stormy weather

Suddenly it's cold and windy with just enough rain so you know it's there. I was out in the park with Memphis and her buddies, and we were unprepared for the chill in the air and the persistence of the wind. I looked up and saw a plane heading north to the airport through rain and clouds, and another, and another. We hardly ever see planes flying in north.

Memphis loves the cooler weather. She feels good and frisky and she wants to run and play and wrestle and even chase a ball or two. The owners of the short-haired dogs are talking about clothing for their dogs. Don't they already have a fur coat, I ask? Memphis is made for the cold.

Tuffy P and Memphis

I also posted a video of Memphis swimming here

Memphis and Jacques

At the swimming hole

Memphis and I spent the morning wandering through some forests, me looking for mushrooms, Memphis digging holes, chasing forest pixies, smelling 1000 smells...

We took time out for Memphis to have a good swim. Pics at Memphis' blog.

In the enchanted mushroom forest

Pals

Back in the forest

Memphis and I visited some forests this morning, stumbling about among the branches and fallen logs and stumps, looking for mushrooms. I picked some lobsters and a few chanterelles and some boletes. Memphis came out covered in burrs that had to be oh so gently combed out when we got home. We both had a great time though. Wandering through the forest with your pup is a top notch activity in my book, and finding dinner is a bonus.

It was a rainy morning where I was, but in the forest I hardly noticed. I could hear the rain more than feel it.

Update on the big bolete in the photos... It didn't stain blue, so I tasted it and I thought it didn't taste bitter. Salvelinas suggested I have Tuffy P taste it as well. He has pointed out to me that he can't detect bitter very well, and needs someone else to test boletes for him. Tuffy P tasted a bit of the bolete and said it was bitter, very bitter. Funny huh? Rats.

3 dogs 1 big puddle

Memphis saw the vet today...

some good news here

Home

Our pup Memphis is home.

Memphis is doing better and should be home tomorrow...

more here

Memphis

Our pup Memphis is ill and is in the hospital. Yesterday, she experienced acute pain making movement difficult. The cause is not obvious and they're doing some tests to determine what's going on and how to treat it, including joint taps and more x-rays.

She's comfortable and not in nearly the distress she was in yesterday afternoon. She's eaten some and she's walked around a little and that's good.

Memphis will stay at the clinic overnight, and we hope to know more in the morning.

Update: they are narrowing down the problem...it may be an infection or possibly an immune mediated joint issue...we expect to have a better idea tomorrow.

Tuffy P's animal crackers

The forest

I had been hoping for plenty of rain over the past couple days to help fruit some wild mushrooms. There was a little the other night, but it may not be enough to really get things going. Nevertheless, I'm going to take Memphis out for a run in the forest in the morning, and I will bring along my basket and my field guide just in case.

Memphis loves our trips to the forest, and I'm enjoying them too!

Rossi borrowing Memphis' bed

New Friend

This is Memphis with her new pal Max. Max is a Keeshond. More pictures here

Memphis learns to swim!

More pics here.

Memphis and Scout in the woods

see the video here

In the Forest

Today we met up with my brother the trout, Salvelinas Fontinalis, at a forest not far from Barrie Ontario. Our goal was to forage about for edible mushrooms and at the same time, give our pup Memphis and his dog Scout an opportunity to romp in the woods. My brother is very knowledgeable about mushrooms and he had predicted that today, after quite a bit of rain, we would score some good edibles. Fortunately we had a great time walking around in the woods with the dogs because edible mushrooms were not to be found today. We did find a few oyster mushrooms but they were well past their prime. Salvelinas gave us a lesson in what to look for and where to look and we wandered about, looking around stumps and dead trees. We tried three different locations, all slightly different types of forest, but no edibles. Next time, hopefully we'll be more fortunate. Tuffy and I and Memphis had a blast this morning!

Memphis

more pics here