, that's what I call a vacation!

Indian Summer

The hot weather's back and I couldn't be happier. Don't get me wrong, I love snow, but when it's cold, Mum closes the doors and I can't keep watch from my outdoor lookout. After the sprinkle of snow we had a few days ago, we're back to lovely warm days and lots of lounging about in patches of sunshine.

Mum and Dad took me to the Sometimes Creek (Dry Creek) where there's lots of sand for me to gallop around in. I go a bit crazy digging holes there. They have to be just right - deep enough so I can feel the cool, damp sand on my belly and with just enough of a ridge for me to hang my front paws over.

This time of year is my Coming Home anniversary. It was 9 years ago that Mum brought me home from the Humane Society of Sedona to live with her. I worked really hard to let Mum know where I was and that she should come get me. It was touch and go for a week when another person took me home, but it "didn't work out" and they took me back. So then I pulled out all the stops and visited Mum in a very long and complex dream so she could get a really good look at me and know where I was. It worked, because the very next day she came and found me! I was so excited to see her. I couldn't stop jumping up at my kennel door. I still had another 24 hours before I was allowed to go home with her, but it was worth the wait. She went home and made me a very special bed - the first one I had ever had that I could call my own. I still have it today, even though I don't sleep on it any more.

So because of it being the anniversary and all, today we had to go back to the Humane Society to pick up my this year's legal tag. They specially make a new one for me every year. Always a different color and design. This year, because I'm 9, it's super special. It's a star and it's in my favorite color, purple. (Note from Mum: "Don't tell Ruby, but I think maybe all the dogs get the same design and color!)

It's like when you get the keys to the city and can go anywhere. I bet there aren't any other pups who get the purple star!