Thunder and lightening

Yep, looks like I spoke too soon.  Just had a severe thunderstorm alert flashed up on the TV.  This alert issued by the weather people...

... STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO AFFECT WASHINGTON... CARROLL... FREDERICK... MONTGOMERY... NORTHERN FAUQUIER... WARREN... CLARKE... LOUDOUN... JEFFERSON... PRINCE WILLIAM/MANASSAS/MANASSAS PARK AND SOUTHERN FAUQUIER COUNTIES...

AT 911 PM EDT... DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM MYERSVILLE TO ROSEMONT TO 2 MILES SOUTHWEST OF LOVETTSVILLE TO 3 MILES NORTHWEST OF PARIS... MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

PENNY-SIZE TO NICKEL-SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.

Where did I put my Valium???

Oh I do....

Like to be beside the sea side.  No brass bands playing but there were a couple of folk bands in St Michaels.  Another road trip, this time to the ocean with a couple of stops on the way.  Ok so it wasn't really beach weather but it was the last weekend I was allowed on the beach so we had to go and, to be honest, I prefer the 'off season' as I get more of the beach to myself.

We headed to Ocean City which meant a trip across the 4.3 mile long Chesapeake Bay Bridge which was really cool.  We stumbled across a quaint little town called St Michaels which was having a wine festival or something.   I think the Wikipedia description is a little harsh - there weren't that many old people there. [Wikipedia: Currently the town attracts old people that are looking for somewhere more boring than death and an eternity of nothingness to make sweet release seem that much better by comparison]  There were plenty of interesting little shops, although I thought it a bit odd that Flying Fred's gifts for pets didn't allow dogs in!  

Chesapeake Bay is an impossibly beautiful place.  There are hundreds of nooks and inlets with magnificent houses with huge boats tied up at the dock.  Goodness knows how much they cost, certainly more than a lifetime's pocket money that's for sure.  I definitely need to explore the Bay more, although most of the shoreline seems to be privately owned.

Another stop on the way was at Assateague Island National Seashore.  It's an amazing spit of land south of Ocean City with the Atlantic on one side and Chincoteague Bay on the other.  Wild ponies roam the island and you can camp right on the beach.  And best of all dogs are allowed all year round, oh and it was free when we arrived.  By the way, it wasn't as cold as it looks in the photos.

Overdeveloped is the best way to describe Ocean City.  Being the closest ocean development to DC I expected it to be built up but I wasn't prepared for just how built up and what an odd layout.  Most British sea side towns have the beach, the promenade, the main road then the hotels.  OC had beach, boardwalk (dogs not allowed in summer), huge hotels, then road.  The beach was beautiful; it's been a long time since I've had sand under my paws but soft, deep sand is hard work.  The boardwalk was fun and much easier to walk on.  At the far end was a fun fair but we stayed up the quiet end.

Sadly the weather didn't hold out so Sunday we headed back earlier than planned.  We took the coast highway towards Dover which looked great on the map but due to the beach, hotel, road layout they have it was a pretty dull journey.  Still, at least the thunder storms didn't arrive as promised.

The bridges of Frederick county

As you can see from the remnants of snow this road trip happened a while ago.  For such a high-tech country it's nice to see something old, simple and functional.  And no, I didn't pee on them.

Quick update on Stan and Hilda the squatters - hey look if we are sharing the apartment I can't keep calling them bird squatters can I?  No flutter of tiny wings yet but based on the squabbling that goes on all day I'd say Hilda is definitely 'with egg'.

Snake talk

I did a huge poop next to a snake yesterday, not because he was there it was just such a good spot.  My human wouldn't pick it up (the poop, not the snake) so we had to go back later in the day to pick up once the little fella had moved on.  I don't see what she's so afraid of.  They don't bother me and considering the list of things I am frightened of, that means they must be ok.

Mountain Dog

I went on a road trip at the weekend across the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia to Charlottesville.  Anyone who has met me knows I'm not a fan of cars but I managed to keep the nervous dribble to manageable levels.   Luckily trips in the car mean something fun at the other end.  We stopped off at loads of places and went for a really long walk at a place called Big Meadows.  At 3500 feet it's officially the highest walk I've done.  The weather was perfect for me being 10oC cooler than in the city.  Being black isn't so great when the temperature rises above 20oC, so 21 and clear mountain air was absolutely perfect.  I was shattered by the time we got to the hotel, as you can see.  I learnt something new as well: I'm scared of elevators (lifts to you English folks).  It doesn't help one's self esteem when the hotel receptionist laughs at you being coaxed into a metal box suspended on wires.

I've officially found the quietest place in America: the university of Virginia campus before 9am on a Sunday.  Beautiful and desolate sums it up; not a patch on Cambridge but pretty and very white. 

Holidays, squatters and sad news

Yep I've been on my holidays again whilst my human went back to Blighty to check on our house and stock up on tea bags and chocolate.  I have noticed a distinct lack of custard creams in her suitcase this time but I'm not making a big deal of it as I'm on a diet.  At 9 years old I can't exactly claim the extra pounds are puppy fat, more like too many hot dogs and peanut butter covered biscuits - ahh the American dream.  I really have to start watching my weight as I don't get the exercise I used to do back home.  It's being on the lead all the time that does it.  Back home I used to run for miles, until my human was just a red faced dot in the distance.  Sometimes I'd run so far away I couldn't hear her bellowing at me to come back.  It's just not the same on a 10 foot lead.

My human came back with some sad news: Cindy, one of my doggie pals, has passed away.  She was only 8.  I think it was cancer or something like that.  Her last day was pretty special; playing ball with the little humans then quietly slipping away in her own bed.  Her house mate Bobby is now showing the new rescue 'sprolly' (Springer/Collie cross) the ropes.  Poor dog hasn't had the privileged upbringing I've had but he's got a really good home now and hopefully he'll come out of his shell a bit.  I'm looking forward to meeting him and his human: she makes the best liver cake ever.

As I said, I've been on holiday and had a great time.  Some of the Christmas crowd were back and it was a holiday this time, no puppy sitting.  I've had a wash and brush up and between you and me I'm looking pretty damn handsome.  I might need to start dying my fur soon as there is an awful lot of grey showing through - at what point do you go from distinguished to old?

Can you believe it, squatters have moved into our apartment whilst I was away?  A young feathered couple have made a nest in the air duct from the bathroom.  I haven't seen them yet but they don't half make a racquet at sunrise.  It's quite nice having a bit of company during the day.  I wonder if I'll be an honorary uncle when they have chicks?
  

Armchair sports fan

The incredible dog challenge was on TV this morning.  It's like the doggie olympics sponsored by a well known dog food company.  As expected the collies were top dogs on the agility course but the Labs triumphed in the diving.  Yeah, honestly doggie diving!  No, not with scuba gear, it's where a human throws your favourite toy into a pool and you run and dive in after it.   The dog with the furthest jump (measured to his nose) is the winner.  It was ace.  The top athletes were jumping over 20 feet. I tell you if I were 5 years younger, and not quite so scared of water, I'd have a go at it.  The Jack Russell hurdles was nothing short of hilarious and the agility of the flying disc competitors made my joins hurt just watching it.

Take a look at the diving dogs (Click here)  (you might want to skip the ads)

Roller derby

I was almost mown down yesterday by a woman on roller blades pushing a pram, closely followed by a man carrying shopping bags - also on roller blades.  It was like being in a tampax advert!

Snack attack

I've found a new human snack I like - raisins.  They're a bit like rabbit droppings but not as earthy and a lot sweeter.  My human prefers that I eat them instead of rabbit droppings so I guess it's a win win situation for me.

Grass

I walked on grass today for the first time in over two weeks.  Ah it was lovely, so soft and warm - well actually it was wet and muddy but it felt so good after weeks of snow and ice.

Here are a couple of then and now shots.

Where's the fence gone?

Hey look, they put the fence back....

Dig out + 7

It's been 7 days since the last snowflake fell and the dig out continues.  Diggers and lorries have been hard at work removing snow from the streets and most of the pavements are clear.  There's the odd householder who is too lazy to clear their sidewalk so I save my pee for outside their property.   It's a valuable service I provide, although I am in danger of serious dehydration on some routes.

Ice is the biggest problem now; not under foot as I use 4 paw drive when it gets slippy, it's the stuff that is falling from the roofs.  Some of the icicles are over 2 feet long: if one of those fell off it could skewer me like a suckling pig.

The salt is really starting to hurt my paws.  It gets between my toes and itches like mad, so then I start licking them and they get all red and sore.  My human has started washing them after my walk which at first was a bit odd but now I'm really enjoying a soak and foot massage after pounding the streets.

I'm very disappointed by the lack of snowmen, woman or children.  The only one I have seen is the one in the picture below.  Nobody seems to play out.  The only people I see are a handful of other dogs and their humans and even then it's only the hardy breeds like me that are out.  All the little yappie things must do their stuff indoors when it's cold or wet because you never see them out when the weather is bad.

Normality

Some semblance of normality is returning to my life.  My human is back at work meaning I can get on with my day in peace.... sleeeeeeep!  There is still loads of snow around although people are starting to dig out - I even saw a sidewalk this morning.  It's really dangerous getting around, most of the sidewalks still haven't be cleared so I have to walk in the road a lot.  There are huge piles of snow at junctions and most of the roads are still only single lane so I have to be really careful I don't get squished by some nutter in an SUV.  I  have to keep away from buildings as huge chunks of snow keep sliding off.  I tell you, if I'm in the path of a roof avalanche I'll look like the abominable snowdog.  Lorries loaded with snow have been passing my apartment all day.  I think they are taking it to Vancouver so the olympic athletes have something to ski on.

For the record: official snowfall for 'Snowmageddon' and 'Snowmageddon II' was 48 inches!  And there may be more on the way.... brilliant!