I ran into Riley on my morning walk today - what a surprise! Even he was excited. He usually plays it cool with me, but this morning, he ran toward me and was all playful. We circled each other, did a few play bows, I ran back and forth around him and then we all walked together around the neighbourhood. He peed on things, then I peed on top of his pee after assessing it. We stopped together at my favourite spring grass eating spot, and Lesli fed us both really good spring grass (sometimes it's hard to get to so she helps out). Great way to start my day.

I hear, however, that things may go downhill. I believe the human told Riley's human something about a visit to the vet this morning and anal glands.

This does not please me.

Totally awesome weekend. Got to play with my BFF Cosmos yesterday at Bronte! She brought a new guy with her, Sky. He's big - he's a wolf/malamute cross and is totally cool. I liked him right away. We have a lot in common - we both like to lay down in muddy puddles, swim in everything and we both sometimes go from being happy and playful to suddenly aggressive. One thing we do not have in common - he listens to his human when he's told to stop. I just keep fighting until someone pulls me off. We ran and played and laid in puddles, went down to the creek (where I took a little ride in the current but got out ok). The three of us played like puppies down there. I was so tired out, I didn't even ask for my evening walk. Just slept.

I was a bit sore this morning after all that running and frolicking, so we did an on-leash hike this morning. We went up to Burns Conservation Area for the first time in over a year - plenty of new smells, tons of fresh water to lay in and bite, a lake to swim in. I had a lot of fun. The bath afterward? Not so much fun. Apparently I "earned" it because I shook in the car. Whatever.

I just finished doing the crazy wet dog thing, running all over the house and jumping on beds. Time for a nap.

You know how I've written about ways to torture your human - eating dead stuff, making them pull it out of your mouth after they try shaking your head with your mouth open to make it fall out, etc.?

Well, that was minor league.

I hit the holy grail of grossing the humans out on our walk last night.

That's right.

Even made a tough, retired cop feel like barfing.

Wanna know how to do it?

It's easy - and delicious.

Suck back a big pile of fresh entrails - and let them figure out how to get THOSE out of your mouth.

That's right! A tasty delicacy, combined with the side splitting entertainment of watching your humans squirm in panic and disgust.

I guarantee, you will not be disappointed.

My human ended up stepping on the intestines, breaking them off so I couldn't finish the whole serving.

But what I got....mmmmmmmmm......amazingly tasty. Once in a lifetime treat. Right there, in a park on Lakeshore.

Tell me, what kind of idiot would take me a little way into a building in which about 20 rabbits were living and then be surprised when I showed no intention whatsoever of leaving?

The rest of the hike yesterday was great. Plenty of vole hunting (though no success), swam after a mallard who, I think, was protecting his nest, smelled tons of fresh spring stuff, tried to chase a few squirrels (leash got in the way) and generally had myself a great time. I even managed to snag a bit of cow manure when we wandered over to the Children's Farm.

But that bunny fiasco, man, that was a rotten way to leave it.

The disappointment was indescribable.

Oh, and get this - on Friday, we went for an off leash hike at the other side of Bronte after work. I was beyond happy - I ran and played and expressed every last ounce of happiness in my soul. When we got there, this GIANT dog - and I do mean giant, he is a mix between a Great Dane and a St. Bernard - developed a bit of a crush on me and started trying to hump me.

Rather like me trying to hump a Yorkie, if you want a sense of the size comparison.

With my back, ain't gonna happen. Tried to tell him off but he'd just bounce right back.

In the end, the human and I wandered off and he forgot all about me.

I channeled my inner wild canid this morning during our hike at Bronte and did some vole hunting in the dry meadow grasses. Quite fulfilling. I even did some pointing. Listened...standing very still...for the sound of vole movement in the grasses below me...when I heard them, I lept into the air and came down fast on my front paws. Didn't catch anything, but the hunt was excellent just the same.

Also went for two lovely swims in the mallard pond, longingly stared at a few squirrels, unable to chase them because of my leash, met a nice 12-year old yellow lab and barked in the car while the human built a protective barrier around a killdeer "nest" (I use the term lightly since killdeer are really crappy nest builders, preferring to lay their eggs in gravel or on rocks) set right in the middle of the parking lot.

Overall, I give this day an "A".

What a great day! Drove home from grandma's early this morning, and, after barking at some giant windmills that were threatening our car, I snoozed the whole way, much of that time with my head on my human's lap.

When we got to Burlington, we stopped at Second Cup and then I could sense indecision in the human. Should we go home...should we go to Bronte...she didn't have my muzzle so no off-leash romp...what to do...about 3 minutes from the park, she made a decision and pulled in. It was a beautiful, sunny day - the kind of day a girl doesn't need to be off leash to have a good time.

Oh, did I have a good time.

We walked all over the park on different trails. I swam in a pond, tried to chase a pair of mallards until my leash kicked in. I played in so many spring puddles I lost track. Rolled in fresh grass, hunted moles and listened to frogs singing. There was a huge assortment of new smells and sounds where we walked today, and it was fantastic. I finished the hike off with a final dip in the mallard pond and a final mole hunt near the parking lot.

Got home, checked out the house to ensure all was in order since we had been away. Satisfied, I headed for the backyard and dried off in the sun.

One of those days it's just plain awesome to walk this earth.

I made a discovery during a very rainy, muddy walk at Bronte late this afternoon.

It is impossible to bonk a mole to death with a muzzle.