Maian Meadows Dog Camp - September 23-25, 2011 session

Another fantabulous session of Maian Meadows Dog Camp was held on the weekend of September 23-25, 2011. We had perfect weather, and in addition to the usual camp activities of silly games, costume and limerick contests, many enjoyed the beach and kayaking.

Don, Carla (holding Xander) and Shorty stroll along the beach.

Funyaks on the beach, waiting to be enjoyed.

Tina kayaking with Cedar as navigator.

Kate, Jake, Karoo, Taz, Amanda and Roxie enjoying the beach.

Finn demonstrating his stick retrieving skills.

Stacy and Tina (with Cedar on board) taking kayaks for a morning paddle.

Finn enjoying the view to the south.

Finn was not a water dog when he came to live with me and the girls. I could hardly get him to drink out of streams for the first year he was with us. Then he went to his first session of dog camp in June 2010 where camper Amy of Calgary gently encouraged him to retrieve sticks thrown ever farther from shore. Finn has never looked back when it comes to swimming, and now can hardly be coaxed out of the water at dog camp or wherever he finds it.
 

Looking north from the dock.

Kate Plus Four

 Kate participated in the very first session of Maian Meadows Dog Camp in September 2002; this year's session was the Tenth Anniversary. In 2002, Kate brought two dogs - Sophie (on the right) and Jake the Jack Russell (center). This year she brought the two more recent additions to her pack: Pug the Pug (on the left - duh!), and Taz, just in front of Kate. (That's Karoo the Border collie in the back, trying to escape from the photo.) Kate signed the camp guest book Kate Plus Four, a teasing reference to the infamous mother of multiples who formerly had a reality TV show.

Sophie and Jake taking in the view.

Gretchen teaching Willow to swim.

Pug sunbathing.

Finn MacCool taking a breather on the dock.

Linty tries to convince Julie to go kayaking.

Games director Jenny with dogs bobbing for treats.

Jenny the Dog Games Whisperer with Rascal, Taz, Linty and Cedar.

Kate and her four bobbing for treats.

Amanda participating in the water transfer game with dogs Roxie and Rascal.

Carla kayaking with lifeguards Karoo and Finn.

Finn recovering from a weekend of dog camp!

 I can hardly believe it has been ten years since I first created Maian Meadows Dog Camp. Time definitely flies when you're having this much fun! While I'm sad the girls weren't with us to celebrate the milestone, they're both doing great and were with us in spirit. I thank them daily for being a part of my life, enriching it in uncountable ways, and inspiring me to create a dog camp named for them. In their honor - and because they were absent - I post the photo below, taken while in Idaho in August of this year.

Meadow and Maia