My Monthly Diary for June, 2012

This was a very interesting month.  It started off normal, except that Mommy seemed to be busy shopping and stuff on the weekends which was boring.  Then, in the middle of the month, Mommy packed our bags and we got in the car for a road trip.  I thought we were going to Wisconsin and I settled in for the trip. When we had traveled enough that we should have been a half hour from Grandma and Grandpa's house I sat up and looked out the window, but we weren't where we should  have been!! We were somewhere else and Mommy kept driving and driving.  Finally we stopped at something called a "hotel" in a place called Edina, Minnesota.  Mommy said we were staying at the hotel because Walter's human sister was getting married and Mommy was going to the wedding.  I was not invited, but neither was Walter, and Walter had to stay in the kennel that weekend! Bwahahahaha!

I don't know if any of you have stayed in hotels before, but they are strange places.  You go in and they are like stores but with a really high counter with people behind it that Mommy talks to.  The counter is too high for you to put your paws on to ask for treats.  Mommy was given a plastic card and we walked down the hall to what Mommy said was our room.  The hotel room was like a tiny little house with a bedroom, a bathroom, a dining room a living room and a kitchen all in a space that was about 1/2 the size of our living room at home.  The bed in the tiny house was way too high for me to get up on and I thought that was mean, but Mommy had brought my travel bed and pillow in so I could have a comfy place to sleep.

After Mommy got all our stuff arranged in our room we went out for a walk and we met an old grumpy girl Labrador.  She growled at me and I growled back at her and we went our separate ways.

The grumpy Lab's boy playing with a ball

 There was a very nice park a 1/2 mile from the hotel and we walked around some of it.

Walking to the park

Plants in the park

Back to the hotel

Mommy said we'd do the whole thing and an art walk too the next day before the wedding.  We went back to our room and just before bed Grandma and Grandpa showed up!!  They had a little house in the hotel too.  Mommy didn't know they were staying there when she got our room, but it wouldn't have mattered because she says it was the only safe hotel she could afford that would let a 75 lb dog stay there.  Grandma and Grandpa's little house was two stories above ours and I rode up in the elevator to see it.  Their little house was bigger than Mommy and mine.

The next morning Mommy abandoned me in the little house and went to get some breakfast.  I barked twice, but she came back and said, "Inappropriate!" which I know means I'm in trouble so I sat and pined for her by the door while she was gone.  Then Mommy and I went back to the park for a long walk.  When we started off it was nice and we saw quite a few people and dogs walking.

Taking path into park

Mommy's picture of the park

Mommy's picture of a great egret

People in park

Then it started to get cloudy and then it started to drizzle.

Getting cloudy

Starting to rain so we sat under a arch by a fountain

Just before Mommy and I got to the sculpture garden it started to pour down rain.  We stopped under a bridge to wait out the storm, but it soon became obvious that the storm was not going to let up any time soon.

Waiting under a bridge for the rain to stop.

So Mommy took my Merlin Cam off and put it in her camera bag with her camera and then covered the whole thing with a poop bag and we continued on our walk, but we skipped the sculpture garden and only did the park.  By the end of our walk we were the only ones in the park except for a poor wet, cold chi and his mommy who was carrying him.  By the time we got back to the hotel Mommy and I looked like we'd been swimming.  Grandma and Grandpa were having breakfast in the lobby and they followed us back to our room.  Luckily Mommy had remembered to pack my towel and I got dried off and then Mommy got dried off and changed her clothes.  Grandma and Grandpa wanted to know if I'd been a good boy in the night and Mommy told them I had.  Grandma and Grandpa went to their own room and Mommy and I hung out in ours. Then Mommy and I took a short walk and when we came back Mommy put on fancy clothes, put my Merlin Cam on me and abandoned me to go to the wedding!

Poor abandoned me

Here is how I spent my time while Mommy was gone:

Wait for Mommy for a half hour then sleep for a half hour

Check to see if Mommy maybe came home and went to bed. Nope.
Watch for a half hour, then sleep for a half hour.

Mommy's back!!!

 We took a walk and then Mommy left AGAIN! She said she was going to something called a reception.  So this is how I spent the reception:

Look out the window to see if I can see Mommy's car.  Nope.

Wait.

Wait and doze off.

Wake up and see if Mommy is maybe on the couch.  Nope.

Wait and nod off again.

Check to see if Mommy is in the bathroom. Nope. 
Sleep for 2 1/2 hours.

Wake up see if Mommy is maybe eating something at the table. Nope.

Sleep for an hour.

Mommy's coming back!!

So, as you can see, weddings and receptions are kind of boring.  The next morning Mommy and I got up and went for a walk and then Mommy packed the car and talked to the people at the high counter and we went to Walter's house so Mommy could see people at something called a brunch, but I had to stay in the car, so brunches are even more boring than weddings.  Mommy only stayed at the brunch a 1/2 hour since I was waiting in the car and then we drove home.  So that is a hotel, wedding, reception and brunch for you dogs who haven't experienced them.

Finally this month we went to our town's 4th of July fireworks display.  They always hold it the Saturday before the 4th because it is cheaper, but Mommy and I don't care, we just like the fireworks.  First we stopped at the lake for a swim (my idea). Then we went to the Tastee Freeze for a Pup Cup for me and sundae for Mommy.  Then we went to our feed store spot for the fireworks show.  Just as we were walking into the lot an SUV with out of towners pulled into our special spot by the sign.  Mommy grumbled as we set up our blanket in the second best (but more dangerous because it is closer to the entrance) spot. The old-timers didn't show up again this year so I think they are done coming, which is sad because they pet me and gave me popcorn, but one second generation feedstorer and the RV family did come as well as some other townsfolk.  Some more out of towners came and parked next to Mommy and me. Abut 5 minutes after the show started friends of theirs came tearing into the lot and shone their headlights in Mommy and my eyes I barked and Mommy yelled "DUDE!" at the driver and they turned their car, but kept their lights on.  Then after about five more minutes people changed places and the second car tore out of the lot again and the remaining bunch spent the rest of the time walking around and playing with their phones and not watching the show. Plus the people that took our spot left their car before the show and never came back! We don't like that out of towners have found our spot. Just for fun I wore my Merlin Cam even though it isn't designed to take night shots.  Here are some of the fireworks: