Breakfast in Tiburon

It was overcast, but we still had fun in Tiburon because of all the birds and boats! Tiburon is a beautiful little town in Marin. Captain enjoyed sniffing around and, of course, watching the hundreds of birds.

I'm overwhelmed, Mom. I don't know which one to point at.

Tilden Trails

I approve of the views here, Mom.

Captain and I love a good hike! Yesterday we explored more of Tilden - a great regional park in the Berkeley Hills with tons of trails. We went with some of our friends and their 9 month old lab, Max for a good 4 hours of hiking.

The last time we went to Tilden park, it was completely foggy and we couldn't enjoy any of the views. This time we were rewarded! I love the way the clouds looked, like a sheet leading right above the GG bridge in the distance.


Captain loves to be in pictures.

You were going to take a picture without me, Mom??

And like a good lab, Max enjoyed running through the mud.

They were both pretty excited to chase a field mouse they found in the bushes around. The poor little thing was reeeaaaallly slow, so I was happy Captain was content to just sniff and chase it.

Good views all around:Seemingly endless trails in Tilden! Can't wait to try out more of them, maybe on a long run one day. Next weekend we may stop in at the Golden Gate Kennel Club dog show, and might try out another East Bay park- Sibley... so many good things to do when you're a Vizsla :-)

Ca-li-for-nia boys!

Captain had an awesome time last weekend at our favorite city beach, Chrissy Field. What's better than sun, sand, surf, and serious play time? Plus a great view of Golden Gate Bridge and the Marin headlands to boot...


There was digging, running, and splashing. It was 'stick your bum in the air' fun. That doesn't sound quite right, but you get the idea...


We ran into a bunch of friends from the old neighborhood, and Captain was royally tuckered out after all that good old beach time. Much as I'm an East Coaster at heart, I sometimes wonder if I'd ever be able to take the boy out of California-he loves his regular beach visits! Guess I'm not complaining either though...

Top 10 list for the Vizsla

1. Pointing at birds/hunting 'em. I was bred for it, after all.
2. Running around at full sprint in circles/doing anything active outside. You don't get to be this lean by lounging on the couch alllll day. (just part of it).
3. Wiggling when mom/dad gets home. And I mean full body wiggle, with a solid dose of butt wiggle.
   
4. Snuggling under a blanket or laying in the sun. Preferably with mom/dad.
   
5. Using good looks to get treats. (Good looks may sometimes be accompanied by whining and stamping feet if treat is exciting enough/if I think mom will cave and give me some of her dinner.)
6. Leaning against legs for a good butt scratch.
7. Flopping ears around as I'm running, because I look so cute doing it.
8. Giving kisses!
   
9. Doing anything with mom/dad. They don't call me a velcro dog for nothing!
10. Looking really, really, ridiculously good looking, and a little goofy, all at the same time.

The Joy of Peanut Butter

... and the sadness when it is gone.

Face Brace

Whenever Captain is in a car, he shoves his head in between the back seat and the window, looking attentively at the driver and any passengers. Our friends call this the "face brace." Seems he likes to do it on pillows too...

I don't need a bath!

This is Captain's post-mud-run position, his attempt to get out of being cleaned. But he's resigned to my habit of washing his feet off in the bath when it's muddy-which has been happening a lot lately with all the wet weather we've had here. Luckily the sun is coming out this week though!

Ringing in the New Year

Captain on the Sonoma Coast

We had a great New Year's Eve weekend - we rented a house on the Russian River with some friends. Captain and his buddy Trax were so excited to explore the new spot.

I think I approve, Mom. But I better go run around that back yard.

Yup, plenty of room to run. And get muddy.

This is NOT what I had in mind. Mom, can I move already?

Later, it was lots of sleeping by the fireplace:
The next morning, someone forgot to tell Captain people stay up late on New Year's Eve. He was ready to go exploring bright and early. Oh well, it wasn't a bad view to wake up to and to go out for a run in!
After our run, Captain was happy to sit in the kitchen...

I'm pretty sure I should test that bacon out.

New Year's day we went to Blind Beach, one of the many nearby Sonoma State Park beaches. It was cold but lots of fun!





At the end of the weekend on the way home we decided to take the scenic route along Highway 1 and check out more of the beautiful California Sonoma coastline! The first pic of this post is from one of the 3 beaches we stopped at. For more on that drive, check out the Fido Factor post on Sonoma Coast beaches.


Highway 1 never ceases to impress me with its beautiful coastline. It seems like there's an amazing beach every 2 minutes! Captain is DEFINITELY a beach boy. I think he likes running in the sand more than anything... although cuddling under a blanket AFTER a good run may take a close second. Or maybe peanut butter is second... hard to say. Best to have all three. :-)
Happy New Year!