On May 8, Celine and her seven littermates will be three years old! We started the party early, on Friday May 6. Andy and I took Celine (with special guest Skadi) to Leash on Life in Iowa City, where the girls picked out a bunch of toys and treats. On Saturday May 7, Celine, Prins and Dove took a short drive with us for a long walk at the Muscatine Arboretum. The magnolias are in full bloom, along with a few crabapples and flowering shrubs. Our second stop was to nearby Contrary Brewing, where Andy and I each enjoyed a cold beverage while the dogs enjoyed petting from many patrons in the outdoor seating area. The day was still young, so we drove north fifteen minutes to Fairport Marina, where we will have our pontoon boat this summer. The Mississippi River is still a bit too high for all the docks to go in at the marina, but the restaurant opened for the season yesterday. I snagged an outdoor picnic table while Andy went inside to order food and drinks. He came out with a pitcher of the house special blended boysenberry margaritas. Celine enjoyed sunning herself on the wooden picnic table while we waited for our food order to be called. We had a great meal, and the dogs did get to enjoy a few fries. Tim, owner of the fine establishment, came out to say, "Hello to the babies." Celine was the first to greet him. Tim's birthday is today and he told us to grab some cake. We were a bit too full, and the margaritas were a perfect dessert drink, but we had fun chatting. Tim asked if Celine was the dog that was sitting on the table. I said, "Yup, that was her! She kind of does her own thing but she knows she's not allowed on the table when there is food." We all laughed and Tim said he was glad to have us back at the marina. We took our pontoon boat to the Coralville Reservoir three years ago, since the Mississippi River kept flooding and we lost the better part of two boating seasons to waiting for the floodwaters to recede. We both love the atmosphere at Fairport Marina. It's a much smaller marina, in terms of boat slips, more relaxed atmosphere, and even if the water isn't suitable for boating, dogs are always welcome in the outdoor area!
We got home around 5 pm and planned to have a bonfire, but I was so exhausted that I told Andy I needed a nap. Four Vallhunds accompanied me to the guest room and we had a nice nap for close to two hours. When I got up, Andy was still on the deck, reading a book in the shade. He had just turned on the grill to preheat. I fed the dogs and uploaded the pictures we took today. The dogs enjoyed dinner and fell asleep in an arc around me when I sat the desktop to write this blog. I think we're all going to spend tomorrow recovering from today!
Comentarios