Welcome home? Hurricane Irene was here...

 After an incredible family holiday on Cape Cod, we returned to New Jersey with trepidation, as friends had told us that trees had fallen in our backyard into the house.  We pulled onto our street and were happy to see that power had been restored!  Next, what was the damage to the house?

 Apparently, four of our close to 100 foot tall trees in the backyard fell uphill.  The scene looked like a tornado touched down in our woods.

 Amazingly, our house suffered minimal damage!  A foot closer, the roof and windows would possibly have been smashed and major damage...

 The trees fell below the side deck and smashed our outdoor patio furniture into splinters.  However, the table was still standing with just one side sheared off.

 You can see the size of the trees with Jam standing in what used to be her yard...

 In the top left of this picture, the teeter made it through the hurricane untouched.

 Savi surveys the damage..

Trixie thinks we should have stayed on vacation!  We have a big clean up ahead of us and will have a lifetime supply of firewood!

We were truly lucky compared to those who suffered catastrophic damage from Hurricane Irene.  Friends have had their houses flooded and our heart goes out to those people who have lost everything.  Just a reminder to be as prepared as possible for you and your pets for emergency situations.

Mia-belle's official Champion win picture

         CH Grayhart's Special Request, CD, RA, NSD, V

(Zeke, CH OB's 38 Special x Trixie, CH GraytSky's I'm Not Really a Waitress,CD,RN,OA,NAJ,V, BROM)

Winners Bitch and Best of Winners

Carolina Kennel Club

August 14, 2011

Congratulations to Jessica & Mia-belle!

Jam-in at Balston Beach

 A picture perfect day for a hike through the hills of Truro to Balston Beach, which is on the Atlantic Ocean.

 We couldn't imagine that the beach would be empty on such a gorgeous August day,

 The surf was a bit rough due to Hurrican Irene and there was a high surf warning.  The little black dot out in the water is a seal.  We saw a number of seals swimming offshore amid the seagulls floating on the surface.

 Jam loved spending time with us and running along the beach,

 Here I come!

 And what could be better than shorebirds to point...we think these are terns.

 August is considered the best month for observing shorebirds on Cape Cod.

 Jam had a wonderful workout and was quite tired when she joined us for dinner at an outdoor cafe in Provincetown.

Hurricane Irene on Cape Cod

Irene only brought severe winds to the Cape and a little rain. The marsh in front of our house looked very different at high tide, more like a lake.   There were branches down everywhere and for about 3 hours we lost power.  In the late afternoon, we found one of the few restaurants open, many had no power, and then toured the beaches to see the waves. 

 There were 60-80 mph winds!

 A houseboat moved into Pamet Harbor for protection.

Saturday morning marsh run

 While Hurricane Irene was battering the South East and slowly moving up the coast, we took advantage of the nice weather to enjoy a marsh run with the dogs.  The picture above shows the marsh at a normal high tide.  Once the effect of Hurricane Irene hit the Cape, the water will be much higher and we'll experience high winds and possibly rain.

 Jam has a new talent, pointing crabs! She seems fascinated by them!

 Of course, Savi never leaves home without her bumper and puts it to good use.  She dashes out the door, picks it up and runs down to the marsh, waiting for us to take her swimming!  This is one of her favorite toys,the Air Kong Tennis Fetch Stick Rope Toy, a floating retrieving toy made out of tennis ball material.

 We almost had a mini-tragedy when she lost it the day before when she dropped it in the marsh to follow Trixie, who was after some tantalizing scent.  I sent her to find it to no avail and but today, we returned to the area and I sent her to look for it and Savi found it!

 We picked this bouquet of wild lavender, one of the many pretty flowers that grow here.

Trixie waiting for us...

Calm before the Storm...

 With Hurricane Irene heading up the east coast, we wanted to get in a marsh walk while we still had good weather.  After stocking up on water, candles, and food, we headed out to run the dogs.

 This is a new sign installed this year to describe the shipwrecked trap fishing rig stuck in the marsh, shown below

 With the water so still and the view beautiful, you'd never imagine that hurricane rains and wind will be arriving in a day or two...

 Luckily for us, the storm will not be hitting this part of the Cape head on and we'll be on the outer edge of the storm cone.

 The girls enjoying their romp in the marsh, running, hunting and chasing critters...

 All kinds of vegetation grow in and around the salt marsh, and we enjoy discovering the different plants and flowers.

 Jam spots something interesting up there...

Sunset at Pamet Harbor

No words to describe this amazing sunset at Pamet Harbor.  The remarkable note to this photo is that I took it with my phone!  A Palm Pre, which I seem to catch some of the best scenes with.

The Marsh at Low Tide

 The late afternoon light is gorgeous for picture taking and spending time with the dogs in the marsh.  The tide goes through a complete cycle of ebb and neap, from low to high tide, twice a day.

 Trixie eyeing a something interesting in the marsh.

 Lots of goodies for the dogs to find...

The girls, Savi, Jam and Trixie

Summer fun continues

Savi is our resident retriever, loves to retrieve whether on land or in the water.  We let her play with the Armadillo brand Quail toy that Jam won as a trophy for qualifying at the Tarheel Weimaraner Club Agility trial back in July.. Whar is amazing is that this salt marsh is right outside our house and at high tide becomes a  fabulous place for the dogs to swim.  At other times, the perfect place for a romp.

Savi and her quail toy

 Life is good when you have a view like this!

 Savi waiting for the throw...she's always ready for fun and games!

 Jam, practicing her whoa and sister, Savi, did an automatic back, very cool.

There must be critters in these holes...