Albino Squirrel

Hello friends. I have not posted in over a week as my job changed (still at the Vikings) moved to a new office and took on some new duties. I work for an entirely new person (who's great) but have to learn a new job although I will still do a lot of what I was doing before. Needless to say, that has kept me from posting for a couple of weeks.

Over the last couple of years on Minnewashta Parkway which is a 2- lane road that leads around our lake, we have off and on spotted a white/albino squirrel!. When Todd first told me about it, I thought he was nuts (ha), but then I actually saw him too a few months later. We know he lived over the winter as we saw him last year too (or so we thought as we also thought there was only one of them). Then one morning last week, there he was! He came to visit us in our yard at our bird feeder. I tried to take the best snaps I could without running him off. You have to look at him close up, but he has red eyes too and is completely white. He's so cool lookin and have never seen such a squirrel before! Enjoy the photos as you may never see one live, ever!

Toys

Sailor has a toy box and I literally have to put his toys and bones away every night, like a kid. This is what he does - he piles them all around him while he's laying on one of his beds. It's so sweet!

Sailor Seal

Sailor has been having a great time at Day Care swimming and playing all day. When he gets home at night he's kind of pooped and lays on the deck to relax after his dinner. I thought he looked kind of like a seal in these photos with the lake in the background. He is now 8 1/2 months old and 98 lbs! Todd wants him to break 100 (which I am sure he will in another week).

On the Boat at Sunset

On Friday Night, we took Nic and Charley's pontoon out and the dogs came along. We saw a beautiful sunset and realized Sailor doesn't like the boat (he likes the pontoon better though). While Osa LOVES the boat, it doesn't work for Sailor at all - he's too big and can't sit still so he tries to crowd everyone. I guess it's time to get a pontoon (trying to convince Todd) as the boat is too small for all of us. Nic looks great in these photos. Osa looks funny, like an Ewok and she and Sailor look like they're attached with all their black fur. Look how much bigger then Osa he is getting. 97 lbs and counting!

Size and Age don't matter in Dog Land

Our neighbor, Nic Webber took these photos of Sailor, Osa and her boxer Duke all playing together in the back yard. We had a bonfire that night too and it was all symbiotic. These great photos show harmony in Dog Land. In their world, you can be any size and age to play together and get along! Osa is 14, Duke is 6 and Sailor is 8 months

Osa's Snacks

Osa never gets any peace to eat while Sailor is around, so I wait until he goes to "bed" and then give Osa some treats just for her so he can't steal them. She is looking so old - her eyes are getting rheumy and a bit sunken back, and and she can't hear as well as she used to, plus look at that grey little face . . . She's still doing well for age 14 though!

Out of his Crate

Sailor is now 8 months old (and 96 lbs)! So, we got a little lenient with him and let him sleep on the floor next to the bed rather than in his crate. I got him a dog bed and now, when we put him out at night for the final time, then tell him to come in and "kennel up" he goes directly to his dog bed and grabs one of his toys from his toy box (yes he has a toy box).

He is one smart puppy as I don't have the heart to make him go in his kennel after receiving his puppy eyes.

Fox 9 Feature with Sailor as the Star!

Fox 9 featured The Canine Club and Spa on their 7:00 am show last week. They spent a lot of time in the back yard and the pool area. Todd heard about it from the Canine Club, so we Tivo'd it. Sailor was in it from the beginning. He is the one on the left in the pool. Keep your eye on him as he plays and has a great time with his lab buddies. Labs were bred from
Newfoundlands and when he's wet, you can see these characteristics in Sailor. It's worth watching, so if you can't get on the link here, please type this in your browser:

Canine Club and Spa Pampers Pets While You Vaca
Published : Monday, 18 May 2009, 8:43 AM CDT
CHANHASSEN, Minn - There's a new place to keep your pet when you're out of town, and give them a little pampering as well. M.A. Rosko is live at the Canine Club and Spa in Chanhassen.

http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/dpp/pets/news/Canine_Club_MA_May_18_2009

Friends at Graduation

These are some of Sailor's friends from Puppy school. Pony is a Great Dane and the same age as Sailor - now 8 months. Her owners are Leigh and David and they are pretty cool. Cailee is a yippy black lab puppy whose bark will give you a headache in a second. Not really sure what her owners names are, and then Rose the Retriever (again not sure of her owner's name). Sailor is of course, the best in his class! :)

Intermediate Graduation

Sailor graduated from Intermediate Puppy School recently. He learned things such as loose leash walking, come, etc. The graduation hat is kind of dorky cause you have to hold it on their heads, but the photos came out cute.