A great day for a picnic, part one

Above photo, early in the morning, only Bella, Stella and I are in the water.   It is called "First Tracks" in skiing when you make fresh tracks in new powder snow.   Can we claim "First Ripples"?   Sunday was such a great day for a picnic.   The sky was a deep blue, the color of fall over the Rocky Mountains.  The sun was hot, setting a record high for the day.   Boy did the water feel good! 

Below, a few early arrivals compete for the few tennis balls available before they finish unpacking and setting up the party.   I am on the far right with the ball.    I proved that "the early dog gets the ball". 

Bella spent the day going from person to person, leaning on them and getting all the attention she could.   Several people thought she was a homeless dog, they offered to take her home, she just wanted attention, she had no intent of leaving her cushy home.   She enjoyed the party, attention is what she craves, attention is what she got, in large quantities.  Bella does not like to swim, but it was so hot that she waded out and laid down in the lake several times to cool off.  

Below, I am waiting out in the lake for someone to hurry up and throw a ball.   

Stella met with a prospective new forever home, they had driven all the way from Crested Butte, Colorado to meet a Golden at the lake, looking to adopt.   Stella was in competition with Willow and Willow won.  You may remember Willow, we picked her up and transported her to GRRR central.   She was the product of a divorce, they were forced to surrender her when they had to move out of their large home, into a small apartment.  When we picked Willow up, we promised we would find a wonderful home for her, we did!   Willow went to a wonderful new home, but the outcome was for the best in the competition between Willow and Stella.   The new home was a house that backed onto a ski run in the high Rockies.   With a  back yard like that to run in, we were worried about Stella's hips and the strain she would place on them, and her heart condition, trying to keep up with her housemate at a very high altitude.   Plus they would have to drive several hundred miles to bring Stella to a specialist when she needs her operations to re-build her hips, then make the trip again for the follow up visits after the operations.   Willow, you have a wonderful new home in a wonderful part of the world, you have a huge dog run, a little steep perhaps, but what a place for a young, energetic Golden to live.   Enjoy your new life Willow, you have hit the rescue jackpot.   Can we come visit?

There was a long line at the tent where they were collecting DNA samples via a cheek swab, to add to a data base on cancer research.  It is so nice to see an effort like that get such good support.  

The guards at the food tent door were more active this year.   In the past I have been able to slip in and snare a snack from time to time, not this time, I was busted several times trying to sneak in.   I had to resort to "dumpster diving" in some of the squatty trash cans.  I was busted twice with my head deep in a trash can.  

Butter brought her new family to the party.   She has lost 10 pounds and is very happy in her new home.   She can play fetch with the best of them, she swims like a Golden 1/2 her age.    We are happy for her and for her new family. 

Nala spent the day wandering.   She had to drag her leash so they could find her and bring her back.   She tends to follow her nose since she can't hear and her eye sight is fading.   With over a hundred dogs running all over, there were a lot of trails for her to follow.   She wandered through the party, stopping to get petted from time to time, then investigating the trees and bushes.   She made many new friends and found a lot of new scents to explore.   Everyone marveled about her transformation as she loses her old winter coat and grows in her new "Pampered Golden" coat. 

Below, Stella and I together.   Stella was taking lessons from me on how to fetch a tennis ball in open water.   Second photo below, Stella and I are racing to the ball.    I won!   But Stella proved to be quite a swimer.   She upheld the honor of our house, fetching many tennis balls and competing very well against other dogs. 

I will post more photos as more of the attendees arrive and the party heats up.    It was a wonderful day and we will need several blogs to share the whole picnic with you.

Mogley G. Retriever