What a GREAT day

Isn't that the truth??  Our best day while we were gone was getting to meet an internet friend of mine.  I've known Tracy for about 7-8 years on my other board -- she had a baby two years ago and doesn't post much, but we email occasionally.  Excellent trainer -- and altho we've talked tons on the phone and emailed a great deal, I'd never 'met' her despite the fact she lives in my folks' town. 
 
We met her at Bob Evans for a bit of breakfast and then she schlepped us 'home' where I got to meet Ivan, Quincy and Flip.  WHAT A BLAST!!!!  We all fall in love with each other's dogs because we get to know them thru what we all post.   So I felt like I knew them before I got there -- in turn, I knew exactly how to approach skittish Flip, crazy (JRT) Quincy and Old Guy & Respected Alpha Ivan. 
 
All three of them had a ball, and David and I almost got our quota of dog-love for the whole week from them in an hour.  The rest of the trip was difficult, but that one hour made the whole trip worth it. 
 
Having fun with your dogs in decent weather -- it just doesn't get much better than that, does it Glenda??  It can be the best stress-buster on the planet!! 
 
I had a fatal encounter with a rat snake earlier this year and I think somehow I got a 'reputation' -- they seem to avoid me like the plague!!  I know there were several living out back but I think they know I weild a mean broom.  I'm a serious animal-lover and honestly snakes are just THE only animal I can not abide.  I apologize to all you Herpe fans out there, and I can love other reptiles, just not snakes.  *sigh*

LOL!!!  Callie, you are a gal after my own heart!  Unfortunately the rep I got was "ha ha....the dumb broad could have sliced me to smithereens with that lawn mower and she RAN AWAY!!  FAST!  Let's scare the bejesus out of her every chance we get!  Wahoooo....it's PARTY time!!"
 
But, snakes aside, I was sitting on the ground with the three dogs getting allllll kinds of doggie kisses.  And the pup...18 weeks old....man, he was soooo cute I just wanted to steal him!
 
And, of course, we go INTO town so that I don't have to deal with snakes and this schoolyard is soooo great.  It's right near the sherrifs department and the police and sherrif are up and down the road all the time.....they wave back at us, so I'm guessing no one cares!  It really was the best day, just having fun with the crew.

Having fun with your dogs in decent weather -- it just doesn't get much better than that

I just said to DH this weekend while we were outside doing yardwork (plenty of sun, temps about 75-80), "Tonka would love today.  Warm sun on his bones, air not too hot, sitting with me in the grass while I gave him a massage."  We enjoyed our neighbors' dog, who was happy to be outside, too, but I was really missing Tonka beside us.
 

I'm a serious animal-lover and honestly snakes are just THE only animal I can not abide.  I can love other reptiles, just not snakes.

Gals, I think we are officially a "club."  I'll go to all kinds of trouble to carry a spider outside rather than kill it, but when we had snakes in our old yard, I encouraged DH to run them over with the lawnmower.  Other reptiles are fine.  The simple fact that they have legs and feet make them absolutely okay with me.  It's the concept of moving without legs and feet I think that marks the line where my creep-out factor starts!

Agreed. What a BEAUTIFUL weekend! Saturday June and I had a herding lesson, and then yesterday we went to visit Nick's breeder. Nick, June, my friend, her 10 dogs and I all walked down to the pond. We spent close to an hour tossing balls into the pond, and romping around through the fields. It was a beautiful day with a great friend. I was happy as a clam. The wind was blowing lightly, and the sun was on my back. June and Nick were good - June had a ball swimming, and Nick had a ball with three of his littermates.