settling in

Choo Choo is finally seeming to find his sea legs now, all four of them. The first few trips out on the boat he was visibly unsure about what was happening. Before we adopted him, he lived on a ranch in Texas, so all of this boating stuff is brand new to him.  He would usually cower as close to a human body as possible and look nervously about. If I was at the helm, he'd wedge himself between my legs and hide. Our old dog Schooner used to do that, but since he was 3 times Choo Choo's size it was a little more difficult to manage.

The last trip out though Choo Choo seemed fine. He was laying relaxed on the aft deck, head pointed towards the wind, watching the waves churn by. He actually seemed... content.

Which is a relief.

And it's a relief to see Naia getting more and more independent each time out this season too. I have to remember Zach at this age, fearless and free.  She's no different.

And I have to remember that even though I have extra protective instincts since she is "the baby", she needs to feel that freedom too. She needs to learn how to use every muscle to navigate herself around the boat underway. She needs to find her own balance without my worried hands guiding her. She needs to face plant and knee skid a few times to learn how to predict the motion of the sea. She may not remember this sail, or this summer, but her body and heart are memorizing the feeling of sailing and the ocean and the feeling of freedom.

As for Choo, well... I am just glad he's managed to not to fall in the drink... so far.

These two little stinkers are such a joy to have around. A constant reminder to find magic in the little things, to point your face into the breeze and let the sunshine wash over you. They a comic little team, and I am proud of them both each day.

woof

Two and a half years ago we dog sat for a friend. It was a fun week of playing dog owner, and we fell in love with the pooch. Ever since then, I persistently teased these friends about kidnapping the dog. Every time they would post a photo of him on Facebook or text me something about him, I'd say, "Hey, that's MY dog!"

And then they called me this winter and said, do you want him? I told them that it wasn't nice to tease. But they were serious. For various reasons it was decided that he needed a new family where he could be the only pet, and we jumped at the chance. So about a week ago we officially took ownership of 5 year old rat terrier Choo Choo. We joked that it was a good thing he came with a name, otherwise he may have ended up as Bilbo Longstocking.

He's just about the sweetest, easiest dog... ever. He's already trained, house broken, kid proofed, and all he needed was a lot of love. No problem! Zach is old enough now that he completely takes care of walking and food, and when we're not playing or cuddling him, he just likes to find a sunny corner to nap in. Very cat like. But in a dog sort of way.

He's tiny and agile. Hopefully he'll do ok when we're underway, we'll make a few safety adjustments on board the boat to keep him safe and happy. We're totally giddy and in love with the new little member of our crew.