Our first dip of the season

Memorial Day came so quickly this year. I barely had time to stop and enjoy it. Luckily, the boys, doggies and I had a little spot of fun together in the water. Working full time and having a 30 min commute each way doesn't leave much time for fun and play, but with the daylight lasting longer, I've been trying to get down to the beach with the gang for a swim as much as possible. Lately, however, the weather hasn't been cooperating much. It seems like 6pm is lightning and T-storm time. I've attached some photos of the warmer and sunnier days spent at the pond. Hopefully, this will be the summer that CCG learns to swim, if the rain ever lets up...

Even the folllowing weekend was dreary, on the Cape. So we played on the beach instead of in the water, trying to get broken kites to fly. Sometimes we were successful and other times were complete flops.

Today was a special day for Lido. His breeders, Mirasol Goldens, borrowed him for some medical exams, just for their lineage records. That wasn't the special part, although he is always a sweet, gentle guy who draws loads of affection and attention. The special part was that he went home with them after the exams and got to spend the day with his mother and other "family" members. Mirasol has on average 6-7 goldens at home at any given time, so it was doggie heaven for Lido. I, personally, am glad that Lido got to see his mother because she doesn't have much time left on this earth, as she is fighting cancer, which is predicted to take her life in the next couple months. I know...you're thinking that dogs either don't really remember, or that once they leave their mothers, they never see them aain so it's not an issue. I am here to say that dogs do remember and I know that he could tell that his mother is ill. Based on Lido's behavior any time I drive down the road that leads to the road that he was born on, and how he treats the dog that is his mother (as opposed to the others in the pack), I know for certain that dogs KNOW. He knows exactly where he is, who is there and how they connect to him. I am sure that all dogs have this ability. But seeing my dog do this almost makes me think he is a person, a child waking up, after a long road trip, as the family car turns onto his street.

It was an immediate recognition when RD came to the door to pick Lido up, and his cries of joy were quite different from the ones he uses to greet us when we return home at the end of the day. Those cries never fail to fill my eyes with tears. He LOVES them, from the deepest corners of his heart and soul. So I know that his visit today was one of pure and uninhibited joy!

I hope, too, that his breeders were able to find comfort in Lido, as they recently lost Lido's litter mate to what is believed to be complications related to Lyme's Disease. Essentially, something stopped and he dropped, and that was the end. Horrible horrible. My heart breaks for them. According to RD's report at the end of the day, during our pick up, Lido and Keyser were nearly identical...and both are mirror images and mannerisms of their mother. RD fought back tears while telling me of the uncanny likenesses among them. I sure hope Lido's presence was able to comfort them and heal a little.

I LOVE my dog and can't imagine what life would be without him. He is a very special boy.