Swim, Swam, Swum..

• There is Jewel up top swimming and then Dad and me swimming. Dad says that when Jewel learns to relax and put her butt up and her head down she will do better. Dad says that I am still a natural swimmer. Dad also says that I am as bad as Oliver, TGH in my dislike of water right now. Dad said that Oliver, TGH didn't care for water at all, but once he figure the pool out he was a great swimmer in it and in lakes and ponds. Dad put every duck, buck and toy that Jewel and I love in the pool to entice us and well, we just were not having it.

Jewel and I had a good romp under the apple trees and out in the garden. We were quite gray, almost looked related to Miss Moose by the time we were done. Mom hosed us off. Jewel sure does like the hose. She thinks it is great fun. Me? Well, there have to be better poodle things to do, right? I like a good game of chase though!

Jewel and I split our time between the big kennel and the shop today. Mom mowed the back and front lawns and Dad worked on oak shelving in the the shop that he is installing in the house. Yesterday we worked outside all day with Dad working on the pool. There is this little machine that goes in the pool - Mom calls him Oscar - and he kind of freaks me out. He climbs the walls of the pool and looks like he is going to come out and get me and well, I am still a poodle pup after all, and sometimes I think he is going to come out and get me - did you get that? I think he is going to come out and get me! But Oscar always sinks back down into the pool like some white and blue monster.

I think I agree with Mom - the weekends always seem so short and there is so much for a poodle boy to do and not enough daylight!

I am Hugh

Hard work!

The last couple of Sundays have been busy...too busy for me to be inside on a computer. Last Sunday Jewel and I turned 1! We had gingersnap cookies (Moosey had the most, she stole them off the table and ripped the bag open and ate at least 12 Dad said.) and a drive in the country.

Both Jewel and I are working on our retrieving. Mom said that I have reached a stubborn stage because I am not doing what is asked of me. Jewel is retrieving better than I am right now. We had our first swim, which Mom did not get pictures of. Jewel got in the pool to retrieve a decoy, but did not do a very good job of getting out. Mom and Dad were right there to make sure the experience was not a bad one. She just needs to learn to swim, but she kind of skipped the lesson to get the bird. Next weekend Dad said that the pool will be running on the solar panels and that will be the time for both canine and human to have some lessons. Dad said that he thinks I am going to be as difficult to get to like the water as Oliver, TGH was. He said that Oliver did not want to learn to swim, but that once he did he loved it. He thinks that I have forgotten my good experiences with the pool last summer and that we are starting at scratch. He says that I have no interest in water right now. Dad says that Jewel, on the other hand, is all about water - whether it is hoses, baths or pools she is up for it. Now if she can just swim!

Today we worked out in the yard extending our kennel. Moose and Marc are staying in the house during the day right now and Jewel and I are in the kennel. Dad would like all the big dogs in the kennel and then Marcus in his own separate fancy kennel. It was hot work. Mom worked on getting the rest of the algae out of the pool. Jewel and I liked laying down in the cool fresh dirt. Needless to say, Jewel and I are both very dirty and I just had a bath with Kissty, Kissty on Friday.

Yesterday was the 4th of July. Mom does not care for fireworks of the small kind. Oliver, TGH did not like fireworks at all. Dad and Mom went over to Ashland with Miss Moose. She doesn't usually get to go on long trips since Jewel and I have been around, but Mom thought it would be nice for Moose and the fact that Moose likes every person or dog she meets and there were lots of people and kids and dogs at Tom & Shirley's yesterday. Miss Moose said she had a really good time.

When we came home though the neighborhood started with the firecrackers and just made Marcus and Mom very crabby. Marcus was so freaked out he went and hid in a corner of the bedroom by Miss Moose's bed and slept there all night. Jewel and I could not have cared less about the fireworks - this is something that Mom and Dad were very happy about.

As the summer continues Dad has all kinds of ideas about training and of course, you will hear about them here! Have a great week - I'll be poodling!

I am Hugh