Over the River and Through The Woods

To Grandmother's House We Go!! Yep, we're down in lovely Florence at my Mom's this weekend. Been to the beach *twice*. Even flew a kite! Jinx has such fun down here. Of course we can't keep her out of the water - but what's more entertaining is her need to be the unofficial North Jetty Beach Welcome Hound and greet each and every single person, kidlet or canine in person. She's very polite about it - not at all cheesy or cloying. A simple tear by at full speed within a foot or two will suffice. She's intrigued by the kidlets but thanks to her experience with my friend E's daughter keeps her distance - she knows some of the small two-legged's can be a mite intimidated by 50 lbs of midnight black hounddog charging them at Mach 1. If anyone seems friendly or inviting she stops and allows them to worship her beauty, but is respectful of the sand castles and miscellaneous beach toys of others (though she was sorely tempted by an unattended soccer ball). She reserves the ass-sniffing for her fellow four leggeds, of which she typically finds at least a half a dozen willing playmates. Yesterday there were two corgie mixes, a border collie, a greyhound and some kind of shepherd retriever mix. I think the rolling in dead stuff compulsion must be passed on the short-legged gene, beccause Jinx, thank Maude seems unaffected. Not so the corgies. Our darling girl inherited the swimming compulsion instead. She's very obedient, and came right back after the greyhound smoked her ass during the 1/4 mile packed sand sprint event. But NOBODY beats her in the swimming events, man - it was all we could do to keep her out of the surf, then out of the river (the beach in question is right at the Siuslaw River bar).