February 6, 2012

Trolley time

10:20 am | No Comments » |

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Our RoadDog has travelled via a variety of means of transportation and we try to keep adding to the list.

Steve and I are always kind of on the lookout for new experiences, both for ourselves and for Jake. It doesn’t have to be grand — just different.

Over our years together, our RoadDog has ridden not only via the typical cars and trucks and, of course, the motorcycle. He’s also experienced ferries, a motorboat and even a gondola. We haven’t managed a hot air balloon yet, but I’d love to finagle that one somehow. But I digress.

Last summer, we all enjoyed a new means of travel while visiting Boothbay Harbor — an old-fashioned trolley. Sponsored by one of the local hotels, the trolley made regular runs throughout the town during the day, picking up locals and tourists alike. It was a wonderful means of reducing the downtown traffic congestion. And a fun diversion.

The trolley pulled up at the front door of our hotel. Steve confirmed that Jake could travel as long as he remained on my lap. I didn’t actually manage to keep him sitting still, but I can confirm he never left my arms. He spent most of the ride on my shoulder looking out the windows at the passing scenery.

The trolley was beautiful. All decked out in wood, even the front console, it had wide open windows — with flaps for bad weather — and marvelous wooden bench seats. The driver was a wonderful gentleman who could truly maneuvre the trolley in some very tight downtown quarters. It was a great experience for all of us.

And Jake added trolley to his list of transportation accomplishments.

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January 30, 2012

Oh so doggie friendly

9:46 am | 2 Comments » |

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There are lots of hotels and motels that say they are dog friendly, but there are few so RoadDog friendly as where we stayed in Boothbay Harbor. Having told you about the town a few weeks ago, let me now tell you about where we stayed.

The Flagship Inn deserves a special mention. It really was a home away from home for us during part of our August vacation.

From the time we rolled in until the time we pulled out a few days later, Jake was pretty much a happy dog. First of all, the staff were friendly and accommodating. Not once did it feel like a motel that allowed dogs. Instead, it was a motel that welcomed dogs. And believe me, when you travel with a dog you very quickly learn the difference.

The staff welcomed all three of us when we arrived. We weren’t given a long list of rules. We weren’t told that we couldn’t leave Jake alone in the room, which can be truly problematic. That left Jake opportunities to nap — while we went to the pool for a swim or relaxed in the hot tub in the late afternoon, one evening when we went to the theatre next door (more about that another week) and in the mornings when we went for breakfast. (Our boy is not an early riser when travelling and likes that extra hour of sleep while we get organized and fed.)

Staff at the Flagship Inn even left Jake a little care package in our room. We arrived to find two different types of locally-made doggie treats and, are you ready for this, a stuffed toy. Jake loved the little brown moose, which immediately made him happy and playful and is now part of our living room collection (I may soon have to get a third basket – oh my!)

But there was a whole other dimension to RoadDog’s stay at the Flagship and that was all about the location. The inn is tremendously conveniently located with an ice cream shop and veggie stand on one side and a trail and parkland behind.

Within an hour of arriving, we were enjoying ice cream at a picnic table. Even better, Jake not only got his own ice cream, but the girl sprinkled it with several tiny Milkbones. He was one seriously happy dog.

I then ducked into the veggie stand (where ironically the employee had just returned from a visit to Nova Scotia) and bought some wonderfully fresh green beans. They make an excellent snack, both for me and for Jake. (A dog really needs something more nutritious than ice cream from time to time and Jake does love green beans. Steve is less convinced about veggies as a snack or in general for that matter.)

Our little motorcycle trio then went for a walk along the trail behind the inn, discovering the wonderful Penny Lake Preserve. It’s a wetland and wildlife habitat, which provided both a chance to stretch our legs (especially Jake’s) and enjoy some quiet solitude.

Yes, the Flagship Inn was a wonderful experience. One we hope to repeat someday down the road when we return to the wonderful Boothbay Harbor.

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January 23, 2012

Snow doggie

1:14 pm | 2 Comments » |

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If there’s one thing about this time of year that helps our RoadDog get over the fact that he can’t ride around on a motorcycle, it has to be snow.

Jake loves to play in the snow. He loves to stick his nose in it. He loves to rub his face in it. Sometimes he even lies down and rolls around in it. But what has to be his absolute favourite thing is playing ball in it.

That seems a little odd, I know. We find it odd too, but that’s our boy. He does like to be different.

He likes me to throw his ball and he’ll dive into the snow after it. If it’s icy at all, we have this little bank behind our house that he’ll climb up and roll the ball down so he can chase after it and jump on it. If the snow is fluffy, like it was this weekend, he takes his ball up to the top of the bank and drops it, then sticks his face down in the snow and digs through the snow to get to his ball. Once he gets it – which he really doesn’t try very hard to do, the game is clearly about the digging – he drops the ball in a fresh snowy spot and does it all over again. Sometimes he’ll “dig” the ball all the way down the bank. Sometimes he just digs and digs and digs.

Jake’s paws get so cold playing in the snow that he’ll stop and lift them one at a time, standing on three legs, and look at Steve and I as if to ask, “What’s wrong with them? Why do they hurt?”

Then we know it’s time to force our boy inside to warm up by the wood stove. But as long as the sun is shining, we know that once he gets warm, he’ll be begging to go outside to play ball again. It’s a winter ritual.

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January 16, 2012

Wonderful waterfront town

12:48 pm | No Comments » |

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I seem to have an uncanny ability to pick out great places to visit. Actually, that’s not entirely true. I guess, it might be that I take the time to do a little research before we head out on the road so we end up at places well suited to our little motorcycle trio.

So it was last summer with Boothbay.

It is a fantastic area on the coast of Maine. Neither Steve nor I had ever been there so it was wonderful to be able to explore it together for the first time and I believe I can speak for both of us when I say we look forward to returning there again sometime soon.

First of all, it is breathtakingly beautiful — the views, the vistas, everywhere you look is just outstanding. Secondly, it’s very dog-friendly which always enhances our travels so much.

Our motel was fantastic, so much so that I’ll write more about it another week. The town itself was one of the best places we’ve ever visited. There were lots of dog-friendly shops and restaurants. Our first night we ate at a lobster place that had picnic tables designated solely for the use of people with pets. Nice! Jake, of course, shared our lobster, which was so fresh and so delicious.

The next day we took a trolley into town (I’ll tell you more about that later too) and explored, finding a wonderful doggie shop where the proprietor told us about several more places where we could eat with our RoadDog. We ended up at a fantastic tapas restaurant for lunch, eating on an outdoor patio three stories up with views of the harbour and town. Wow!

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Boothbay Harbor also boasts a 1,000-foot footbridge across the harbour, so we took a wonderful stroll as well. Jake, being all about his belly and not so enamoured of bridges, was more excited about lunch than the walkway, particularly when we walked across, turned around and went back again. That got us some looks that clearly said, “Just what was the point of that?”

But he trotted along anyway, content to be on vacation on a warm summer day with us having new adventures. We all love new adventures. And warm summer days.

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January 9, 2012

What the heck is that?

1:18 pm | No Comments » |

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Jake may like lobster, but apparently only when it’s cooked, shelled and being offered up as a feast.

Over the holidays, Steve and I decided we should enjoy a lovely lobster dinner at home one evening. The prices have been great, the lobsters apparently plentiful and sellers everywhere you drive in town, making me crave those crustaceans.

We absolutely knew we were going to have to share our shellfish bounty with our RoadDog. Jake can smell a lobster sandwich at a picnic table in the great outdoors with the wind blowing at 40 kilometres an hour. There was no way he was going to miss the smell of them cooking right there in the kitchen.

We picked up the lobsters early in the afternoon and Steve left them in a container in the cold garage for a couple of hours. I’m not sure if that had anything to do with how lively they became when we brought them in the house — it might have been the warmth, maybe they were just fresh and energetic, or maybe they had an idea that a pot of boiling water awaited them (I hate that part). Regardless, these lobsters were swinging their claws around and flapping their tails rather wildly.

Being the loving doggie parents we are (and since the lobsters were still banded), we decided to see how Jake would react when introduced to one of his favourite foods in the raw. It seemed like a good idea, harmless fun, really, and we’re always curious about how that Cairn terrier mind works.

It didn’t take long to find out.

As you can see from the photo, Jake was less than thrilled to meet a live lobster up close and personal. What you can’t see (there really should be video) is what led up to that shot. Steve was holding Jake and picked up a lobster. Jake stuck out his nose to sniff it. The lobster swung his claw towards Jake and flapped his tail rather defensively and that was enough for our boy. I’m pretty sure he decided then and there that he’ll take his lobster cooked, shelled and delivered, thank you very much.

Kind of makes me want to do it all over again this weekend, maybe without the up-close introductions.
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January 2, 2012

Happy New Year!

2:15 pm | No Comments » |

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Happy New Year everyone!

Sorry I didn’t post last week. I honestly don’t have an excuse beyond being busy and wanting a little break. Rest assured, all is well in our little Brown household.

We all had a really great Christmas, including Jake. Santa finally came, filled his stocking and left gifts under the tree, much to the delight of our beloved Cairn terrier.

Jake began smiling around December 22 when we put some gifts under the tree. None of his, of course, because he would have been in them right away, but the sight of gifts seemed to perk him up quite a bit. It was as if he realized something was finally going to happen.

He got even more excited on Christmas Eve when Steve and I filled each other’s stockings, with the extras in gift bags on the stairs. You can see that in the photos. Our boy is looking pretty happy. When he came in from his early-morning trip outside on Christmas morning and found that his stocking was also filled, he was even more excited.

From there, it went to gifts under the tree and, as the photo shows, Jake got right into the thick of things. He had his stocking emptied and gifts opened before Steve and I finished our first cup of coffee.

It was an exciting day for our boy, followed by another exciting day when my stepchildren Alan and Kim arrived on Boxing Day and we did the whole Christmas thing again with a house filled with people.

By about December 28, Jake was exhausted and crashed for a couple of days of much-needed rest. That left him ready to greet the new year with a happy smile again — although that didn’t last long thanks to the sounds of nearby fireworks. He definitely does not like fireworks, even of the smallish neighbourhood variety.

A walk in the park on New Years Day followed by a Timbit that night and Jake seems to think 2012 is off to a pretty good start. And we’ve already started planning our summer bike excursions.

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December 19, 2011

Twas the night before Christmas

12:32 pm | No Comments » |

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‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung on the stairway with care (yes finally),
In hopes that Santa Claus soon would be there.

RoadDog was nestled all snug in his bed,
While visions of Timbits danced in his head.
And mamma in her doo-rag, and dad a Vulcan cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
We sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window we flew like a flash,
Tore open the curtains to check out the bash.

The moon how it glistened on the new-fallen snow
As we gazed down in awe at the objects below.
For what to our wondering eyes should appear,
But a man in black leather, and eight large reindeer.
 
All dressed in bike shirts and each straddling their ride
It was enough to make the neighbours panic and hide.
More rapid than crotch rockets in the driveway they came,
Their leader he whistled and called them by name.
 
“Now, Kawasaki! Now, Honda! Now, Yamaha and Victory!
On, BMW! On Triumph! On, Suzuki and Harley!
We’re here to see RoadDog, to give him Christmas treats,
That little biker dude is a friend to all he meets.”
 
As each one they stopped and peered at our home
A tear came to my eye and I knew there it shone.
For bikers love animals, and none more than our Jake,
Their pet food and toy runs, such a difference they make.
 
They may dress all in leather and jeans looking tough
But I knew that their hearts are more than big enough.
As I drew in my head, my eye glimpsed down below,
Santa’s bike was fully loaded, sitting there in the snow.
 
That bike was all covered with full leather bags
Holding brightly wrapped presents with ribbons and tags.
And a T-bag of goodies he had flung on his back,
He looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His shades how they twinkled, his eyes they were merry,
The cold made his cheeks rosey, his nose like a cherry.
The big guy was smiling, his teeth a bright row,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.
 
He wore a red helmet, for safety of course,
In a hit with a car even Santa would get the worst.
Like many a biker, he had a bit of a belly,
And yes, it shook when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.
 
He was tattooed and friendly, a right jolly old rider,
He was happy on his bike, his smile couldn’t be wider.
A wink of his eye under that helmet so red,
As he leaned down to pat our RoadDog on the head.
 
He then spoke a few words and went on with his deed,
He filled all the stockings and put chrome under the tree.
Then nodding to the reindeer, he went back to his ride,
He had more good work to do and clearly took pride.
 
He sprang to his seat and the pipes how the rumbled,
And away they all rode making noise like the thunder;
But I heard him call out, as he rode out of sight,
“Happy biking to all, and to all a good night.”

 
~ With thanks and apologies to Major Henry Livingston Jr. (1748-1828)
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December 12, 2011

That darn stocking

3:04 pm | 4 Comments » |

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Our beloved Cairn terrier is driving me crazy.

Well, perhaps I should say Jake and I are driving each other crazy. This Christmas standoff is getting out of hand.

It’s that darn Christmas stocking. I know I wrote about this last year around this time (sorry if it’s repetitive for longtime readers), but this year it’s worse than ever.

I believe I might have made a mistake. In an effort to find some Christmas spirit (or maybe because I had quite a lot of Christmas spirit already bubbling), I convinced Steve that we should decorate the house last weekend. We were expecting guests so we put out our holiday trimmings.

Elves and snowmen emerged from boxes. My favourite snow globe appeared on an end table. Burgundy place mats and runners popped up on the dining room table. Various and sundry Santa Clauses began hanging out all around the house. The little wooden Christmas tree with tinkling bells started guarding the bottom of the stairs.

Jake watched it all unfold without too much enthusiasm, that is until I opened a box that had the Christmas stockings laying in wait inside. Then his nose was in the box. And then he was at my feet staring at me, watching my every move — just waiting — and waiting — and waiting.

I couldn’t hang the stockings. Once they go up, our boy can find no peace. He’s up and down constantly sniffing at his stocking, sticking his nose inside, swiping at it with his paw to make sure there’s nothing inside. It’s hard to watch, really it is.

So I put the stockings upstairs where he wouldn’t have to look at them. And Jake was not happy.

Steve and I aren’t sure if he sulked, moped or suffered depression all last week, but we hardly saw him. He just laid about and slept. He didn’t come to play ball in the evenings for almost a week. He would start to play with a toy once in awhile, but then give up like his heart just wasn’t in it. Every now and again he’d look at the stairs where his stocking goes and glance at me with big soulful doggie eyes. It was beyond sad. It bordered on painful.

I just don’t know what to do. It’s still almost two weeks until Christmas. We put the tree up this weekend, but other than sticking his nose in the ornament box — possibly in search of that darn stocking — Jake just kind of ignored it and us. If I don’t hang the stockings, he’ll mope. If I do hang the stockings, he’ll sniff and paw and be upset that his is empty. What to do? Never mind that I haven’t baked cookies and the gifts aren’t yet wrapped — this is my Christmas dilemma and it comes with big brown eyes and a pouty tongue.

Next year, maybe I won’t decorate until about December 23.

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December 5, 2011

Honeymoon locale … 20 years later

1:45 pm | No Comments » |

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Isn’t there some saying about age and revisiting the past? Or maybe something about how you can’t go back to where you’ve been? Well, apparently I might be getting a tad nostalgic as I get older.

This summer, while on our trip to New England, Steve and I decided (well, to be honest I think I suggested and hubby agreed) to spend a few days in Camden, Maine. I’ll explain.

Steve and I marked our 20th anniversary in October. Even writing that makes me shake my head because I just can’t believe we’ve been married for 20 years. (I’m now chuckling … I wonder if Steve would agree with that.)

Anyway, 20 years ago, we honeymooned in Maine, spending a few days at Sugarloaf, a day or two in Camden and a few days in, you guessed it, Bar Harbor. As regular readers know, we’ve been back to Bar Harbor a number of times since then. We’ve also stopped in Camden a few times for an hour or two, but we’ve never stayed there long enough to really get to know the place again, or at least we hadn’t until this past August. I had thought about staying in Camden this summer and when I did some research and discovered it’s very dog-friendly, I concluded we really should go there.

We weren’t disappointed. We stayed in a beautiful dog-friendly hotel just off the main street. Jake was greeted with his own floppy bed, doggie dishes, a new bouncy ball and treats. We were greeted with friendly Maine hospitality.

Camden is a wonderful little town with fabulous restaurants and wonderful shops. Jake joined us for most of our meals, including lunch at one outdoor café where the waitress doted on him so much that I wondered if the diners inside were getting any attention. Jake, of course, loved that and the lobster I slipped him under the table.

I will confess, one of the highlights for Steve and I didn’t involve our boy though. Twenty years ago, we ate a couple of times at a fun restaurant/pub called Cappy’s … and there it was on the very same corner … and it had the very same fun atmosphere we remembered. We had dinner there two nights in a row, reminiscing about our first trip to Camden, chatting about our trip and planning to return again some day.

Camden was good to us … again. Apparently, you can revisit the past, especially if you take RoadDog along for the ride.

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November 28, 2011

Talking to the man in red

1:58 pm | 2 Comments » |

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Dear Santa,

It’s me, Jake. Some people also know me as RoadDog.

This year I thought I’d write you a letter, not because you don’t always bring me great things for Christmas, but because I’m a more mature dog now and I have a few larger wishes. I’ll get to those later.

First of all Santa, I hope you and Mrs. Claus and your elves and reindeer had a wonderful year. I’ve never met a reindeer, but I like to watch the deer in our yard sometimes and sniff where they’ve walked, so I’m sure I’d like your reindeer too.

Come to think of it, I’ve never met an elf either, but they seem like lots of fun and I really love to have fun, so I’m sure I’d like your elves. Mom has a new elf thing that she really likes that lies around the living room. He’s pretty quiet but he has a mischievous look and I’m hoping he’ll cut loose one of these days and play with me when Mom and Dad aren’t home. Mom doesn’t seem to think that’s such a good idea though.

So, Christmas is coming soon. Please, if it’s not too much trouble, could you fill my stocking with treats and toys like last year. I’m all about my belly and I love treats. And even though I have dozens of toys (yes, I am a bit spoiled that way) I always like to have new squeakies to play with, especially on Christmas. I even take them to my grandparents’ house when we go for Christmas dinner.

Oh, but Santa, could you please not bring anymore of that shampoo stuff. Mom insists on using it to bath me and I really don’t like that at all. She just doesn’t seem to understand that I’m a boy dog and I really don’t care if I smell good or not. She took me back in that shower again yesterday and I was not impressed.

Now for some of the bigger stuff. Please Santa could you bring good weather next summer so Mom and Dad and I can go riding. I love to ride in my carrier on the back of Dad’s bike and explore new places and visit familiar ones. We didn’t get to do a lot of that this year — the weather was wet and then Dad fell off that ladder and we couldn’t ride in September and October when it was so nice outside. I would really like to ride more next year and so would my humans. It makes us all so happy.

And speaking of happy, Santa I know this might be a tall order but could you please help other dogs who may not be as lucky as me. I have a pretty good life. I know there are dogs in shelters who don’t have their own humans and dogs who are left tied to trees in backyards who may feel sad and neglected. All dogs should have good lives, so please, Santa, do what you can.

Oh and one last thing Santa, well two really. Could you please bring Mom some inspiration for her blog. She says she’s running out of ideas. And maybe you could bring her another one of those elf things she’s so fond of lately and put it under the tree from me — you know, just in case I find a way to play with the one she has now. I’m trying to be good, I know you’re watching, but sometimes a dog just wants to have fun.

I’ll leave you some cookies and milk Santa. I love cookies and I hear you do too.

Love, Jake
xo
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