Ok, I admit it, I'm baaaaaad when it comes to updating this thing like I say I will. I always tell myself that once Gaby goes down for the night that I will come in and sit down and post. But somehow between picking up the million and one toys she's scattered throughout the house, loading the dishwasher, picking up the rest of the house, packing and having our nightly conversations with Zack, there never seems to be the time.
So tonight I was faced with the dilema of showering or posting to the blog. Hmmm, what's a girl to do when she smells like day old teenage sneakers and has enough oil in her hair to supply at least a months worth of crude? Yeah, she blogs because her very own momma told her point blank to put something new up. And if we know what's best for us we listen to momma! *lol*
Hrrrrrmph, I never did get around to that meaningful C-section dialouge now did I? Oh but I will...but we must appease the momma, so the meaningful posts can wait whilst I post some pictures.
Spring Fling...Newfie Style!
Back on the 10th of this month we went down to Westford, MA and had a ball at the "Spring Fling" which is a event put on by the Newfoundland Club of New England. There was everything from home-made doggy bakery goodies, to T-shirts to special training for the dogs. Those who were there with their newfs were able to get the dogs certified in clicker training, behavioral stuff, drafting classes (where they pull stuff) and a myriad other things that newfs do. The lady who hosted the rescue-open house told us it would be another great opportunity to get together with other newf enthusiasts, get to know more about the breed, and have some fun...which we did! There were probably 150 dogs there and we got to see some of the most gorgeous colour variations in the breed including a rare gray newf and the most brilliant brown newfs with blond highlights. Really spectacular.
I'll start with the photos that Zack took of the "puppy pound." There were several folks there who had recently adopted brown newf puppies and they thought it would be funny to put a whole passle of 3-month old balls of fluff in together and Zack got the most darling photos! He really has a good eye!
In no particular order here are the pics Zack took!
Kali:
Michelin:
Look at them just beg Gaby to play with them. She's ok with the puppies but she really prefers the bigger newfs.
Watching Gaby walk back and forth in front of the pen: 
All of them wanting nothing more than for Gaby to come and give them some love! 
Here's Gaby with Michelin and Kali's owner, learning how to give puppy a treat:
I was walking around the Westford Fairgrounds with Gaby who, if I haven't already told you, has a thing for sticks. Any stick, anywhere is fair game....
...no matter how big it is....
And finally, here is Gaby and her buddy 'Pilot' a six month of newf from New Hampshire. They became fast friends when Pilot shared his stick with her! Here she is introducing herself...
And so we wrap up another fun day with the newfs. I won't bore you (Tim!) with anymore furry goodness (well I will try not to, not until we get our very own newf that is, and be warned, I'll probably bombard you ALL with photos) for a while. We have loads of other pics from Spring Fling, but they're probably only adorable to us, as we just love these dogs.
Popham Beach
Yesterday when we went up to register Zack for high school up in Topsham I decided to go for a little drive and scope out area beaches. We got on the 209 and ended up way down in Phippsburg at Popham Beach. I'd heard a lot about it from other shutterbugs who told me it was a great place to take pictures. So we stopped and got out and walked around for a little bit until Gaby tried eating the beach ants. That put an abrupt end to our adventure!
I was able to get a few really good pictures, one of Zack (it's been really challenging to get pictures of him lately -such a teenager!) in particular, which I love...
The pictures of Gaby would have been really good had she let me take off her little bear halter...or if you will, leash, although I HATE using that terminology. (Oh and for those you sitting there aghast that I'd put something like that on my kid...stuff it! Come back and have that attitude when you've had a kid smashed by car, then we'll talk!) It's cute and it does what it's intended for. Plus she loves it and there's a little space in the back part to hold a couple of small toys. So mommy has peace of mind and Gaby has something to play with.
Gaby trying to get a handful of ants and stuff them in her mouth! For some reason she thinks they might be tasty! Thank goodness she had rocks (her second-favourite play thing next to sticks)in both hands otherwise I'd have spent a good deal of time taking ants out of her grubby little mits! 
This woulda been darned near perfect had she let me take the bear off! 
And last but not least here are a few of Daddy and Gaby walking around the neighbourhood.
Daddy showing Gaby how to toss and spin Sycamore leaves...
And to wrap the evening up (seriously, I really do smell, I need to take a shower!!!!), here is one from the other evening and our walk on Kettle Cove beach...
Ok mom....was that enough for the next day or so?
Nighty nite!
