Kiyoko turned 10 months, and there are still no signs of her going into heat, phew, so let the adventures continue!
July 1st was ushered in with babysitting my grandson on a very hot day with a play on a huge sand pile, bouncy castles, popsicles and a fire hose demonstration.
A few days later, we drove to Vancouver for a weekend visit to see our daughter. We stayed in a hotel downtown for two nights, where Kiyoko slept on the floor on her dog mat for most of the night (a work in progress). She went out to a few restaurants, walked the pier downtown, including a grated dock, ignored the many dogs passing by, and rode the SeaBus. The highlight of the weekend was meeting up with Kiyoko’s sister, PADS Chickpea, on the way home in a park in Langley. It was nice to have the chance to get the girls together again since their separation 8 months ago. They sure remembered each other and happily romped, swam, and played together. They have similar sweet personalities, the same long, lean bodies, the only difference being the size and shape of their heads. It was a joyful experience to see the two sisters together!
We went camping overnight in our van to the Nakusp area, where we visited Summit and Box Lakes. We stayed at a Recreation Site where Kiyoko slept on the floor of the van without any issues. We went hiking while my husband went fishing, and the two of us took a tour around Summit Lake in our fold-up boat. We also rode a small ferry twice: there and back.
I thoroughly enjoyed attending Salmon Arm Roots & Blues this month as a volunteer. It started off with setting up the Barn Pub, attending the Kick-Off Party, and spending Friday evening and all day Saturday and Sunday at the festival until midnight. We did a couple of shifts helping at the Barn Pub, and the rest of the time was spent enjoying the music of 32 bands on 4 different stages, with the highlight being 77-year-old Burton Cummings from The Guess Who and other headliners such as Colin James and Los Lobos. Kiyoko calmly lounged around listening to the music along with the large crowd of people spread out in their lawn chairs and blankets. We also attended a robust Drum Circle, which soothed her to sleep, along with some Yoga under a tent. A very long weekend for Kiyoko at only ten months old, but she took it all in stride and did great! We only saw one other service dog on site. Luckily, it was NOT a very hot weekend.
We had five PADS puppy classes this month, the first being outdoors, then switching back to indoors. We practiced 2 lines of perch pots (one line with dogs, the other with a moving dog from perch to perch), swivels to our heel side on our perch pots, long leash recalls to and from kibble in a bowl, and passing another dog. One week, we all switched dogs and practiced our sit, down, and stand on a CATO board. Kiyoko did very well with another handler and followed her lead without any problems.
Other activities included finishing up weaving a Friendship blanket, which involved hours of napping nearby on the floor. An old car show in the hot, hot sun in a local park. Meeting llamas at Soma Cidery and visits to the chiropractor, Barn Owl Brewing, and COSCTO in Kelowna. A couple of Thursday night outings for music in Blind Bay with lots of vendors, people, and dogs to ignore. We also attended a blood donation clinic at the local community center, another worthy cause I like to do occasionally. Kiyoko also cooled down and practiced her swimming strokes in our pool during this very hot month. And she had some fun on a hike with released PADS Doppler and “sister” Lucy in Armstrong and another hike with PADS Buzz at BX Trail in Vernon. A successful and jam-packed month full of great training opportunities.
Submitted by: Chris Buitinga
