This time last week, I was just figuring out that vacation is a magical thing that comes at the end of a long road trip. The thing about being a dog on vacation, though, is that you're stuck doing what your humans are doing. No one stops and says, "Hey, Gus. What do you want to do today?" They just say, "Come on, Gus," and drag me along wherever they're going. Now, I'm not exactly complaining, because the places we ended up were pretty good. But if anyone had asked, I'd have said, "How about if we find some squirrels I could chase or birds that don't run into the water to get away." I might have said, "Did you guys see that pet food store that doubles as a coffee shop? The one with the big front porch? The sign says dogs are welcome, and you know I want to shop somewhere sometime. So let's hit that!" I mean, dogs have ideas, too, you know. If I were to bring this up with Mom during one of our talks, though, I know by now what she'd say - "Just be grateful you're not at the pokey this week," or "Think of all the new experiences you're having! You can chase squirrels at home anytime!" Looking back, I'd have to admit I agree with her on both counts. This week at the beach was better than a week-long stay at dog daycare, and boy did I learn a lot! Like what, you ask?
1. Sand Pipers are not as weird as they look. I say this with as much affection as a dog can have for those long-beaked, long-legged birds that, not surprisingly, run around on the sand. They run into the wet sand and then right back out again when the ocean waves come rolling in. I thought this looked like a pretty stupid thing to do until Mom let me try it. Dang that water comes in fast! I don't blame them for running away.
And darned if I didn't figure out that there were some living creatures in that sand! Those crazy looking birds were way better at picking the little mole crabs up out of the sand than I was. I dug and dug, but I got zip. Snub-nosed dogs are not made for mole crab fishing, so I finally gained some appreciation for those birds. Still wish Mom would have let me chase them, but hey, that's old news I can do at home.
2. Beware of crab claws 🦀. Let me back up. A few weeks before the vacation, Dad drove two hours each way to pick up some crab pots from Uncle Kurt. Mom stood firm that, since Dad couldn't fit them into the back of the truck after Boys' Weekend, when he was supposed to bring them home, we should just go without. Dad was adamant that we weren't going without them, because we had rented a house on the sound with a private dock. We were dropping those crab pots into the water if he had to drive all day to get them. A week of crab potting and two dozen crabs later, Mom has changed her tune. Talk about strange looking - the crabs, not Mom!
One time Mom got distracted and let me get a little too close to the bucket where Dad had dumped the crabs. Those pointy claws came poking right up at my adorable face, Big Brother hollered, "Gus, no!" and Mom nearly fell off the dock yanking me back away from that creepy creature. Whew! We replayed that scene twice daily, so those pots did bring a lot of excitement. Would have been even better if Mom had fallen in, but hey, you take what you get.
3. Barking and fishing do not go together. I'm not sure what humans expect. You go waving something that is clearly edible (I didn't know eating raw squid was a bad idea) in my face and then throw it out into the water where I am not allowed to go, and I'm not supposed to bark? Really? I'm also not supposed to bark when Mom catches a fish, something about which she is clearly excited. People - my bark is the equivalent of your "Woo hoo!" But Mom said all my barking was gonna scare the fish away, and if I didn't stop, I'd have to go back to the house.
But our fishing times were great days - just me and Mom hanging out on the dock, soaking up some sun, and enjoying some peace and quiet (although according to Mom, my barking was ruining that). And I didn't want to mess with our Gus and Mom time, so I dialed back the barking, but I was still super interested in the squid that went flying out and the live fish that came back on the hook. But looking back, considering the size of the fish Mom was catching, I'd have to say maybe she was partially right - barking and big fish don't go together. 😁
4-8. Games are still not for dogs (see my Not for Dogs post); just sitting on the beach with the family is pretty cool; big brothers still mess with you even on vacation, but they hang out with you more, too; naps are good; and even on vacation, the best way to end the day is snuggled up on the couch next to Mom.
Aww, I know - right? Who doesn't love a snuggly dog photo? But family pictures and memories are all I've got now that vacation is over. And now that I know what a great thing vacation is, every time I get in that truck, I'm gonna close my eyes and make a wish - Please say we're going on vacation, please say we're going on vacation, please say we're going on vacation - and before long, I'll find myself on another educational adventure.
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