First off - wow! Thanks for all the great reading suggestions yesterday. I used the Random Integer Generator to pick the winner. Congratulations to Dana Austin for Things My Girlfriend and I Have Argued About by Mil Millington! You won the $30 Amazon gift certificate. I will have it emailed to you as soon as you confirm for me the email address you wish it to be sent to.
Today I was going to tell you the story of how I (might have) really embarrassed myself while in Santa Barbara last weekend, but an illness has come up in our house and distracted me. I've been busy playing nurse and sneaking medication into food and things like that.
It seems there's always something going on at our house. Right now one of our family members has been sidelined with swimmer's ear and it's creating all sorts of problems.
He's been spending too much time in our pool and even though I warned him, he keeps insisting on diving in.
Every dive immerses him underwater and the result is a bad case of swimmer's ear. Our Golden Retriever, however, thinks he can fly and loves to practice.
For a four legged creature, he does pretty well in the flying department.
Well, until he lands and his flight becomes a dive.
While we were in Santa Barbara last weekend we boarded the dogs with our vet. The vet said there's been far too much of this going on lately:
It would be okay if he'd keep his head above water, but he loves to dive into the pool. Since we can't stop him from diving, the vet says we need to ground him from the pool until he recovers from swimmer's ear.
He took the news hard.
He feels like we're punishing him and can't understand what he's done wrong.
Your kidding yourself if you don't believe animals can pout.
It's been so beautiful lately, it's been really hard to keep him out of the water.
I came back from errands yesterday and he'd managed to sneak in a quick swim while I was gone. I caught him red-handed coming out of the pool.
I made him get out of the water and come in the house for the afternoon.
He didn't stop smiling for the rest of the day.
© Twenty Four At Heart
My writing is copyright protected and I will kick your ass if you steal content. I try to protect the identities of those I mention here by changing whatever identifying details I feel I need to change. If that makes this a fictional blog then so be it. Disclaimer: I'm in no way responsible for what I write because I'm in no way responsible.
He is a beautiful dog - Beloved says if we get another dog, he wants a golden retriever.
I didn't know dogs could get swimmer's ear. How could you tell?
Posted by: Jan | July 09, 2009 at 03:38 AM
Awwww, what a sweetheart! Lucky for him that you noticed he was having an issue with his ear(s) before it got worse! I used to work for a vet and we saw lots of dogs (especially dogs with ears that hang down) with ear infections of varying degrees. Sometimes the poor dogs would have actually damaged the ear flap itself from shaking their heads too hard, very painful.
He's a gorgeous dog!
Posted by: Jennifer | July 09, 2009 at 04:12 AM
Gorgeous dog with a great grin! When I see pictures like that I want to be a dog and then jump in a pool.
Posted by: stoneskin | July 09, 2009 at 04:26 AM
Wow...what a beautiful baby you have there!!!! We have a black lab that pouts too, so I know exactly what you are saying...it's true!
Posted by: CINDY | July 09, 2009 at 06:25 AM
AWWWWWWWWWWW!
Omg he's a good looking dog.
Posted by: Kristan | July 09, 2009 at 06:36 AM
chuckling....:D
Just like a sneaky kidlet LOL
Posted by: tonya cinnamon | July 09, 2009 at 07:22 AM
He's ADORABLE! OMG I want him. Those swimming pictures are awesome. What a lucky dog to have a pool like that.
Posted by: Kelly | July 09, 2009 at 07:36 AM
Cutie. My father's golden lab lives to jump into the pool. He is limited to days before the pool guy comes, however, since he sheds like crazy which leads to golden lab hair all over the swimming people.
Posted by: LPC | July 09, 2009 at 08:09 AM
Wish I could fly like that!!
Hallie :)
Posted by: Hallie | July 09, 2009 at 08:09 AM
LPC - yes, daily brushing every morning is key if you have a water dog. Otherwise the pool would have dog hair in it ... and EW!
Posted by: Twenty Four At Heart | July 09, 2009 at 08:26 AM
Man, that's a cool dog. Golden's are the best.
Posted by: Mike | July 09, 2009 at 08:48 AM
Dude, he's awesome. Oh dogs do pout, mine does it often.
Too bad they don't make doggie ear plugs.
Posted by: Issa | July 09, 2009 at 08:55 AM
Thanks Suzanne- you did make me smile.
Posted by: Linda T | July 09, 2009 at 09:02 AM
Love your dog, love your pool, love your BLOG. I just stumbled on to your blog quite by accident and I like what I read. Anyway the reason for this comment is to recommend a good book. If you haven't read the The Help, by Katheryn Sockett, I suggest you download it on your Kindle PRONTO.One of my favorite books of all time, really, and like I said, I'm an avid reader. The book is funny, sad, insightful-- it made me laugh out loud and cry. The first paragraph grabbed me in and I couldn't put the book down until I read the last page.
Posted by: Donna | July 09, 2009 at 09:36 AM
Love it! He's adorable.
Posted by: Sandra | July 09, 2009 at 09:51 AM
He is BEAUTIFUL. Border collie over here want him to come to the beach and play.
I'm in love with your pool. I want to be adopted. I'll dog sit....
Posted by: Pseudo | July 09, 2009 at 09:58 AM
PS I missed the partay yesterday, but if you have not read Time Travler's Wife, I loved that one. My other fav last year was Water for Elephants.
I'd have read more books this summer, but blog reading is taking center stage these days.
Posted by: Pseudo | July 09, 2009 at 10:01 AM
Absolutely adorable!
Posted by: The Queen of Chaos | July 09, 2009 at 10:35 AM
So cute!
Posted by: Elaina | July 09, 2009 at 11:07 AM
What a cute puppy! Glad he's happier now... :-)
Posted by: Alan | July 09, 2009 at 12:29 PM
He is such a love!! And your pool is gorgeous! Can I come live with you?
Posted by: Suzy Voices | July 09, 2009 at 01:18 PM
Cute puppers! He would get along very well with my female chocolate Lab!
Posted by: Kristen | July 09, 2009 at 01:20 PM
Cute pup. He's got a great smile. Maybe you should invent doggie ear plugs... or at least get him a bathing cap. Gertrude Ederle has nothing on him...
Posted by: sometimessophia | July 09, 2009 at 01:21 PM
LMFAO- i love him!!! so cute!
Posted by: jennster | July 09, 2009 at 02:21 PM
Those flying pics are *awesome*. What a gorgeous dog!
Max the Wonder Dog (black lab) had an ear infection and OMG how he hated those ear drops and the rubbing in and all of that crap. He went from being the most lovey-dovey 60 lb lap dog to a skittish worry wart. SOOOOO glad that's behind us!
Posted by: Michele P | July 09, 2009 at 03:52 PM
Hi sweetie - I love your Goldie - reminds me of my own precious EmmaLou, the Golden Destroyer. I've left a nice surprise for you over at my blog - come visit and pick it up! Hugs!
Posted by: Croneandbearit | July 09, 2009 at 07:51 PM
Those pictures are so adorable and awesome.
Posted by: zandor | July 10, 2009 at 11:32 AM
I love that post...the dog, the water, the scenery...all of it. Get better, puppy
Posted by: angi | July 10, 2009 at 01:01 PM
OMG he's adorable!
Posted by: Kari-Mel | July 13, 2009 at 07:29 PM