In the Christmas Mood

Have you put up your Christmas tree yet?

We did! We were extra excited about Christmas this year and decided to decorate the house right on December 1st! Bailey was so excited that she pranced around the house wearing Christmas attire!

The Last Swim of the Season

With the weather becoming cooler and cooler as the days goes by, Bailey's enthusiasm at the dog beach seemed to increase. It's as if she knew winter was coming and little time was left for her to go frolic at the beach. 

Once we arrived at the park, Bailey couldn't contain her joy any longer. She ran like a wild animal towards the water and dived in without looking back at her humans. With her new trusted tennis ball (she was too generous on her last visit to the beach and ended up loosing her ownership of the toy), they continuously jumped in and out of the frigid water.

Bailey definitely has a cynical side, whenever she steps out of the water her main mission is to soak the person closest to her. Word of caution if you ever see her on the beach and end up as one of her targets, no matter how far you run she will chase after you!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!!

Bailey decided to be Minnie mouse, after hearing stories of the far far away land of Disney World. Hope everyone has a safe and fun Halloween.

Down South

As I was packing a few essentials things into a bag, Bailey knew we were going for a trip. A trip that will last for a couple of days, but she would have never guessed that it would take at least six hours by car to arrive at our destination.

In the first two hours of the car ride, Bailey was pumped with adrenaline. She couldn't stop looking out the window and asking 'are we there yet?' a million times. Eventually the rocking motion of the moving car caused Bailey to fall asleep on top of our bags.

By the time we reached Canon Beach it was late in the afternoon and the weather was beginning to look gloomy. We didn't want to disappoint Bailey after being stuck in a car for such a long time, so we let her roam around on the beach. The beach was so vast that she still managed to find a tennis ball to play with!

The place we were staying at was amazing! We walked in and Bailey was welcomed with her own doggie essentials which included a dog bed and an extra bed cover, beach towels, treats, walking bags and dog bowls! The funny thing was the dog bowls were too small for Bailey to use, she could've easily drank all the water in one with two laps of her tongue!

The next day, we hit up the outlet malls! Unlike stores in Vancouver, most of the places we visited allowed dogs to roam around the aisles. It was quite an experience for Bailey, she was allowed to sniff the shelves and stay cool in the air conditioned store. I on the other hand was getting a bit nervous of Bailey's powerful tail knocking items over when she became too excited and wagged her tail vigorously. But not to worry, all went well!

The last day at Cannon beach was dedicated to Bailey frolicking on the beach to her heart's content. As we woke up bright and early, we were surprised with tide pools scattered all over the beach! It was most amusing to watch Bailey jump from one tide pool to the next. At one point I literally laughed out loud when Bailey lost her balance and dipped underwater as she jumped into a very deep pool. By late morning, I had taken off my sandals and was running through the extremely cold water with Bailey. Since the weather was cloudy and chilly we were quite an entertaining duo for several onlookers!

As we headed back to our room, we crossed paths with horseback riders! Bailey was more curious of the horses than the people riding them, she even tried to introduce herself to them. Just as it appeared the group were uninterested in her, a lagging horse stopped to say hello!

Clean Up

While in the middle of a major clean up in the garage, Bailey decides to give a helping paw. In my opinion I don't think sitting in a box looking all cute is called helping... But thanks for the thought Bailey!

To be continued...

Bailey would like to inform you that due to a very, very busy schedule (it's strictly business as the above picture shows...) a new blog post will be postponed for another couple of more days. Thank you for your patience.

Lounge Chair Etiquette

"Human, if you could help me lower the back all the way down then I will show you the proper way to relax on a lounge chair. Also, can you go make me a chilled yappuccino with extra whipping cream please."

Behind the Scenes

Sometimes it's difficult being a blogger. Even they are prone to what some people call, writer's block. If one experiences the symptoms of a writer block, then it's best to just take a nap.

Happy Canada Day

Happy belated Canada Day! We hope everyone enjoyed the numerous events that were taking place throughout the city! Bailey and I enjoyed the day by attending the annual Steveston Salmon festival. As we walked towards the village early in the morning, we could see that people from all over had already arrived to the village with foldable chairs reserving front row seats for the Canada Day parade. At the heart of the village, we were taken back at how many people were gathered along the car-free streets! There must have been hundreds of people! Thankfully for us, we headed over to our private viewing patio which gave Bailey lots of room to move and stretch her legs if she needed.

Not long after the parade started, rain began to pour! Bailey being a smarty pants, took refuge under the towel covered table to keep dry. Curious enough, Bailey knew it was the table that was shielding her from the rain. So whenever she became curious about a person walking by or wanted a closer look at the dogs taking part in the parade, Bailey would stand up but never step out from under the table!

When the parade came to an end so did the rain, we ended our day with a nice long stroll through the various venues set up at the community centre. Another neat event that was occurring simultaneously with the festival was the Ships to Shore located at the boardwalk! Ships from all over the world have docked in Steveston and have allowed the public to view and board the ships for free! If you want to read more about the ships, click here for more information. We didn't actually go on board the ships as there was a very very long line up! Hopefully the ships will return next year!

Let's Get Dirty

"I know, I know I'm cute and irresistible, but stop taking pictures of me and let me out of the car! I want to go say hi to all my friends on the dog beach!"

"Where did this tree stump come from?? Wait a minute, where did my tennis ball go? Oh my, the tree swallowed it! Please give it back."

 "Look! Look! Look!! Look at me!!! Did you see how I swam and caught my tennis ball??" [This would be when she starts to choke on water because she became too excited about finding her toy in the water -- and yes Bailey I am very proud of you]

"This is called a hair dryer? And it's suppose to help me dry faster? Well, as long as I still receive the spa at home package where I get a full body rub, including an ear and all four paws massage, then I'll allow you to use this silly green machine. And don't try and skimp out on my body massage, I'm keeping a close eye on you!"

Shot Gun

As I'm trying to clean my car, this is what Bailey is up to.

"All I want is to go for a car ride! Oh pretty please! A short one will do!"

On The Other Side Of The Bridge

Bailey and I enjoyed our mini aquabus trip so much that we decided to do it again! This time we veered off from our original route and walked across the Cambie bridge towards downtown Vancouver! As I checked the weather forecast before we headed out, our road ahead looked a bit gloomy... chances of showers in the afternoon. So we took a gamble with the weather and headed out anyways. Plus if it did start to rain, I can always call my trusted sister for an emergency Bailey pick up!

"Come on, let's keep going! Just follow me and you won't get lost!"

Little did we know that when we arrived to the city centre, that we would be greeted by hundreds (or what it seemed like it) of people! Everyone had gathered at the Vancouver Art Gallery for the Jazz festival! This is the only decent picture I could get of Bailey and the stage... every time I was about to snap a picture, my attention would get diverted to a person asking to pet Bailey, ask questions about her or even for permission to take a picture with Bailey!

I wanted to stay a bit longer to listen to the beautiful music, but because it was so loud I didn't want to make Bailey's ears feel overwhelmed. So we headed away from the city centre and roamed around the other parts of downtown that were quieter. Although I am a local, I was surprised to find an off leash dog park/beach right below the Burrard bridge!! Bailey and I will definitely visit that dog park in the future.

Out to Sea

I don't know how many Vancouverite dog owners know this, but did you know that dogs are allowed on the aquabus that runs at False Creek? Best part is, it's free for our furry pals, small or large! The humans pay a small fee (depending on where you go, the maximum for a one way is about $5!), but it's worth the scenery and the experience.

When I was told about the aquabus, I immediately started planning an adventure with Bailey. My plan was very simple, park at Granville Island, walk along the sea wall towards Science World and when we both get tired just hop onto the ferry at any time.

I'm not complaining about the sun as I'm used to week long rainy days, but the weather was taking a toll on Bailey. We hadn't even gotten very far from the market and she was already huffing and puffing. The one downside was access to water for dogs when you're by yourself, I couldn't find a single water fountain until we reached Olympic Village! But thankfully I brought along Bailey's foldable water dish and stored a water bottle in my purse (or should I call it Bailey's purse in which the human carries). 

So we took a break, another break, sat on the grass, posed for pictures, she sat and I stood, sat on a bench and then another break...

Oh yeah, we also checked out Cambie bridge! Bailey has never seen or been on a bridge that size. She seemed to notice the difference between a bridge and the street as she would look down the rail at the people and even at the cars that passed by.

 By the time we reached the Village dock, I was sweating bullets because of the heat! I couldn't imagine how Bailey must feel with her fur coat so we decided to head back. I even timed our mini journey for the purpose of parking, but it turns out it took us 2.5 hours!

"This is so much fun!!!! Let's do it again and again and again!"

Lazy Sundays

"Give me five more minutes please!!"

Paper Monster

"Helping my humans open presents is not an easy job! It takes so much energy to make sure that every piece of wrapping paper is ripped up!"

Soaking up the Sun

It's that time again! With the weather being warmer than ever, Bailey headed to the beach. She's somewhat of a bully when she's there... she goes around and steals other dog's ball! Thankfully, I was prepared and brought a tennis ball with me so she would have her own. It seemed to work because she avoided dogs that would come near. It's as though she thinks they are coming to get her toy!

Every visit to the beach seems to make her more comfortable and confident in the water. For the first time, Bailey went running into the deep end with no hesitation!

"First you take my tennis ball away and tell me to sit down and take a break. Now you're telling me that I have to take a bath after this???"

The Berner Pose

Only a berner would know that this sleeping position is optimal for comfort.

Bailey's Day Off

Although it's suppose to be my special day, it seems only appropriate to spoil Bailey rather than myself. :)

"What?? Got a problem with this?"

Evidently, I took too long in the morning to get ready because I found her sulking on the couch (which she let herself up without consent!).

Finally we were out the door and headed towards the one place she loves the most, Granville Island. We usually walk in the area around the market, but instead walked on the other side of False Creek. On our stroll, we came across numerous individuals who were taking advantage of the warm weather by sunbathing. It seemed as though people were not the only creatures catching some sunshine as we witnessed two seagulls perched atop the rail (in the picture above). They didn't even mind Bailey as she walked closer to investigate what they were. 

To top the day off and to thank Bailey for being somewhat patient with me that morning, we headed to the dog bakery for a snack. Just recently Bailey had her first sip of coffee while we were not watching (what a naughty girl...) and I think she's been in withdrawal since then. So to help wane her off, I treated her to her last yappuccino.

Bath Time

"Do I really have to take a bath? It's just a little mud on my paws, I don't smell that bad!"

Au Naturel

On a recent hike in the valley, Bailey took some time to bathe in a few mud baths. Makes me wonder why people would pay for a mud bath when they can have a natural one for free outside! ;)

The Bread Man

Every now and then we would visit the lovely bread man in Steveston Village. He watched Bailey grow up and has become quite fond of her. With every visit, the two of them greet each other at the door and Bailey is given a few slices of bread as a treat and another two or three slices of the yummy bread to take home! At the moment, his store displays a Storybrooke banner for the filming of the TV show Once Upon A Time.

Force of Habit

We recently purchased a new rug and placed it by our front entrance. The day we rolled the rug out, was the day Bailey called dibs by placing her body right in the centre and rolling around to claim her spot. Now she has a habit of sticking her paws underneath the rug which looks as though she is tucking herself in bed!

Spring Has Finally Arrived

Although it has been spring for a few weeks now, the weather indicated otherwise. So it was such a pleasant surprise when the sun came out for the whole weekend!

From the moment we left the house to the minute we arrived home, Bailey was beaming nonstop with happiness! During our walk on the boardwalk, we noticed that the new wharf that was blocked off due to construction was now open to the public! As we approached, we noticed that a few individuals were seated sporadically on the wharf and as we walked closer we discovered that they were fishing! Bailey seemed very interested in the men, so seizing the opportunity I took Bailey down to the wharf. Once on the platform, Bailey's attention was diverted to the water. At one point I seriously thought she wanted to go for a dip!

Even though the weather by the water is much cooler, the effects of an afternoon sun on a large black dog can't be avoided. So we took refuge on a very wide bench. As we sat down to cool off, Bailey enjoyed eating a rawhide while I used her as a pillow and people watched.

"Oh my, that was too much excitement in one day! I need a nice long nap."

Sunny Side of the Rain

Finally a sunny break from all the rain we've been subjected to! Bailey had a little too much pent up energy from being inside too long because she kept wanting to say hello to every person that passed by us during our walk. When I made her sit down by the water she refused to stay in one spot! At one point she attempted to sit on my lap, but when that failed she laid on her back beside me and used her arms to punch at my arms to provoke me to play with her.

Let Me In Please

I like to give Bailey her privacy when she's outside first thing in the morning. She has a habit that if I take too long to open the door for her, she'll look through the window to see if I'm around, but if she doesn't see me then she'll try her luck at the sliding window. After a few attempts of running back and forth, she has now decided that it would be best to sit in front of the door and enjoy the scenery as she waits for me.