The Big Lake in May

Recently, my daughter and I drove Jack for a walk on one of the sloping, rocky-slab beaches on the south side of the Keweenaw Peninsula. It's a completely different beach experience than Jack's usual jaunts on the opposite side of the peninsula at Eagle River. 

Jack's different reactions to the sloping plates of rock instead of the sandy beach got me thinking about the next Adventures in the U.P. story, which is long over due. I think it's going to be an adventure to the "Big Lake" (a.k.a. Lake Superior) which will give me a great excuse to sneak in a geology lesson disguised as an animal story. It also means Jack will get many more romps on the beach in coming weeks. My idea of a win-win situation.

Jack takes on the "Cone of Shame"

You can see it in his eyes...I don't think I'm his favorite person today.

This seemed like a good idea at the time, but the "Cone of Shame" clearly is not going to be the master of Jack. It took him about 30 seconds after this photo was shot to pull the thing off his head.

And so Jack maintains his Alpha standing, even with a sore back paw. Next up, a sock with a rubber band. Yeah, that outta work.

Everyone should be a dog.

Furniture trash.

Really, who dumps their old furniture along the creek bank? This was the site that greeted us on a recent walk along a nearby trail. Jack and I have not gone back yet to see if some one has removed it, but it will take someone with more than a Saturn Ion to tackle this cleanup project. Any of you pickup truck owners want to take this one?

People can be awfully disappointing, but dogs, never. And this is why Jack says everyone should be a dog.

Things Jack Has Taught Me This Week

Jack following on the scent of
God-knows-what during one
of our recent walks.

1. The world is interesting, even when it stinks. (Jack might say, especially when it stinks but I'm not that broad minded.)

2. If you keep nudging someone they will eventually pay attention to you. (It is best, however, not to nudge them when they are holding a hot cup of coffee right above their own lap.)

3. Being picky pays off. (Never settle for the low fat treat when you know the good stuff is right on top of the fridg.)

4. Persistence pays off, too. (See #3 above.)

I'm still trying to incorporate Jack's life lessons into my daily routines. It's a work in progress, but he's a patient dog.

The Labrador In Him (or Ode to My Socks)

A small sampling of my miss-matched socks, thanks to Jack.

I have a fondness for socks, particularly socks without holes. I even like to wear a matched pair, but that's getting trickier every day.

Jack has a fondness for socks with holes in them. Woe to the sock that is carelessly dropped, or stuffed into a pair of shoes.

I've been told this is a common trait among black labs but it still seems unfair that Jack embodies all the most problematic traits of his three contributing breeds: beagles follow their noses no matter what (check), shepherds like to herd (check), Labradors like to chew (check, check, check, check, check).

After this morning's futile search for two socks of the same pattern and hue I decided to snap the photo above and bid a fond farewell to the conformity of life in pairs.

New Year's Revelation

Abigail, my old cat, warming her ears under my desk lamp.
Photo by Elmore Reese

I'm a cat person. This isn't really a revelation, but the way it impacts my being a dog owner is, at least to me.

Like many people I consider myself an animal lover and have only acknowledged my preference for cats along pragmatic lines: cats can take care of themselves for a weekend, cats are more independent and better suited to a busy adult life style, you can travel and move much more easily with cats, and so on down the familiar list. And oh yes, cats purr which is really cool.

I suppose I always thought it was a kind of laziness on my part, preferring an independence-loving cat over a loyal, loving dog. Now I see that was just a cover. Really what I love about cats is that they just don't give a damn. Abigail in the photo above couldn't stand my husband (who was taking the photo) but she was going to warm her ears under her favorite lamp and stare him down until he left. If she had been a Chihuahua I bet her tail would have been wagging and she would have forgotten her ear-warming mission the moment he opened my office door. Since I hate it when people open my office door while I'm trying to work my response is much more likely to be in sync with Abigail's than a happy Chihuahua. Sometimes the truth hurts.

And then there's Jack. My struggle to be a good dog owner or dog trainer or pack leader or whatever it is I'm supposed to be for him can pretty much be summed up in Abigail's determined stare from that photograph of more than 20 years ago. Who the heck opened the door and let him in while I'm busy warming my ears (metaphorically speaking).

Jack, New Year's Day 2012, completely ignoring me.

And so on New Year's day 2012 in a snow storm in my pj's I have to trudge out into the snow and retrieve my wayward cat-dog. I have only myself to blame.

Spend the New Year With Jack

Should 2012 be the year of the hound? Oh, why not. Images from the first four issues of Adventures in the U.P. have been utilized to created this wall calendar.

Sample image from the calendar.

And just like the magazines, this is print-on-demand. You can order as many copies as you like and they will be printed, shrink-wrapped, and shipped directly wherever you want...even in time for Christmas.