canoe dog...

This morning dawned full of sunshine, and it seemed the perfect time to get Ty out for his first canoe experience. We'd like to take a weekend canoe trip soon, camp along a lake chain near here. And maybe someday he'll even stand politely on a standup paddleboard with us. But first, a short little excursion to test the waters, quite literally.

We don't own a canoe (someday), but thankfully are easily able to borrow one from the canoe/kayak shop from where AK sometimes guides. Despite a persistent northwest breeze at home, the waters of the river and estuary were calm, the current also tempered by an incoming tide. Ty sat in the canoe on the grass, but once it was in the water he needed an encouraging lift to get in. He stood, but stayed, and we were off. Wooden paddles dipped quietly into the clear water, the river bottom not far below us. I felt the boat shift, and shift again, as our boy struggled to find a spot he felt comfortable with. He touched his nose to the water repeatedly, trying for a drink despite the surely brackish taste, and the bowl of clean water beside him. But he kept calm, and we paddled on.

We followed the river's flow, out into the estuary where eagles watched us from old posts and a pair of geese preened themselves in the shallows along a small island. It was a beautiful day in the valley, there was no denying that. The mountain peaks still have patches of snow, but down here at sea level it feels like summer. Out, out we went, finally turning back as we neared one of the last navigation markers that guide boaters through the river's entrance. The river's current slowed us a bit on the return journey, made us work our paddles just a little harder, but soon enough we were crossing the gentle eddy line back into the marina and to the boat ramp. I clambered out first, and Ty waited until called before jumping out. All in all, a successful first excursion since none of us ended up swimming. :)

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It is a long weekend here in Canada, and so I have one more day to putter about the house. AK headed off this evening to spend a week kayak guiding on the west coast, so Ty and I will be spending some quality time. Too bad I have to work the rest of the week, but he'll be well taken care of all the same.

There are two salmon sharks in progress, but I'm not sure when they'll be ready for the shop. I have also recently acquired some gorgeous brown leather and lush wool, which makes me think a sea lion is next on the docket. My hands are slow, but things come along.

Hope you have had a wonderful weekend - what did you get up to?

my boy...

I'm terribly behind with posting. I still have lots of photos from our trip I'd like to share. There's been a fair bit of exploring around here too. And - whoa - even a little crafting here and there. But in the last couple days somebody new has entered our lives and is snuggling his way to a fair bit of my attention.

Meet Ty.

AK and I have wanted a dog for a long time. For years we have lived in places where that wasn't possible, but last fall when we moved into this house that was part of the appeal - we could finally have a pup of our own. We weren't in a rush though, wanting to find the right fit for us. And last week things came together and that fit is Ty.

He's a rescue dog that had a bit of a rough start in life - if you look closely at the photo you can probably see he's still bearing some physical evidence of his trials. They will all heal in time.  He's now about 1.5 - two years old, and doesn't have as much training as one might hope for that age. But, he's a fast learner, and already a near-star at many tasks. He's generally pretty mellow, and did I mention he's all about the snuggles? We just got back from our morning walk and he's currently tucked up against me, fast asleep. I'm still learning how to balance life with him in it (not to mention a camera in one hand and leash in the other), but we'll figure it out. Tomorrow is the first big trial, with both us humans going to work all day, although I plan to come home at lunch. Once he gets settled though, and figures out this is his forever home, I think we're going to make a real good team. As long as we can agree that wildlife are for watching, not chasing... ;)