Well, they finally did it...you can kiss the “Active Ass” goodbye! The new boat name is the “Izzy R”. As you know, I preferred the old name, but Jeff was clear that it had to go. I’ll have to come up with a new ice breaker with the other marina dogs.
I wonder if Izzy is going to finally give in to changing her name to Rogers. That would make me Ben Rogers. I don’t know…Dale Evans didn’t change her name to Dale Rogers.Dog overboard practice started this month! Jeff and Izzy had an opportunity one day to hone their skills on dragging my sorry butt out of the canal. Now I understand why they made all the fuss about only getting on and off the boat at low tide. I thought I could make the high leap up to the bow when we came back from the Farmer's Market, but I miscalculated by a few critical inches and my hind legs didn't make it. The lack of thumbs came into play again as my front paws just slid off the edge and I saw the inevitable drop into the strange world of the brown canal water below me.
After the initial splash and excited yelling, ( I'm not sure who yelled the loudest...Izzy or me!) I calmed myself down enough to head for the nearest post to climb, like I’ve seen the cat do in the yard next door. That didn’t work for me. It just made my feet sore from scraping on the barnacles and oysters that ware growing on it. But I had a good hold on it with all four feet wrapped around it like a koala bear. Guess I’ll have to practice that maneuver on dry land some day. Since I still had my leash attached, and Jeff was holding it, he dragged me off the post kicking and clawing. I didn’t want to let go, but he had me by the throat, so I had my first forced swimming lesson right then. He made me swim back toward the boat while he and Izzy stood on the deck and coaxed me way around to the back of the boat. Since my choices were to swim or be choked, I opted to try the swim. That was a long way and the water didn’t taste very good, but it was cool and felt kind of refreshing after that long walk from the Farmers Market. Jeff jumped in the water with me from the swim step and helped me climb back on the boat.
I was really glad to get out of that water. So was Jeff.Thanks for the rescue, Jeff. Sorry I gave you such a scare, Izzy. I didn't mean to fall in.
Izzy made me take a bath after that.
And she made Jeff take one too.
We got all cleaned up and smelling better just in time for a visit from Kay and Harold. You remember them from our visit on our way down to Fort Lauderdale. They have that pretty dog, Ralph, with the big teeth, and the nice yard where I pooped. Ralph didn’t come along, so I didn’t have a chance to apologize to him in person and mend our fences. (figure of speech…I don’t think I messed up his fence, too). I think I'll get another chance to see him in a few weeks.
Everyone took a dingy ride to the Briney Pub on the Riverfront and from the smell of their breath and clothes, I’m guessing they had drinks and seafood. 
Of course, I stayed at home to be the watchdog again, because Izzy says I’m really good at that…and I get treats.My favorite time of the day (other then when I go chasing geckos on our walks) is“5-o’clock-somewhere". I know that’s the time, because Jeff announces it every day. That’s when we all sit out on the sundeck, and they bring out a bottle with some special water that I’m not allowed to have. I get a cookie and bark at manatees and the people riding by in their dinghies, while we listen to music from our new sound system. Here's the view from our sundeck around 5 0'clock somewhere.
Speaking of the sound system, don’t let Jeff tell you that I had anything to do with the TV antenna falling into the canal. I’m innocent! He forgot to tie it down on top of the bimini when the wind picked up while he was engrossed in watching Dancing with the Stars. Someone else downwind is probably laughing and having a good time drying that thing out and getting ready to watch TV with our old antenna right now!So we had to get a new one. This time we got Kyle to come over and do it right. Here’s a picture of my pal Kyle and me.
He worked on our boat for several days making the TV and stereo work so Jeff could play country music real loud. (Kyle and I played cards when Jeff and Izzy would go out.)On Sundays I get to go to the Farmer’s Market to meet other people and their dogs. Jeff always wants to hold my leash when we go there or to the beach because he says I’m a “chick magnet”. Izzy just laughs and says that he’s dreamin’.
I like to go because I get some head patting and ear scratching from the people, and I get to sniff and be sniffed. 
This water here is not like Woodbridge Lake. When we take a dingy ride we see these big scary things that kind of look like a giant version of the geckos that I like to chase on our walks. I don’t know if I’d chase one of these. Actually I think they might chase ME! They come in all different colors and they look mean! 
Here's a whole family of 'em ... I think it's the GRAY family.
There are also some big pelicans here that dive down for the fish in our canal sometimes. They're much bigger than the geese that used to hiss at me in Irvine when I chased them. These pelicans like to hang around waiting for a free meal and I can tell from the look in their shifty little eyes that they’d like to get my treats. I think that Izzy knows better than to mistake them for watch dogs too. I'm the only one that gets treats. 
I try to bury my milk bones so they won’t come and steal them, but there just isn’t any place to dig a decent hole on this boat, especially since Jeff & Izzy have been throwing out the grass in my “yard”. I tried digging in the AstroTurf there, but I think I developed a blister on the end of my nose trying to get them covered up. The only alternative I have is to bury the milk bones in my bed in the folds of the sheepskin.…rather pathetic.Well, I'm on duty now as the OWD ( Official Watch Dog) while Izzy and Jeff go out. But when they come back and see how I kept everything safe I'll get...you know...treats!
Love,
Ben
Ben
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