Mad-cap moments!!

Carol’s mad-cap moments happen when I’m NOT around! I think she plans them that way!

It serves her right!  No Chocolat on the beach yesterday to retrieve Sam’s rugby ball so Carol had to brave the cold waves and fetch it for him herself. It would have been bye bye to a Chiefs rugby ball otherwise! The ball wouldn’t have been a loss as far as I’m concerned but the photo opportunity was!

I can just picture Sam standing there, in the waves, watching Carol take off her socks and trainers in readiness for getting MORE than just a little wet. His tail would have been wagging .... no Chocolat but it’s OK ... Mom’s fetching it for me!

Then again, if Chocolat and I HAD been on the beach that late in the morning there wouldn’t have been a need for Carol to do the retrieving thingy .... my hound would have taken care of it for her.

Sam is SUCH a character. He sits in the boot of the car quite happily when he’s on his own but when my hound's with him, he HAS to show off. We created the normal mayhem outside the coffee shop before heading to Waiatarua this morning. Thank goodness the big milk delivery truck was parked next to the coffee shop .... Lance and the girls in the coffee shop didn’t get their usual opportunity to laugh at our expense!

It’s hard NOT to laugh when this rather large hound squeezes between the head rests to land solidly on the back seat of the car, pleased as punch with himself. He thinks it’s a game. We open the back door and he jumps down quite ready to go back in the boot and perform the same routine all over again! Carol’s firm “No” and growling at him conjure up the most quizzical expression in his gorgeous brown eyes .... it’s so hard to keep a straight face!

My hound sits there ..... a look of quiet resignation on her face. Are we EVER going to get to Waiatarua?

We DID eventually get there.

Yes, there’s still LOTS of mud at Waiatarua .... some of it quite smelly .... but it was achingly beautiful there today and the hounds had a BALL! Quite literally in fact, as they found some other hound’s discarded cricket or hockey ball and, between the two of them, carted it all over the reserve for the two hours we were there.

There was a REAL ‘party’ of Labradors as we exited the reserve. Several puppy-walkers with puppies from the P, M and L litters have an informal gathering of their puppies there most Tuesdays and today 9 of them were there. They ranged in age from 5½ months to 9 months and were all black! They were all over the place!

It’s been the most magnificent morning .... from the quite spectacular pink and red sunrise creeping across Rangitoto as I hit the beach at 6.45,  to the picture-perfect reflections at Waiatarua .... I can’t think of a better way to spend a morning.

Just a small thought as I catch up on the happenings at Mt.Tongariro.... thank goodness my favourite piece of real estate is dormant!