How does Kristina not understand that I don’t like baths?
Look at me. This is my best pathetic look. Even as a puppy I knew how to look sad.
Still here we are, almost 5 years later and she’s still giving me baths.
She talks about how the organic, chemical free shampoo is good for my skin. It even has oatmeal in it, like I care.
Just because I was running on the beach this morning, she decided I needed to be clean before I got on the boat.
Any advice on how I avoid future baths?
Woof Woof.
Farley here.
I almost missed the maiden voyage of Allura: our dinghy.
Matt thinks he’s so smart. He uses our dinghy hoist to quietly lower the boat off the stern of Mattina. I hear the splash.
“Wait,” I bark from below. I know what he’s doing.
Then I hear it. One pull and the engine starts. Matt is smiling because it’s the first pull of the season.
I jump up the three stairs from the port hull, that’s my side by the way, and rush to the stern.
“Wait for me!” I bark.
Kristina is passing Matt a life jacket and I nudge her (gently) out of the way. I bound from the top step to the dinghy in one leap. I haven’t forgotten how to do this and am proud of myself. Once I jumped, current took the dinghy, and I went swimming. I try not to do that anymore.
Purr goes the engine (and no it’s not a cat), yippee goes Matt, and woof woof go I.
We head out to the Intracoastal Waterway for my first dinghy ride of the season. I love my little boat.
Woof Woof.
Farley Here,
I gotta tell ya, I’m loving Flagler Country in Florida with its dog friendly beaches and dog friendly restaurants.
Farley’s is an Irish Pub that allows dogs. Just to prove it to you, I had the server take my photo with Kristina and Matt.
Amazing that I can go out and have dinner. I didn’t get to eat anything, and Kristina expects me to sit quietly underneath the table and not disturb anyone. I’m not even allowed to talk to other dogs. Kristina explained that I have to have good table manners or I’d have to stay at home.
I’d rather go out and behave then stay alone waiting for my humans to come home. I get a little lonely if I’m alone to long, but then who doesn’t? Why oh why don’t all restaurants allow dogs? Then I’d never have to stay home just because my humans feel like having dinner out.
A dog can dream, can’t he?
Woof Woof
Farley here.
Well I’m in Florida, and it’s hot.
Early this morning I hear my humans talk about going for a run. They don’t think I’ve been getting enough exercise lately. Well, whose fault is that I ask you? And who wants to exercise in this heat?
I’m not the kind of dog who likes to get up early, but oh, oh! I see Kristina putting on her running gear. It’s not even seven yet. Is she crazy?
She crawls under the salon table and pulls my legs. I make my body go all floppy so she can’t get ahold of me.
“Let me sleep,” I whine.
“Come on, lazy bones,” she says.
“Lazy,” I bark quietly. “I’m not lazy. Do you see where I am?” I wag my tail making it thump the air conditioning vent. I’m trying to give her the hint I want to stay near the cold air, but she’s having none of it. She takes hold of my two front paws and slides me across the floor. Now she thinks I’m a mop.
I may want to stay in the comfort of my air-conditioned salon, but it’s not going to happen. I give in and follow her out the door.
Now, I know you’re all feeling sorry for me and my tough life, but don’t worry.
We run along a road and at the end of the road we find a beach on the Atlantic ocean.
There’s a sign, which usually means no dogs allowed, but I pull Kristina to it, and bark, “Dogs allowed. Must be leashed. Do you see? Do you see? Let’s go.” Flagler county is dog friendly. This place is great.
I want to hit the surf. I spring forward, dragging Kristina, and get my paws in the ocean for the first time this season.
If I wasn’t a dog, I would be laughing out loud. That lol for you humans. It feels unbelievably good to run in the surf.
Woof woof.
I ask you, do I look bored?
My humans are getting their Lagoon 380 Catamaran ready for a winter of sailing, so for me it’s all hang around the boat yard and wait for them.
And what’s with the leash? I’m used to being free. How humiliating. What if one of my pals saw me?
Okay, so enough of the whining. What’s good about the boatyard?
There is a long dock I get to run on, and best of all, there are dolphins in the harbour.
“Hey,” I bark. “Come over here.”
The dolphins ignore me.
“Hey, I’m bored, Come play,” I bark.
Nothing. Dolphins just seem to swim and blow air out of their heads.
Then I get distracted by a man and a woman fishing. They guys casts the lure.
“Wait for me,” I bark. I run to their boat, but they are too far away for me to jump on board.
“Cast again,” I bark, and the guy does. Humans are so smart.
Kristina tells the guy she doesn’t know why I bark when someone casts a lure, like it’s not obvious. I wag may tail at her, encouraging her to figure it out.
No, luck. While I”m not paying attention she grabs my harness and I have to sit under our boat again.
One more week of this and we should be in the water! The boat I mean, to me or my humans.
Woof Woof.
Cali helps Kristina write her novel.
Jasper getting himself psyched up to set the table. Wouldn’t want to rush or anything.
Me doing the laundry. Okay, so I needed a nap before washing the clothes. Who am I to make fun of Jasper.
Woof Woof.
Farley here.
I like to think I’m brave, but I get the shakes when the skies are shaking. I don’t understand the booming that penetrates my body or the flashes of light that make me squint. I tried to hide, but there was no where to go.
My human, Kristina, has endless patient. I signal to her to follow me, and she does. I check out every room at the cottage. To my amazement the thunder is in every room. I thought if I hid in the back bedroom, I could get away from it. Not such luck.
My peeps won’t coddle me when I’m afraid, but Kristina’s so smart. She grooms me. She thinks she’s tricking me by performing a mundane task to distract me. I know what she’s doing and yet, it works. She pulls the brush gently down my back in repetitive motions and I find myself calming down.
When the storm finally passes, I crash. I get so tired when I’m stressed. Sometimes a dog just needs a nap and to dry out.
Woof Woof.
Farley here.
The summer is coming to an end and that means all my peeps go back to their own lives. The kids go back to school and get too busy for me. Not to mention, they live in different parts of Canada. I get to go to the Bahamas, which is great, but I’m still sad about the pack dispersing.
I don’t understand kids. They’re always in the water. No matter how hard I bark at them to stay on land, they jump in. This time, they took a camera.
“Get out of the water,” I bark in my frantic manner.
They laugh and swim deeper. Now I’m not sure they can hear me when they’re under water, but I bark more anyway.
They get the giggles and have to surface, but not before taking this odd photo of me!
It gets worse. I told you about tubing, well now they want to water ski too. I make sure I get in the boat and can at least bark safety instructions. Why oh why do kids like water? It’s just too stressful for me.
Woof Woof.
Farley here.
After a wild weekend of playing with my new girlfriend, Jersey, I had to nap. Jersey is a 10 month old Portuguese Water Dog. And don’t you think she has the best hair ever?
If you have a visiting dog, make sure they play nice and can share. Once a a golden doodle visited me and snarled and snapped when I tried to take her bone. After that incident, my humans supervise the first time I play with another dog’s toy. Jersey didn’t have that problem.
Being young, Jersey has trouble settling down. The humans picked up every shoe they could find and placed them on the railing. Ha, don’t they know dogs are patient? All Jersey had to do was wait for her moment, and then, and here’s where she gets a bit silly, she runs straight to the closest human and shows her prize.
This is me chasing Jersey away from the shoes. Okay, it looks likes she’s got the upper hand, but I saved her first by distracting her from the shoes.
Jersey didn’t listen very well and didn’t seem to care when the humans got all excited. She even knocked over a table. Kristina is strange – she just laughs at it all and says she likes having other dogs around.
When another dog is visiting, especially a puppy, the house needs to be dog-proofed. No food can be left on counters, no chemicals can be left out, for sure put away your favourite shoes, and don’t forget dogs love to chew leather so any electronics with a leather cover should be out of reach too.
Don’t leave young dogs alone with children. They don’t know how to be gentle yet. Don’t let the dogs eat in the same room as another dog. I don’t mind other dogs eating my food, but some dogs growl a me if I go near their bowl.
But really,having said all that, how could you not love a dog with hair like Jersey’s?
Woof Woof.
Farley here.
I had a dream last night, and I thought you’d like to see what I look like in my dream.
I dreamt about the Bahamas and sailing on my Lagoon 380 catamaran (with my humans of course).
Why am I dreaming? My papers arrived. Here’s how it works. Kristina sends $10 to the Bahamas with a form telling the lovely Bahamian people all about me. Then they decide whether I can enter the country, and I’m so wonderful I don’t see how they could refuse.
They mail back my visa along with a receipt for the $10, that’s US dollars by they way.
Right before we sail to the Bahamas from Florida I have to go to a vet. I don’t really like this part, but I have to have a health certificate. That doesn’t seem fair because my humans don’t need one.
Then we set sail across the Gulf Stream. I don’t like sailing overnight. I just can’t go to bed until Kristina does and she likes the midnight to 4 am shift. I try to convince my humans to only sail to Bimini. We can get there before dark and I get a good night sleep.
Once we arrive, my humans visit customs with my papers and then I’m set for the season. It’s a great deal – $10 for an entire year.
Now all I have to do is wait until November and we can get going.
Woof Woof.
Kristina Stanley 