My Big Helper

Thankfully, Brutus has lost his big fear of my camera, and will now happily travel around the yard with me taking pictures. Tonight I wanted to hop in the car and go back to a spot that we walked by on our walk this morning. I didn't really feel like walking another two miles, so in the car we went. He had to wait in the car while I took my pictures, but he didn't seem to mind too much. He kept a watch out for anything that moved, and was there to greet me when I got back with a big kiss. He's such a buddy.

Brutus watching out for strangers.

Welcoming me back when I walked up to the car. :)

And some of the wild flowers that we took pictures of.

Lets Go Fishing!!

Don and Brutus had a boy weekend at the lake, and had a great time. The first picture just cracks me up. Don had gotten the lawn mowed and taken Brutus off of his leash to go down to the lake. You can see him running down to the dock to jump in. It's his favorite thing in the whole world to do! All we have to do is say "lake" and his ears perk right up!!

Don had been doing some fishing off the dock, and caught a little fish. I can't remember what it was called, but he said that it was a "junk" fish that isn't good for the lake, so he had put it up on the shore until he was done fishing and could take care of it. Well, Brutus wasn't going to leave it alone. He walked over and picked it up and put it back in the lake. It was pretty dead at this point and sank to the bottom. He apparently couldn't figure out why it wasn't coming back up to play, and started trying to get it. He could see it through the water, but couldn't get it, so he started trying to get it with his paws, and at one point stuck most of his face in the water. Too funny!! Brutus had a great day. :)

Summer Is Here, and Brutus Is FINE

There is nothing that Brutus loves more than summer, because summer means going to the lake. He's gotten to know Don's work schedule well enough that he starts begging to get out in the garage after lunch on Fridays, knowing that Don comes home early to go to the lake. Dogs are so incredibly smart. I don't even have to put him on his leash. I am completely sure that he will stay right where he is. As soon as he sees Don pull around the corner and in to our cul-de-sac, he starts jumping about four feet in the air. Don gets out of his truck, Brutus does the happy dance and gives him a hug, and in the back seat he goes. He's a perfect passenger, and as soon as we get to the lake it's free flyin time!

This is when he has a slight brain fart, to put it bluntly. We all get out of the car, and one of us, or sometimes both of us at the same time tell Brutus to "stay close". Brutus on the other hand is running down the hill to the lake so fast that his ears are flying off to the side of his head, and splash, he is swimming. He is a lab after all, and apparently this is what they are born to do! He's such a goof. The whole swimming thing is fine, but for some reason, this spring there has been a large number of dead fish around the edge of the lake, and Brutus likes to take them on shore and roll in them. That is NOT cool!! We normally have about six resident eagles, and they seem to have disappeared, and maybe that is why we are seeing more dead fish. Typically they are eaten up. It's troubling that our eagles are gone, but no one has been able to figure out why. Until they come back, Brutus will continue to get MANY bubble baths! Thankfully, our good friend Bob installed a wonderful hot water faucet outside at the lake for us, and it has been so great. I was thrilled enough to not have to drag a dirty dog through the house to the bathtub, but to not have to take a dog covered in dead fish guts through the house is more amazing than I can even say!!

So, Brutus spends every weekend swimming, and begging to go on boat rides. He will literally stand and stare at the boat. He likes to try to use his E.S.P. to get us to cooperate with him. It's amazing how often it works. :)  Sometimes if Don doesn't have time to take him out in the boat, he'll just open the door to the boat, and Brutus will crawl in under the tarp and hang out for a while. He's such a goof.

I hope all of you are enjoying your summer too.