It's Stone Crab Season!

After our return home from our St. Louis trip, we hurriedly prepared our crab pots and repainted our buoys, this time in neon pink to better spot among the many other buoys, and loaded them on the boat to set them out in the sound.

This is Zuzu and Tootie's second crab season. This time around, they seemed more comfortable with the process.

So much so that Tootie decided to perch on top of the traps as we motored out to set the traps. Was she seeking a better vantage point to see above the gunnels or was she claiming the traps as her own? No, she was most likely upset that the traps were on her blanket, of which Zuzu found a corner for her comfort.

Hungarian bird hunting dogs? Really? They seem to be more of the red salty dog variety to me.

Finally, our blanket! After the traps were set, Zuzu and Tootie are happy to have their soft blanket back. Now it's time to exercise the boat before returning to the dock.

Leaving our pink buoys bobbing in the waters of Sugarloaf Sound, we set off for a quick run to Tarpon Creek. We'll be back out next week, along with first mates Zuzu and Tootie, to pull them, hopefully full of tasty claws.

Another Canine Country Adventure

Taking Zuzu and Tootie to Canine Country each time we visit St. Louis is becoming a tradition, and we are very grateful to Val for inviting us and the girls for an afternoon of romping and play. When we arrived, Val was working with a vizsla on his hunting skills using a carrier pigeon on loan from a friend. She had, in fact, more than a dozen with her and, when it was time to pack up, she released them all. Without hesitation, they all veered towards the east for their twenty or so mile flight back to their home. Amazing.

We let the dogs romp in this small field before loading them up in the cars to head up to the larger area with the pond. To our amazement, Zuzu and Tootie lept into Paul and Susan's car with their three vizslas leaving us to drive alone in our car. Geez, they chose their foster buddies over us! That's okay, we're so happy they are finally feeling confident enough to make their own decisions.

Not sure how Paul and  Susan felt having five rambunctious hounds in their car, but at least the trip wasn't far.

Zuzu seemed to enjoy hanging her head out the car window. Something she can't do in our car since the rear windows on the Element don't roll down.

They were happy, happy, eager to go running and exploring in this familiar territory.

The gang ran down to the pond and Tootie joined the others in the water. Not Zuzu, she preferred the view from dry land.

Dash was persistent in showing his affection for Tootie. Yes, even in the water he will make an attempt to please...himself more than her. Tootie's so nice, though. She doesn't growl or snip at him. She just stands there looking at us to save her.

We moved away from another breed group at the beach to the dock.

No takers on jumping in for a swim. Except for Dash. Although, he was thrown in for mounting Tootie, again. The cold bath didn't dissuade him, however, as he climbed back on the dock and back on Tootie.

Zuzu above seems to be talking with one of the boys.

While Tootie continues to seek refuge from the horny one.

"Let's walk around the lake," Val suggested, so off we went with our large pack of red dogs.

There were a lot of interesting smells. Even one by the shoreline that was sooo smelly good that Dash had to roll in it. Maybe the new scent will change Tootie's mind.

While he was rolling in his new "cologne," the girls were playing tag with each other.

Zuzu was having a good time, smiling as she usually does when she's happy.

It was a great day for a stroll and the dogs seemed to be getting a little tired. Success!

Zuzu and Tootie hanging faithfully with their daddy.

They were enjoying the day.

Wayne paused for a minute to talk to his girls.

Hmm, one of the boys had to come over to see what the girls were getting. Could it be a treat?

Soon the other boys, Zolt, Dash, and Ready made their way over to see what Wayne was giving away. Aww, just pats on the head and some lovin'. That made them happy.

Neck scratches for everyone.

And then it was time to head back to the house. Tired girls. They slept soundly all the way back.

On the road again...

Once September rolled into October it was time to get organized, pack up the car, and head north to St. Louis for Katie and Kyle's wedding. Thankfully, Zuzu and Tootie love riding in the car, and they seemed to go with the flow when this particular car ride lasted more than the usual fifteen minutes. With all of our gear stowed in the rooftop cargo carrier, they were quite comfortable sharing the dog bed in the clutter free interior of the car.

Once we crossed the Seven Mile Bridge and made our way through Marathon, they got the hint that this was a serious car ride and settled in for the long haul. We took our time meandering north on backroads and the lesser traveled byways of Florida, stopping frequently to stretch our legs.

Once in northern Florida, it was apparent to the girls that we had left the palm trees behind. They were very interested in smelling the tree trunks of the elms, the oaks, and the maples, perhaps following the almost forgotten scent of the grey squirrel.

An unsuccessful attempt of a quick pose at one of our stops, Tootie was eager to get back in the car and resume her afternoon nap on her soft bed. We had one more overnight stop on this three-day journey to St. Louis, the La Quinta Inn south of Nashville.

Zuzu and Tootie have become La Quinta queens. They enjoying the soft down-filled comforters on the beds, and they really appreciate a room with a view of local wildlife.

Once in St. Louis, we took Zuzu and Tootie to familiar parks and walking trails, they got to see their canine buddies and their foster moms, and they endlessly chased squirrels and rabbits in the backyard.

We joined Val, Paul, and Susan and their vizslas at Canine Country where they ran, romped, and relaxed for several hours.

Zuzu and Tootie love seeing their foster moms, Susan and Val. Susan fostered Tootie and Val fostered Zuzu.

They both have a special bond with Val, however. With Val, you can see the joy in their eyes as they try to leap up into her arms and smother her with kisses. They know she rescued them from the puppy mill and are forever grateful.

Back at the parents' house, the girls either relaxed outside in the sun, Zuzu on her pile of dry grass.

Or they were inside on the parents' soft comforter.

We found a new walking trail in the city of Chesterfield. It seems this city has plenty of tax revenue to build an extensive gravel walking trail with nice boardwalks and bridges through the woods.

We practically had the trail to ourselves, only passing a couple of walkers out enjoying the crisp fall day. The trail was not quite finished as it came to an abrupt end just around the bend. Tootie was not fond of the construction noise and was just as happy to turn around and head back to the car.

Near the trailhead, construction workers were in the process of putting the finishing touches on an outdoor amphitheater, water park, and playground. Across the street there was this rather dramatic sculpture of a man half-buried in the earth.

We kept the girls busy during our two week stay in St. Louis. They did their best to catch up on their sleep whenever they could, especially during our three-day trip back home.

We took a different route, one through Alabama, down alternate US-27 along the west coast of Florida, back down the center of the state on US-27 skirting Lake Okeechobee. On our outbound trip, eager to see the largest lake in Florida, we didn't realize the lake was surrounded by a tall embankment obscuring any view of the lake. Determined to see the lake, we stopped at a park nestled at the base of the dike, climbed the dam and gazed out on...a canal in which a lonely alligator swam and grass as far as you can see.

Zuzu and Tootie were equally unimpressed, especially being out in the rain, so back to the car we went to continue our journey home.

Sunset Boatride

"Let's take the dogs on a sunset boat ride!" I eagerly suggested. Up to this point, we've never ventured out on the boat in the late afternoon or early evening. Usually, we schedule our trips during midday when the sun is high and the water is easy to read. As the saying goes: Blue, blue sail on through, green, green, nice and clean, white, white, you just might, brown, brown, run aground." I still have a fear of hitting bottom, again, and breaking another prop. The sound of the lower unit scraping across the hard, rocky bottom, one that we've heard several times since our boating adventures began around Sugarloaf Key, is anything but pleasant. However, with each passing boat ride, we gain more and more confidence to the point of taking an early evening sunset boat ride.

The breeze was gentle, the temperature was cool and comfortable, and the evening colors in the sky were changing by the second. With Zuzu and Tootie resting in the cuddy, we paused for a minute in the sound to take in the view.

Then we were off for a quick tour of the sound via the channel leading to Tarpon Creek.

The sun had set and the evening sky began taking hold.

Blues changing to black.

The water reflecting the changing hues of the evening sky.

Clouds in the distance still ablaze from the setting sun.

We flipped around at the entrance to the creek and made our way back towards our canal.

Zuzu and Tootie found comfort and security from the darkening skies inside the cuddy cabin. Zuzu still does not like being out after dark. Tootie does her best to comfort her sister.

The moon, a waxing crescent, just a sliver in the southeast sky, was barely visible.

As the sun dips deeper below the horizon, civil twilight diminishes rapidly.

The channel marker posts are still visible while we follow our defined path on the chart plotter.

It was a beautiful evening to be on the water, and Zuzu was a trooper as we kept her out beyond her comfort zone.

Now we'll just have to try sunset at Marvin Key and chase the evening sky back to our dock.