While this isn't a great picture, I love it because you can see how happy and involved Wazzu is with the morning activity.
Slugger is intent on this tiny ball we found. The outside was all stripped off - I'm not sure at all what kind of ball it used to be.
Here you can see Sparkie carrying it. I'd say it was about half the size of a tennis ball.
Boogie just loved running all around. It was big trouble when he'd get the ball as he doesn't ever want to give it back.
They really enjoyed just running around the field together. It's hard to see Boogie, but he's there, right behind Slugger.
But by far the most popular game was Boogie and Wazzu wrestling.
Look at those pearly white teeth on the little guy.
Wazzu is so good with him. He's always the one that starts it and she is so nice to comply and play with him.
Of course you always have to take time to eat a pine cone!
Imagine our surprise when we got out to the field Thursday morning to find all these huge trucks and many guys out there starting to set up these huge tents. They said they’re setting up for a big motorbike week. You should have seen the golf carts they had. They looked exactly like golf carts except that they had outfitted them with these huge off-road tires and shock absorbers. I was wanting to buy one like this for my friend Shari – how cool would that be!
In the evenings, just before dark, we’d head back out to the field for another big run. But this was always a popular time of day and there would be a number of dogs out there chasing balls and romping around. The field is HUGE – probably at least 500 yards long and 200 yards wide. So there is plenty of room for a number of dogs to be playing and not come anywhere near the other dogs…
…Unless Boogie is out there. He is the most sociable dog I’ve ever seen. He wants to play with any and every dog he sees. And he can see really well for sure! He takes off like a shot and runs the length of the field to go play with the other dogs. So far he hasn’t met a dog he doesn’t like nor has he met a dog that doesn’t like him. All the dogs out there are big dogs – as big or bigger than our big dogs. Yet they all play much nicer with Boogie much nicer than our dogs do.
People on the other hand do nothing for Boogie. He doesn’t even acknowledge they exist. Everyone thinks he’s so cute and they reach down to pet him and off he goes. The surest way to get Boogie to go the other way is to reach down to pet him. I’ll bet not one of the last 100 people he’s met have gotten to touch him at all. I’m guessing therapy work is not going to be in his future!
Wednesday, to break up the hot day we took the dogs to our favorite juice bar called, In The Raw. If you’ve followed our blog for long you’ve heard of it before as we come here whenever we’re in town. It’s a human and doggy bar/café. They only have outdoor seating and of course we always choose to sit by the doggy fire hydrant fountain.
We ordered each of the dogs their own shake which is served in a stainless steel doggy bowl with paw prints all over. Boogie of course gets the little size bowl – which he thinks is not necessary at all. Everyone except Wazzu likes banana so they each get the Banana/Peanut Butter shake while Wazzu gets the Peanut Butter/Carob shake.
Someone had left part of their muffin on a table and the birds thought this was a clear invitation.
This little shop makes really good sandwiches and the most awesome smoothies we’ve found anywhere. With house prices going down so much we thought maybe we could afford to live around here. But by the time you added in shakes and smoothies every day for each of us, we’d be right back out of our price range.
After we finish our drinks, we always take a walk around the lake. Slugger loves to bark at all the various geese, ducks, and birds that line the shore. They’re really brave and are always hoping for handouts so it’s rare they move away at all. But I found it impossible to take pictures of them while trying to walk two dogs on leash – that both wanted to go in opposite directions!
There really is nothing special at all about this picture except for the fact it's the only picture I got of any ducks that wasn't blurry.
Here you can see some of the beautiful scenery that we get to enjoy as we walk along the lake. (Interestingly enough, 24 years ago we came extremely close to buying one of the townhouses that you see in the far left of the picture.)
There is a really nice trail that goes quite a ways - Boogie was always running to the nearest shade.
I was hoping to get a really fun picture of Boogie in a tree but the camera seemed to think the background was too bright so the picture didn't come out as I had envisioned at all.
The close up is a bit better...although you really can't tell he is up in a tree.
Thursday afternoon we decided to take a little human-only outing. We went over to the Scottsdale Fashion Center which has grown huge since the time we used to live here. It was always an upscale mall but now is even much more so. I’m pretty sure we were considered “riff-raff” there. But what a fun place to go if you had tons of money! Our big purchase was a really fancy cherry pitter from Williams Sonoma. Now we’re going to have to make sure to go somewhere that has nice fresh cherries. Last year it was Montana – but I think this year it may have to be Yakima.
Then we went out to eat. We just stumbled across a restaurant called Kona Grill and decided to give it a try. We were in there about 15 minutes before we finally realized it was a Hawaiian restaurant. Duh!
We would go back there in a second. Too bad we’re leaving town tomorrow! We really splurged and we each had a drink. This is a big deal for us as we probably each have one maybe two drinks a year. Mike had his first ever martini. It must have been good as he drank it down like it was kool-aid. (Yuck if you ask me.) He offered me a taste but I think I’d rather have a bite of liver. (Another big yuck.) I had my standard (the only alcohol I’ll ever drink) – a Midori Sour. (Good thing a guy tried to pick me up in a bar on a cruise ship many years ago or I wouldn't have any alcoholic drink that I like. That's a whole other story!) I like it though because it doesn’t taste like alcohol. It was so good. My only disappointment was that the glass was small and they filled it almost full of ice so there was very little room for any actual drink. But what they did put in there was very good. They really made a lot of money on our drinks…small drinks, big price.
Neither Mike nor I hold our alcohol very well so we were both feeling very tipsy by the time our food came – which came very promptly by the way. We probably had the best server we’ve ever had at any restaurant…ever. Mike wasn’t happy that I told the waiter that when he brought our check. He said the guy probably now expected a super big tip. But I told Mike that was part of the guys tip. Sure it’s nice to get money but it’s also nice to get a sincere compliment, don’t you think? I think I’d even eat out more often if I could take this guy along to be my server!
The food was super good! They had a huge sushi bar so I just couldn’t resist ordering some sushi. I wish I’d had ordered more as it was the best I’ve had since I lived in Japan. I’d never heard of Maui Onion Soup so I tried that as well and it was delicious. Mike’s plate (meaning all the food on the plate) was the most colorful I think I’ve ever seen. The presentation was gorgeous. And the food all went together so well. Other than the drink prices, the prices there were very reasonable.
I don’t know if it’s a chain or not. But if you ever come across a Kona Grill, give it a try, I think you’ll be in for a real treat. After lunch we were ready to go home but figured we'd better walk around a while to let the alcohol wear off before Mike tried to drive home!
On the way home we made a quick stop at Costco. Okay, so maybe I am easily amused – but this Costco was different than the others I’ve been in. You know if you want milk, you open the door, reach into a refrigerated unit and pull out your milk. Well this Costco has a huge walk in refrigerator room. What’s up with that. It’s 90 degrees out so we’re all dressed in shorts and t-shirts and now you have to walk in this huge cooler to get your milk and eggs. Not me! Mike had to do that – it was way too cold in there for me!
I like the temperature outside much better!
Debbie
3/25-27/08
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