We dogs can always tell when the season’s up. Driving down the island, no matter how far I hang out the window, there’s isn’t as much to look at. My human says a lot of my buddies have headed north.
Take my pal Maddie. She’s been off on a little vacation with her humans, Amy Patterson and Don Reeser, to Larchmont, New York where Don is racing on a sailboat. Since I last told you about her, Maddie’s had a major development, straight out of Oprah. Now you probably remember that Maddie is a country girl – she was born in Okeechobee at a place called Thackerville Retrievers. Well, thanks to her humans seeing my story about her, she found out she has a little brother! Not only is he in Vero, he’s just a couple of blocks away from her! Turns out, Woody is a black lab from a litter born to a different mom but the same dad (dogs have blended families too, you know.)
Woody lives with Jim and Katy Connor and now they and Maddie’s humans are meeting at the beach all the time for “doggie dates.” (Puh-lease. Like we can’t arrange our own social lives. Try leaving the back door open sometime.)
Woody’s not much of a “little” brother anymore. Even though he’s five months younger, 14 months compared to her 19 months, he already weighs 75 pounds. Maddie’s tiny – just 55 pounds. But Woody told me she can outswim, outrun, out-Frisbee him any day.
Well, now, his humans, the O’Connors, figured out a way for Woody to boost his self-esteem. They think Woody ought to trade catching Frisbees for going out and picking up a nice duck for dinner – their dinner. They’ve already gotten him in a bunch of hunt test competitions in South Carolina and Georgia.
He’s already got his Junior Achievement title and one leg of his Senior title.
Since Maddie wasn’t around, I decided to go visit her newfound brother Woody and head down to the beach. There weren’t any ducks, but there was a pelican or two. Woody paddled out to see them but his human said not to bother, something about how they weren’t pleasant.
Next month, Woody’s heading out to Montana to a place called Big Sky. I don’t know how he gets up there – even Maddie can’t fly yet. They’re going to stay there until fall when the geese and ducks are fine.
I hope Woody enjoys himself. And I’m happy he can beat his big sister at something. That’s important. But I’m glad my humans get their dinner at the grocery store.
Till next time,
The Bonz
