Yesterday, we went canoeing and we were feeling brave so we decided to bring the pugs along with us. Benjamin & Henry had been on a few row boat trips before with us in Maryland and always did a great job, but this was Luna’s first boating experience and our first boating experience when being outnumbered by pugs.
It was a very cloudy day and it was actually drizzling when we set sail. We scheduled an early morning trip in the best interest of the pugs and the clouds made for perfect weather for them.
Before we launched we got Henry & Luna suited up in their life vests and securely attached their leashes to their life vests. When we were putting on Benny’s life vest the zipper broke! There was a little bit of panic because we clearly did not have an extra life vest and we couldn’t really rig his vest to make it work. So needless to say, I was very paranoid about Benny not having his vest.
The pugs all hopped into the boat without hesitation and before I knew it we were floating down the creek. The creek was very calm so we took our time to get the pugs all setup. We laid out towels in the bottom of the boat so that they could be cozy and not have to rest only on the metal floor. We also filled up a water bowl for them so they had access to water. They rocked the boat a tad in the beginning when they were trying to figure out the best lookout points, but they settled fairly quickly. As we paddled, they gazed at the passing trees and watched the water passing them by.
After a while, they pretty much tied themselves together with their leashes. This was causing some problems so we took off their leashes. We were confident that they were not going to jump or fall off the boat at that point so we took the life jackets off Henry & Luna as they were making them very hot. This is the when the pugs truly settled down and relaxed. True to form, Benjamin propped himself up against the side of the boat.
It wasn’t long until, the pugs were sound asleep. As we were floating down the river all we heard was the sound of water flowing, birds chirping and Henry snoring. It was so serene.
Luna was the same height as the metal bars running across the canoe. When I first saw this picture, I thought, Luna must have joined the witness protection program.
All in all, I think the pugs had a great time. I know I sure did. I was very proud of them for doing such a great job. They didn’t hesitate to get on the boat and once on they settled down fairly quickly and kept their paws and heads inside the boat at all times. Too bad every morning doesn’t start with such a peaceful outing.
I got a very cool camera for my birthday that can take pictures underwater and I finally got a chance to put it to use on Friday night. I got some underwater video of Henry fetching his favorite toys from the pool.
This weekend was a great weekend for pug and parents! We got almost all of our usual weekend to do items done on Friday night so that we could have some free time on Saturday and Sunday. We went to the grocery store, cut the grass, made the dog food bowls for the week and replenished our stock of turkey by cooking and freezing 14 packages of ground turkey.
We didn’t finish cooking the turkey until about 10ish on Friday night and Baby Benny was so cute because he was falling asleep while sitting up. The turkey can not be cooked without him supervising and he was trying so hard to stay awake until we were completely finished.
Saturday morning we went for a long walk with the pugs before it got too hot. It was a beautiful day and a great walk. When we got back home we went out for a little fun and some shopping giving the pugs a chance to catch a nap. Later that night we caught up on all the TV shows we recorded and the pugs when to work on their knucklebones.
Sunday started much like Saturday in that we took the pugs for a long walk right after Luna finished reading the paper. Then we went to the gym and hopped in the pool for a bit when we got home to cool off. Much to Benjamin & Luna’s liking we didn’t stay in the pool long. The rest of Sunday was just a lazy afternoon. The pugs were happy relaxing in the sun and of course Benjamin was begging to have a chance to chew his knucklebone bone on Sunday night. He is completely obsessed with those bones!
Benjamin, Henry & Luna didn’t get to do anything fun this weekend because we got rain, rain and more rain. We got up early on Saturday morning to cut the grass and do some yard work. After we finished up the pugs played a bit in the yard, but then it started to rain and it rained for the rest of the weekend.
So, they caught up on their beauty rest and lounged about the house. They didn’t really mind that it was raining except when it was time to go potty. Then Benjamin and Luna were miserable. I tried to do my best and take them out when it was only sprinkling as opposed to when it was pouring down rain, but they didn’t get so lucky on Sunday night. There just was no break in the rain. I have never seen Benjamin & Luna poop so quick before.
Even though the weather sucked, I enjoyed the weekend. We really needed the rain and sometimes it is nice to have an excuse to spend the weekend lounging around the house.
I know it has been a long, rough winter for many of you, but hopefully signs of better weather are starting to show up here and there. My question for all you pug lovers out there is what are you most looking forward to doing with your pug this Spring?
Here are some of the things I am looking forward to doing with Benjamin, Henry & Luna:
Swimming: The pool water should be warm enough for swimming soon. Weekend afternoons splashing around in the pool are my favorite.
The Beach: It is warm enough to go to the beach now, but the ocean water is still too chilly for me. I love going to the beach with the pugs and floating with Henry, up and down over the waves, on the boogie board.
Long walks: Spring is good weather for the pugs because it is not too hot. As soon as summer comes along we have to cut our walks way short because it is just too hot for the puggies.
Playing in the yard: In good weather, after work, I like to grab an insane amount of toys and plop them in the backyard. Benny, Henry & Luna run around, chasing each other and picking up toys that are in their path. Plus, since none of the pugs are any good at fetch, it gives me lots of toys to throw to have them chase without me having to constantly fetch the toy myself.
The pine trees behind our house is home to many squirrels. The squirrels don’t really bother me and they provide great entertainment for the cat, but I think Benjamin, Henry & Luna enjoy the squirrels the most.
One of our neighbors keeps the squirrels well fed by providing shelled peanuts for them. The squirrels of course love this and they take a peanut up the tree and diligently chew on the shell until they can get the peanut out. After they eat the peanut, they drop the peanut shell from high up in the tree and it sails to the ground. Well, it seems that a lot of the peanut shells make their way into our backyard. Which to Benjamin, Henry & Luna is like treats falling from the sky.
They eagerly round up all the shells and they love to chew on them. I, however, don’t want them to have the peanut shells. So, I am constantly scanning the yard to make sure the squirrels haven’t left any presents for the pugs in the yard. Which is no easy task. Luckily, the squirrels seem to get fed in the early morning hours or in the evenings so those are the times that I really have to look out for.
I tell ya, I have some lucky pugs. Even the squirrels give them treats!
In yesterday’s First Day of Spring post, Christina left an interesting suggestion in the comments. She thought that Henry might enjoy his time poolside more if he had the mat from his bench. So, I gave it a try. In the afternoon, I put the mat down next to the pool and went back to work to see what the pugs might do. About 15 minutes later I saw this:
Little Luna, made herself comfortable on the mat.
It must have been Henry’s day off from life guard duty because he didn’t come around the pool yesterday afternoon. He was on bark out the front door duty all afternoon.
