We are in the middle of a brief indian summer here (70 degrees out there, practically BALMY) so I decided to take the little guy out a hike and swim.

Because I know that as soon as he sees the water, that's all he's thinking about, I went the round about way to the lake. This means about a mile walk down a paved path until I see an apple orchard. That's our clue to go off path and begin our cut through the woods. After which point we follow deer paths and climb and crawl over uncertain terrain until I see the BIG BLUE THING peeping through the trees. After which point I hope there are no dogs or mean people between me and the lake, because Jacks has a one track mind as soon as he starts smelling the water in the air.

So enjoy our day with us...







This was right around the point I heard something else in the woods with us, and I told Jacks "OK time to get a move on!!!!" *frantically* Like a very smart hiker, I had no cell phone nor did I tell anyone where we were going!!!!



Jacks knew the way, of course...



And you can tell by the grin on his face that he knew there was WATER waiting somewhere ahead of us.


He could SMELL it.




And maybe he heard the waves crashing as well... Who knows what goes on in their little heads.



He only looked a little pensive when I had him sit a few times for poses...



Er, but this was around the time when he - long before I did - realized that something was STILL out in the woods with us. And following us. o_O



^ That was a raised paw, by the way. Full alert. WATCHING.



Watching for what felt like HOURS.



While I crouched in the grass and snapped snapped snapped away.... I thought "Birds? Yes, keep watching! Snap!"



And then he sat down and continued to fixate on whatever had his attention....



^ And that was about the point where he LOST CONTROL and took off running to track whatever he had been watching.



^ This was him practically saying - "GOTTA RUN!!!!!"








^ Yes, he was out there. And this picture was about the point when I realized WHAT he was tracking. o_O



And screamed for him to COME!!! Which he did.



Albeit looking behind much and watching with interest the two things he had been running out and trying to meet.

*** No pictures here, because by the time the above picture was taken, Jacks was still circling and looking like he was heading back to visit. I tucked the camera under my arm and went jogging to gather my dog and start trotting further through the woods. Away.

Those two things?

That would be a briard and a german shepherd.

The owners apparently saw me and Jacks going off path and thought it was cool to join us. >.< So not cool. Briards are gorgeous, but I don't want any loose around my dog. GSD's as big as THAT ONE as well.

So we tracked deeper into the woods and thankfully lost touch with those other people/dogs.

Until we found and saw the BIG BLUE THING.

And Jacks vanished ahead of me.

As I came up over the last shrubby hill, this is what I saw a good length down the hill across the sand and in the drink...





This was him waiting VERY PATIENTLY for me to join him.



HAPPY!!! Coming -



Happy!!!! Going -







^ And there he was happily swimming off into the sunshine. Because he can. When he wasn't bounding out of the water and nipping and herding me towards the water, and barking. I believe in his mind I was supposed to be in the water with him. And constantly throwing things for him to fetch.



Another spoiled dog day....

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Always loved, never forgotten, all our previous boys -

Thanks. Great narrative and photos.

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Dave

Jacks, you are a hero for leading your human to the safety of the blue. Love the photos and suspense!

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Jill and Maggie Rose

Love it! It must be horrible to be your dog....

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LOVE it! Your story, your pictures. And what a happy, HAPPY, dog!

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Wendy

Now the proud Mom of Renny, gotcha-day 10/19/2012.



My beautiful Lacey, always loved, never forgotten.
- Gotcha Day April 28, 2008 at @3 years old
- Crossed over the Rainbow Bridge, at the age of @8 years old, on Sunday, August 5, 2012

I should have taken a picture of our bathtub after I got him in there and gave him a good scrubbing for about a half hour after we got home...

I actually had time to shampoo and condition him so he got a couple rinses.

The water filling the tub turned BLACK. And when I drained it all, there was a pleasant mixture of shedded fur clumps, sand, and lots of black dirt. In fact, the surface of the tubs was a rather gothic black color from all the DIRT.

And there I was pondering the fact that the paths we trod on were pretty well covered (lots of grass and leaves). And then the lake was all sand.

And then we pulled straight into the garage and I jogged him up directly to the bathtub.

So I'm theorizing that it was a good thing I gave him a bath yesterday, because he must have been collecting all that black dirt from OUR yard for the 2 weeks since his last bath. Probably since we got all that Sandy related rain a couple weeks ago. o_O

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Always loved, never forgotten, all our previous boys -

I wish I could have joined you two, what a wonderful trip. And that is the picture of a happy dog in the water.

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It would have been a very perfect day if I had friends like you joining us with your dogs<:

Just no briards or humongous gsd's.

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Always loved, never forgotten, all our previous boys -

What a wonderful story punctuated with fabulous pictures! And Jacks is such a handsome boy!