Birthday Celebration: Finale

Zeke was a very lucky puppy and got to have a birthday party at his friends house (with access to swimming SWEET!). Many friends of Sadie and Zeke were in attendance including five other labs, a blue tick hound, and a beagle. Zeke got some awesome homemade treats as a gift.
Daniel launches a ball for the party-goers

Laidee makes sure Zeke doesn't have her tennis ball.

Laidee catchin' some air!

Darlynn and Laidee

Tucker channels Micheal Phelps to win this race.

Treats can make you a very popular guy.

The puppy birthday cake! Banana and Peanut Butter cake with fat free cream cheese icing.

Dad feeds Zeke some birthday cake.

Thanks SOOOO very much to our hosts Daniel, Libby, Darlynn, Laidee, and Tucker!!! What a great birthday party, everyone had so much fun.

Birthday Celebration: Part 1 Pre-Party

Friday brings Zeke's Birthday! Our little puppy is going to be 2 years old. We started celebrations a day early, the highlights thus far:

• A trip to the Wannamaker dog park, met a beautiful big girl (Molly the Rhodesian Ridgeback)
• Hiking some of the park trails.
• A Junior Roast Beef ! (see above)
• Getting Zeke's first present, a big juicy beef bone.

score at the dog park

One of our favorite places to walk in town has been having some pipe work done since DECEMBER! Sometimes we have to hope the local Wassamasaw dog park has some pups to play with.

Today we were in luck; two huskies and and little GSD girl names Kayla were there to play with!

double chocolate

Zeke is hanging out with his friend Darlynn today. They went for a swim and got to run and chase a whole bunch.

Hanging out on MLK day

Dad was off from work today, it was our intention to get some more miles done on the Swamp Fox Trail. However, mucho rains made the going super soggy so we turned out trip into an exploratory of some of the other entry points on the trail. We made it to the Witherbee Ranger Station, but since they were closed as well for the holiday we didn't see if they had a Junior Ranger program for Zeke or anything cool like that. Still, the pup's got to run in the woods some, and that always makes for a good day.

On our way back we stopped by and saw Zeke's cousin Mojo, the Minature Pinscher. Mojo is very hard to capture on camera! Then since the weather has improved so much we had a lunch outside at MacAlisters for the first time in ages, which was super nice.

warmin up!

It's finally starting to warm up! Of course Zeke and mom decided to take advantage and take the studying to the Azalea Park. Zeke likes to sit in the sunny benches.

New Dog park friends

We went to the Wassamasaw Dog Park (Summerville) today, and usually when we go during the day there is no one to play with. Today we hit the jackpot: we had two beautiful german shepherds to play with, Cody and Bella!

In the office cave

This is one of Zeke's last work pictures before his retirement. His "spot" was under mom's desk ever since he was very small and it was a good spot for napping.

interesting finds on the hike

We got a few more miles logged on hiking the Swamp Fox passage of the Palmetto Trail and ran across this hog foot! Then about 20 yards later, we found the other one...no other parts around. Wonder what ate the rest of it??

catching up

Bewteen the holidays and our road trip, Zeke's blogging has been falling behind. So here are a few wrap up pictures, and a hope that 2010 is a labberiffic year. While in WV, Zeke didn't find too many dog friends, but he did take up with Sunshine: Aunt Robin's aged golden retriever. Too bad Sunshine tried to turn Zeke into a railroad hobo.

This is Zeke at Aunt Carol's... the Christmas choo choo around the tree kinda freaked him out a little bit.

We're going to hike the Swamp Fox passage of the Palmetto trail this year! Here we started the year out January 3rd in horribly cold conditions around trail marker #42.

We also have made a couple trips to the dog park, met some cool dog friends and learned how to jump on picnic tables.

So at the end of 2009, Zeke has resigned from his position as greeter at Fox Music, so mom can go back to school for another degree. School starts monday for mom, so that will be an adjustment for Zeke, but in theory it should give more time for training and playing. Zeke's got a birthday coming up at the end of the month, he will be 2 years old! Have to start planning for his party now.

Hatfield and McCoy - Hog Trial site

We always try to expose Zeke to the educational and historic context of the places we visit, and on our recent trip to WV/KY Zeke was able to see the original site of what is considered the catalyst of the Hatfield-McCoy feud. The Hog Trial. The historical marker.

At the recreated trial site.