Savannah of Sanibel

Beth and Ian Rebel Rouse Florida

2008-03-18T07:58:00.008-05:00

It is never a bad day on the scoots. Perhaps the best way to see the island, especially since Ding Darling opened it's doors to scooter traffic.

We can always find this alligator. He hangs out at the end of our old road.

A cold front came through, cooling the evenings, and bringing some badly needed rain. One affect of the storm was the all the sand on the beaches and the things that washed up. Hundreds of sea urchins, coral pieces, conch shell sacks full of baby conch shells...

And tons of new shells. It was nice having just sand for a day or two.

Festival of Lights

2008-03-12T09:37:00.005-05:00

The Edison Festival of Lights. This as the 75th anniversary of the event, our 2nd anniversary of being in the parade.

The "Segway Riding Gorilla Cowboy" as featured on the news, with Sara.

Special thanks to Billy for the Segways and the lighting equipment. To Josh, for letting the gorilla come to Florida for the event. Ryan and Preston for helping the design team and prep work. To Adam and Pek for being there in spirit. And to all the riders during the event.

Rand McNally by Adam

2008-02-27T00:36:00.001-05:00

Washing Machine Blues...

2008-02-05T00:46:00.000-05:00

For many, it may be hard to shop for appliances. Here, we are lucky. We have a television station dedicated to them. When it recently came time to buy a new washing machine, we knew where to go.

Just Another Day for Myro...

2008-01-18T15:16:00.000-05:00

Myron, once again kickin' it with the cool kids, waits to pick up Method Man at the SLC Airport.

As one of the official drivers of SUNDANCE FILMFESTIVAL, Myron has safely assisted:

Quentin Tarantino

John Malkovich

Mary Lynn Rajskub (for 2.5 days)

Jack Black

Mos Def

Other Notable People Myron Assisted:
Emily Blunt
Diddy (Sean Combs)
T-bag (Prison Break)
John Stamos
Denis Hopper stood him up and Maggie got him for two days.

Notable people Myron rubbed shoulders with:
Bono
Misha Burton
Alan Rickman
Sandra Oh
Tom Arnold
Morgan sperlock
D.H. Hugley
David Denman
and some others...

Hours worked:
Fri 17
Sat 15.5
Sun 17
Mon 15.5
Tue 13
Wed 9
Thu 5

Cars Driven:
2008 Trail Blazer
2008 Suburban Silver
2008 Suburban White
2007 Chevy Van
2007 Ford Van

Number of cars broken: 1

Number of times Myron lost his brakes after rolling over nylon curtains
thrown out by the street that wrapped around his back wheel cutting his brake line: 1

Number of Monster energy drinks consumed: Only 2

Money made in six days: About 2 g's

Average hours of sleep per night: 4

Trips back and forth to the air port: 6

Savannah's Sign...

2008-01-12T13:32:00.000-05:00

Thanks Kip, for my awesome outfits from South Africa. I am really into the tribal look. Kubbie and Fuji each got one as well. The rest of the dogs on our street are all jealous.

With the help of Google Earth's Space Version, I was able to find that I have my place in the stars. Between the constellation Cancer ( human Sara) and the constellation Gemini (human Dan), lies Canis Minor (me), believed in Greek mythology to be the smaller of Orion's two hunting dogs. The other dog is Canis Major (or, Kubbie). Canis Minor had a gentle disposition and was said, in many culture's myths to have been extremely faithful (me).
Canis Minor is a small constellation mainly consisting of the two stars, Procyon (α CMi, 0.38^m) and Gomeisa (β CMi , 2.9^m). Procyon is the seventh brightest star in the night sky. Procyon means "before the dog" in Greek, as it rises an hour before the Dog Star, Sirius, of Canis Major, the large dog.†

I was born on June 17th, right between Gemini and Cancer. If Canis Minor was in the astrological belt, that is where it would nestle in.
It may be cheesy, but it explains a lot if you want it to. My humans think I am out of this world!

More info on the myths of Canis Minor:
startales
spacenow
starryskies

† source- Wikipedia

-S.

Sunrise 2008

2008-01-11T19:32:00.001-05:00

On Dec. 31, 2007, We were asleep by 8:30 pm. But, we were up by 5 am, early enough to catch the first sunrise of 2008.

We had a great day. We gorged on sausage and sauerkraut for good luck, and spent the day watching movies, lazily recouping from the jet lag. My internal clock has not found it's place yet. As a result, I have been enjoying the early mornings tremendously.

Adam & Upekala Married in Sri Lanka v.1.2

2008-01-03T17:42:00.000-05:00

SRI LANKA
Mount Lavinia Hotel - Colombo

! Remember, you can click on any photo to see full size.

In a traditional Singhalese wedding ceremony, the drummers and dancers proceed the wedding party. The procession started in the courtyard of Mount Lavinia Hotel. The wedding was on Dec. 22, 2007.

Adam and Upekala.

Adam makes room for the "wedding necklace."

Dominic, Dan, Adam, Pek, Dave, and Darron... At the Mount Lavinia Hotel before the wedding.

The wedding party in the courtyard.

Adam and Pek, post wedding. Pek looks beautiful her traditional "homecoming saree". Adam sports Grampa Dyer's stylin' hat.

Upekala, Adam, I.D., and Romani - Pek's parents.

The Nilsson side if things.

Sara looked awesome in her saree. Thanks Melanie!

The Corvallis (and Vegas) crew. "Come on party people, put your hands in the air..."

View of Mount Lavinia Hotel from the beach. This was the private beach... at least down to the fishing village. There were two restaurants on this beach serving up some of the best seafood I have ever eaten, including my new favorite, Seer Fish... which makes sense, as it is related to Wahoo Fish, my other favorite.

Around 7 AM, looking the other way, a ship wreck on the Indian Ocean. Further down the beach is the fishing village where we met David and Rogers, local fishermen. David's dog looked cool with his face paint. On this morning, we enjoyed sharing fresh green coconut milk, hand picked and out of the shell.

Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage

Watching the elephants go by at Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage. many of the elephants here had been orphaned due to the conflict between the Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan government. There are still hundreds, if not thousands of land mines buried in the jungles along the "border". There was an elephant with a missing foot, and one with no ears. Other elephants had been orphaned as a result of farmers protecting their crops.

The elephants, coming back from bathing in the river, headed for lunch. They walked right up the road from the river, across the road, and into their orphanage grounds.

Sigiriya - Lion's Rock

Sigiriya, or Lion's Rock, built during the reign of King Kasyapa (477 – 495 AD). This was one the capital of Ceylon (pre-Sri Lanka). The rock, which stands over 370 meters, is said to have first been inhabited by Buddhist monks, then the king of Ceylon who built a fortress on the top to protect him from his brother who was trying to defeat him. The rock is filled with caves with fresco paintings in them from over 1,500 years ago. The rock, and the gardens surrounding it, are again considered a sacred place for Buddhist monks. Best to be quiet.

Over 1,200 steps to the top. The king never had to walk these stairs... He was carried.

Here are some blessed examples of the many fresco paintings in the caves of Sigiriya. Curiously, all of the paintings were of topless maidens, and it is said that the king had over 500 concubines. Many of the the lower cave paintings were covered up by early monks, who obviously found them to be distracting.

The entrance to the fortress was a giant lion. The rest of the lion is no longer around, but again this is from 1,500 years ago.

Still Climbing stairs.

Darron and I on top of Sigiriya.

A view of the gardens below, once again maintained by Buddhist monks. Look closely and notice the straight line to Buddha, who stands over 200 ft high.

I loved seeing the monkeys all over the place, along with all types of wild life. We even watched as a very large moniter lizard snagged a salamander from one of the moats surrounding this giant rock fortress.

On the way down we ran into an actual snake charmer. I always wanted to see one of these guys in action.

Dambulla

These are the caves of Dambulla. The area is thought to be inhabited from as early as the 3rd Century BC. Statues and paintings in these caves date back to the 1st Century BC.

Buddhist monks meditating in the caves of Dambulla at that time provided the exiled king protection from his enemies. When King Valagamba returned to the throne at Anuradapura kingdom in the 1st century BC, he had a magnificent rock temple built at Dambulla as a gratitude to the monks in Dambulla.

Sunset at Dambulla.

Kandy City - Sri Dalada Maligawa Temple.

The holy city of Kandy, was also one of the previous capital cities of Ceylon. This is the Temple of the Tooth Relic. It is said that one of the teeth of Buddha is enshrined in this temple, making it particularly sacred for today's Buddhists.

A Lotus offering.

Here, people say prayers and make offerings to Buddha's tooth relic.

Kandalama

Kandalama Hotel. This is one the most amazing, if not the most amazing hotels I have ever been to. Kandalama has received many awards for it's "green" design, and currently is recognized as one the most eco-friendly buildings in the world. Not to mention it was beautiful!

The infinity pool over looking the lake. We could see two different types of monkeys, trees filled with butterflies, giant (I mean really, really big) bats, and all types of birds flying and fishing around the lake. There were also
wild elephants, civet cats, and some sort of deer roaming around. I can only image what else was out there that could not be seen from the comforts of the hotel grounds.

The view from the toilet. Talk about sanctuaries of reflection.
Often one could watch the monkeys right outside your window.

Renwali Spice Gardens

We were able to stop by a spice garden for a tour and educational experience. We learned about health and wellness through alternative methods as well as good cookin'.
As lovers of Curry, Sara and I enjoyed this very much.

Sri Lankan spices are said to be some of the best in the world. It is not just the Curry spices either. Try Cocoa, Vanilla, and Cinniman!
Highly Recommended Curry Dishes: Just add Coconut Milk to a some Curry Powder. Add a little Fish Sauce and Brown Sugar... Don't forget your Chili Powder for the heat! Add anything you want to this and enjoy for days.

Nuware Eliya - The Grand Hotel

Our last stop before heading back to Colombo was The Grand Hotel in Nuware Eliya, located 6800 ft above sea level. This area, high in the mountains of Sri Lanka is surrounded by tea plantations. Here we enjoyed true Ceylon Tea, where it is grown. We learned the difference between highland tea and lowland tea, as well as what the "silver tips" are. Silvertips are, of course, the premium tea leaves.

In the gardens of the Grand Hotel. I was out of breath just walking around (due to the elevation, of course).

Tea plantations covered the hills and mountains.

Waterfalls could be seen around every corner it seemed. These waterfalls were huge, and beautiful, as the terrain was very steep. At 7,000 ft above sea level in late December, the temperature was still perfect, and the water warm.

Savannah and Fuji...

2007-12-13T14:33:00.001-05:00

Savannah... Proud Dog.

Fuji, with her enormous ears flappin'.

Fuji is quickly catching up to Savannah in size. They love to play, and Fuji does not back down for anything.

Fishing with the Kramers...

2007-12-13T14:09:00.001-05:00

Lloyd, Sylvia, Eric, and Jen came down for a visit this past week. We kept ourselves very busy. From riding a Surrey enjoying Luminera Friday night (lit candles line the bike paths down the length of the island and stores/groups provide food and drink), to riding scooters around the islands, and having individual segways for everyone's use. Billy hooked us up. But one of the best days was when Billy took us out in his new boat.

Savannah loved taking over the controls.

We found a school of dolphins right off shore.

They were jumping and rolling and making a scene. It was great.

Sylvia and Savannah liked hanging out.

A Keywest Grunt...too small to keep, but a curious fish indeed. The lips would turn bright red and it would grunt, like Forest Gump did when imitating his principle.

Ryan, local favorite and Salli's cousin, caught the largest fish of the day...and strangest looking. It is called a Hog fish, and he said it was delicious.

Jen and Eric showing off a Black Grouper... also too small to keep. Too bad, 'cause we know these are delicious!

Here I am pulling in a HUGE one. Savannah is there helping me out every step of the way. She loved to see what we would pull in to the boat. She is a great fisherdog.

Eric showing off another sizable catch (and release).

Lloyd caught his share too.

What a great day!

Props to Dingo in His Moment of Zen...

2007-11-27T15:08:00.001-05:00

Darron, sitting on the peak of Mount Whitney, which is the highest point in the lower 48, at elevation 14,505 feet. This is a great photo, and although it has been a month or two since his adventure, I had to give him props.
Also, because of his accomplishment, Brian gets props too. Unfortunatelty, I have no photo of Brian's moment on the top.
Learn more about Mount Whitney here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Whitney

More from Fuji...

2007-11-10T00:20:00.001-05:00

Fuji likes to taunt Savannah by playing with her tire. Savannah is not very territorial, but when it comes to her tire...watch out!

Savannah claims her tire after a drawn out battle of the wits. Fuji...too tired to continue.

Nap time for the dogs... You can see here how much larger Fuji will be than Savannah...probably by next week. Look at those giant feet!

Savannah, cuddled up for her Sunday morning news. She loves to be under the blanket. I guess 70º is too cold for her...and Sara.

Pek and Adam get Honorable Mention...

2007-11-09T19:01:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to Pek and Adam for receiving accolades for this photo titled, "Hornet Nest", in a recent botany photo competition at OSU.
You can view more of their great science photos at: http://oregonstate.edu/~wijayrau/news_page.html

FUJI ARRIVES...Savannah's new friend!

2007-11-09T18:53:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the neighborhood, Fuji. Billy and Salli, our neighbors, got Kubbie a new toy. Although she is only 8 weeks old in this picture, she is now 12 weeks old and almost as big as Savannah! She is going to be huge...like Kubbie.

Fuji's brothers and sisters...

Another Halloween Gone By...

2007-11-08T17:56:00.001-05:00

Savannah got into the spirit by helping Sara out with her costume.

Sara took 1st Place at the Community Center Halloween Party! She looked pretty much like she had returned from the dead. By the end of the evening the tattered rags were starting to slide down with the help of gravity, so it was a good thing we took duct tape to solve that problem...Mummies don't wear much underneath.

The Community Center Party was for the children, really. I am not sure why, but neither the kids nor their parents seemed to appreciate the time I took getting my makeup just right. Ultimately I felt it was appropriate to go home and clean my face, and put on a cowboy hat so I would not freak the kids out with he blood (then decoagulated from the heat) freely running down my face. I thought that was what Halloween was for...that and the delicious candy.

The Day of the Triathlon...

2007-10-04T08:07:00.000-05:00

An early start to an exciting day...

Sara still finds time to enjoy the sunrise.

Almost as amazing as our sunsets...but too early to fully take it all in and appreciate it.

Some of the Team in Training Crew.

Getting nervous before the race... I am talking about me as the couch coach and documentarian. Sara is ready to go.

Sara's age group on the line. Second one from right furthest forward is Sara... inching out to getting her ankles used to the water temp (warm).

And off they go...

Over a mile swim. Sara did fantastic here. We had really only practiced in pools, so this was a lot different. I told her to think of alligators nipping at her toes to keep her motivated and swimming fast.

Into the changing stages to start the cycling portion.

Salli showing support for our favorite triathlete.

Coming down the path, Sara finds the cameraman and shows her enthusiasm. Notice, she leads the pack.

...And the grueling 10k kicks in. The humidity was at 95%, which is incredibly unpleasant for all you west-siders.

Coming into sight of the finish line with an awesome time, right before the clouds let loose a horrendous thunder storm...

Still smiling... Do it again next year?

Facelift...

2007-09-20T09:12:00.000-05:00

Savannah's' blog has been upgraded. In the process, some links and other information was lost, so it may be a few days before I can get everything back to where it is supposed to be.
In the meantime, enjoy the new look, links, and music.

Unruly Clouds...

2007-09-13T19:28:00.000-05:00

A storm is brewing... We went outside to go for a swim and couldn't help notice the gnarly cloud formations darkening the sky. Swimming trip canceled.
(You can click on the picture to enlarge it)

20 - 30 Minutes later... The lightning and thunder set in... I tried to capture a few strikes on camera... I got a couple.

-D.

In and Around the Yard...

2007-08-29T00:16:00.000-05:00

These are some pictures that Sara took the other day while moseying around the yard.

Gotta love a nice Sunny Sunday afternoon.

Savannah is well. Sara is well. Thanks to everyone that helped Sara reach her fund raising goal for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Foundation. I believe her Triathlon is less than 4 weeks away! She runs about a million miles a week and can out swim me in the pool or the ocean. I got my old skool cycling skills though, so I can keep her head filled with glory day stories, motivating her while making me feel good about myself and the couch-coaching style I have adapted. On this particular Sunny Sunday which these pictures were taken, Sara went on a twenty mile bike ride followed by a two hour run and was home in time to make me delicious blueberry pancakes and watch the morning news show. Later, we rode to the west end beach for a swim. After what seemed like forever, I had to stop due to a serious (luckily not fatal) shoulder cramp accompanied by the sudden onset of a threatening lightening storm with strikes potentially nearing the 10 mile safety perimeter I had earlier established. I think there may have also been sharks in the area. Reports were later made that there had been a slight rip in the tide creating dangerous currents- at the very least causing the sand to be stirred making visibility, even with goggles, quite difficult.

Life is kind on Sanibel Island. I am lucky to have Sara.
Savannah's cool too.

The Open Road...

2007-07-03T11:11:00.001-05:00

We just got back from a very long road trip. 2276 was the final mileage. The destination was Lexington, Kentucky. The purpose was a wedding. The time frame was 4 days, with lunch date in Asheville, North Carolina on Sunday afternoon.

Everything went great. Savannah enjoyed her first road trip (I think). She mainly slept, sneaking up into an open lap when she could get away with it. Once we got to Lexington, I know she enjoyed playing with Nala and Sasha. She hadn't seen Nala since February! Savannah was also introduced to two kittens. Her first experience with the cat. She liked playing with them and only took one swat to the nose for getting too close.

The wedding event was nice. It took place on a 1,000+ acre horse farm called Gainesway Farms. The owner is a South African man named Graham J. Beck. He made his fortune in mining, and now dabbles in horse breeding, yacht making, and owns a huge winery. Needless to say the farm itself is remarkable, and their thoroughbreds are some of the finest in the world with yearlings selling at more than $5 Million. Yup, million. If they have the right parents and they look good, these horses can cost a pretty penny. Gainesway farms has one of the only three fillies to have won the Kentucky Derby. Along with her foals and the rest of the horse breeding, Gainesway is a Billion Dollar Company.
learn more here: http://www.gainesway.com

Our friends Josh and Tiff got married.
The wedding was casual, and the weather was perfect. Sara documented the afternoon while lawn games such as croquet and badminton were enjoyed and a jazzy bluegrass band played in the sun.

Other photos from the farm >>>
Lawn games and bike riding were enjoyed by all.

Sara, checking out mothers and foals.

Just one of the pastures...this one is only 87 acres.

A rare chance to actually wear a cowboy hat. Unfortunately, we did not get to ride the Thoroughbreds.

The happy couple riding off on a tandem.

Sara has a flare for geometric shapes and lines.

On the 21st floor in Lexington, at the reception.

Josh and Tiff...all dressed up for their reception.

Josh's shoes....purchased in Chilé.
A rare find.

And a final tribute to our friend Ryan, the Master Horticulturist at Gainseway Farms...

From the Dominican Republic to the Legion- It Never Stops...

2007-06-22T08:07:00.001-05:00

A great vacation idea.
This is the beach at La Terrenas, a quaint little town on the north shore of the Samaná Peninsula in The Dominican Republic. The Samaná Peninusla is one of the most beautiful areas I have been. Virtually untouched by tourism and development, the beaches are pristine, the water is clear and the people are great. Not to mention the fish!

This is El Limón Falls. A short hike, or a horse back ride into the hills leads you to this national park. We were warned that if we didn't have a guide that we would be mugged on the trail. We figured out really quick that if you just tell people that you paid for a horse and a guide, but declined the company, everyone was ok with it. Every person we came across was very friendly and nobody tried to mug us. Not too many choose to hike the trail. So many horses and mules make the trip everyday that although you think you are hiking through mud, one good whiff will tell you that it is actually not mud... Needless to say, every creek crossing was a welcome experience.

This has got to be one of my favorite places in the world. Playa de Rincón. Also located on the Samaná Peninsula, this area is near the town of Samaná, where the humpback whales go for the winter.

More Playa de Rincón...

Bahia de Rincón, or Rincón Bay. The interior part of the bay is calm and beautiful. There were exactly two other beach-goers in the 5 square mile area. The only other people around were running a little "restaurant" (term used loosely). They caught fresh fish all day and cooked them up over a coconut shell fire. Yum.

This is also Rincón Bay...Easy enough to find a chair.

A local family in Rincón. They are looking to sell their land and "retire" after raising 13 children, 3 of which are still at home, mentally retarded and disfigured, although amazingly healthy (ages 47, 42, and 38). At 70-something, the mother still carries the youngest around, as his legs never fully developed. She has not been off the mountain since she had children. They have no car, live off the land, and they are the finest people I have meet in a long time. Their goal is to sell their land and move into town so their lives will be a little easier. This is the property that Hans is purchasing.

Getting to the top of the mountain was half the fun. I was with a bunch of people that had obviously not done enough 4-wheelin' in their time. Far from the sketchiest road I have seen, this rocky road to the top was still a decent challenge.

Of course, once you made it to the top, the view was unbelievable. This is Bahia de Rincón....same place shown in the pictures above.

Here is the view looking the other way.

In and around Las Terrenas, where I was staying, Hogs are the preferred transportation choice. My Hog was a Yamaha 150cc Trail Bike. Just fast enough to have too much fun. Motorcycles end up being the most expensive part of the day at less than $20 per day.
A place to stay: $10/night
Food to eat: $2.50/meal
Drink: We'll just a bit too inexpensive.

In Other News... THANK YOU!!!
Thanks to Sara, Adam, Pek, Marcus, and of course, Dominic for helping make my birthday a truly delightful surprise. (Special thanks to Jeff, Jason, and Chris for their financial contributions).
I almost messed everything up by going to the Dominican Rep. last minute, but they still pulled off coming to Florida to play a show at the local American Legion on Sanibel Island. It turned out to be one of the rockin'est shows ever to be witnessed at the Legion, according to some crusty old fishermen Vets.

A great crowd of friends, old and new, at the Legion from the band's vantage point...Very intimidating.

Fun Lovin' women...a key component for any birthday party rock-n-roll show on Sanibel Island. From left to right: Sara, Elizabeth, Amy, and Amy's friend.

And Upekala... It's never a party without a USGS representative.

Me, Ana, and Paul. I have known and really have enjoyed working with Ana for a while now,- and I love playing golf with Paul and his clubs. It was great to have them there for the party.

Jeff, a true Brudda Kind...Ana, and myself in a documented good time.

33 years old...

Happy Mother's Day...

2007-05-12T22:57:00.000-05:00

May.
It is already May.
Mother's Day.
I miss my grammas. I have a gramma in Ohio and one in East London, South Africa.
It has been a while since I have seen either of them. I hope they both have nice Mother's Days!
I have grown. Not as much as you may think, but I have grown. I was able to take Kubbie to the beach today and enjoy the sun and the warm water.

Dan has been enjoying work lately. He brings it home with him all the time. Luckily, I keep my tennis ball handy so when he gets home, I don't have to waste any time before we can start playing catch. I have gotten good at catching the ball. You can throw it as fast as you want. I'll catch it!

Sara bought me a frisbee to play with. We took it to the beach today. I can catch it too...no problem. Well, I don't get it every time. Especially when it goes far into the surf...I let Kubbie get those for me. He has no problem getting through the waves, swimming out to get the frisbee. Best part is, he gives the frisbee to me every time so I can drop it off and and get the credit.

The winter is over and most of the tourists are gone. It is nice to have the beaches back.
We had a very dry winter. It made for beautiful weather and few bugs.

We hope that people come and visit us soon. It has been a while.
-S.

Time Flies...

2007-02-06T16:09:00.001-05:00

Wow...

It is hard to believe how quickly time has gone by these last couple of months. It is an overwhelming task to get you completely caught up.

So, for now...here is a brief synopsis:

After Thanksgiving, Christmas came. What a fun day that was! It rained so hard that I thought we would float away. Dan and Sara went in a bike ride that day without me. Good thing, 'cause they got caught in the rain storm halfway through. They had to ride home in 4 inches of water while the lightening was way too close for comfort. I don't like thunder very much.

Then came the New Year. Happy 2007! I slept through the whole event, as did my humans.

The big news is that we moved. We found a great place. Still on the island, our new house has a lot more room for me to run around. We are right on a nature preserve, so it is just like having 20 acres ro so in our backyard. I love it. The best part for me is that we are right down the road from my best friend, Kubbie.

We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of Dan's brother, Micah, and his wife Cheryl, who will be com ing out for a visit in a couple of days. Pappa Dave will also be coming along. Micah will be competing in the Nation Barr Association's National Negotiating Championship in Miami this weekend. Hopefully he can negotiate a win and head off to Singapore for the World Championship.

We are going to have a consistant string of visitors over the next month or two...who can blame people for coming here? We are very excited.

Here are some photos taken since my last post...

Here I am at 6 1/2 months. I am getting pretty big. By now, I am 71/2 months old. I am wearing my bandana from the Lazy Dog Outfitters in KeyWest. My humans picked it up for me last time they went kayaking down there in November.

I would have rather gone with...but I do like bandanas.

We had a great time when Sylvia and Lloyd, Sara's parents came to visit right before Christmas. I showed them the beach, which is of course one of my favorite placed in the world.

Here I am on a boating excursion. We went with our friends, Walt and Amy to North Captiva and Caya Costa, two of my favorite islands. They are just minutes from Sanibel, but you have to take a boat to get there.

Turkey Day and Shout Outs

2006-11-23T21:26:00.000-05:00

I took a while off, I guess. I had to have surgery, so that has had me sort of out of it. I am off all my doggy drugs and I only have a few days left before my stitches should be gone. Then I can have a bath! I only broke one stitch so far. I tried to be good and not paly too hard while I was healing...but that is a lot to ask. I am feeling pretty good now. Especially after today!

I've been working hard at growing up as big as Kubbie. I think I'm pretty much there.
We got to go to Kubbie's house for Thanksgiving. It was delicious. I had a pig's ear, and Kubbie had a giant bone. He ate it. All of it. I guess that is what my new big teeth are going to be for.

I follow Kubbie around everywhere when he is around. He lets me pick on him all day long... A lot of people think he his my dad, but we are just buddies. I guess we look similar.

We wrestle and chase each other until I can't even walk. I was supposed to be taking it easy because if my surgery...but I couldn't help running around a bit while all the humans sat around the table eating human food.

Now, here is a shout out to my penpal, and cousin, Jazzy. Jazzy lives all the way up in Dayton, Ohio with her humans Beth and Ian. We have not met yet, but I am hoping that she will come down for a visit someday.

This phot was from around Halloween. She has her Halloween bowties on her ears.

And this is a picture of Darron on his new birthday present! Dan says that it looks fun, and he wants to go to California so he can ride it. Good job Sandee! And Happy 30th Darron!!

Have a Great Thanksgiving!
-S.

Kong, Baths, and Lost Teeth...

2006-11-06T19:14:00.000-05:00

The last couple of days have been pretty mellow. However, we did a few fun things like a trip to the beach, walks, and playing "Kong".
The beach trip was fun. It was windy, so Dan tried to fly a kite. Actually, it was two kites. I watched them fly for a while before the wind took them away. They flew a long way before crashing into the Gulf. Dan was going to swim out there...but it was a long way to swim, and he said he couldn't see them. I think he was afraid of sharks...Litterbug!!

I love to play Kong. Kong is my big red chew toy that is usually filled with peanut butter to keep me complacent will the humans are away.

Usually Dan and Sara throw the Kong into the bushes and make me look for it. I can always find it, even if I don't see where it went. This is me looking for my Kong yesterday.

Then I will always take it back to them so they will throw it some more. I wish they would chase me around like Kubbie always does...but I guess they like me to drop it off in front of them so they only have to move as little as possible.

They will usually play with me until I am pretty tired. I like to roll around, then take a nice long nap after a hard game of "Kong".

But if course if I play too hard, or especially if we go to the beach...I always end up getting a bath. I don't mind it so much. I have learned to not be afraid of the water, and the soap really smells good. It doesn't taste so good, but it smells good.
This is me getting washed by Sara.

Then there is my stick collection. It is getting pretty big. I eat some of them, so it doesn't grow too fast, but I love to keep them on the lanai. I am not allowed to bring my stick collection in the house for some reason, so I just leave them all nice and tidy on the front mat. I keep some of my toys there too. I don't know why, but the carpet is much better for storing sticks and toys then the wood deck.

In other news...I lost another tooth! Check this out:

This is my tooth right before it came out. It is pretty much dead and just dangling there. It came out a bit later in the day...thanks to Dan's help!

This is what it looks like when my tooth is no longer in my mouth. Don't worry, it doesn't hurt.

-S.

First Night Away From Home...

2006-11-02T13:25:00.000-05:00

Wow...What an exciting evening. It was my first sleep over! I got to stay the night at my Uncle Billy's and Aunt Salli's last night. It was sooo fun playing with Kubbie all night long. I am pooped today though. I don't even want to move. I think my humans, Dan and Sara feel the same way. They went to a concert last night in Miami. One of their favorite musicians played, and they really didn't want to miss it. They told me that Brett Dennen and Randy "Detroit" Schwartz put on a fantastic show, as always...They could have played a few more songs, but they were opening up for someone else...and besides, the Miami crowds just aren't the same as the West Coast crowds. Florida has some growing up to do. To think, the Guns and Roses concert sold out in the Arena...and yet there were just a few people at the show last night. Dan told me that he just didn't understand people. Me neither! And who is Guns and Roses, anyway?

This a photo of Brett Dennen and Randy Schwartz. They were really cool and very excited to be on my blog, even though I was not able to be at the show. Afterall, I am only 4 months old!

I recommend checking out this site: www.brettdennen.net -or- http://www.myspace.com/brettdennen
It is perfect music for listening to when you are sitting at home by yourself waiting for your humans to get back.

It is almost Uncle Darron's Birthday. It is tomorrow, and he will be 30. That is like, 210 in dog years! Man, is he old! Happy Birthday!
-S.

Scariest Night of the Year...

2006-10-30T12:32:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween!
What a day...I decided to enter the Island Paw's Halloween Costume Contest at the last minute. I just threw something together, really. But guess what...I got second place!!!

My humans, Sara and Dan also celebrated the Weening of the Hallow by dressing up scary.
Sara was a Shark Attack Victim. It was very realistic, if you ask me. She got a lot of compliments on her goriness. You can click on the picture for a better view. Ouch!

Here is her costume from another angle...

And here is Dan dressed as a Goofy Skeleten. He was not nearly as scary as me. He chose a very safe costume, according to Sara...But at least he played along.

We all had fun, even though the real Halloween is tomorrow!

I won all sorts of treats and prizes in the contest.
My favorite is a Dracula toy that says "I've come to suck your blood" when I bite down on it. I like to wake everyone up with it first thing in the morning.

I am Rabies Free...

2006-10-18T10:09:00.000-05:00

I got my last shots...That means I get to play with strange dogs if I want to. Also, next week I get to start my Agility Class that Sara is going to help me with. I am going to be running, jumping, and climbing over stuff with the best of 'em.

I am really glad that whole process of vaccinations is over with, even though I don't mind going to the doctor too much. Everyone in the doctor's office loves me...and I always behave myself - Even when the big dogs bark at me.
The best part about being done is that I got some new jewlery to wear.

It is shiny, jingles when I walk or scratch my head, and it looks good hanging on my collar. This is me after a long day at work. I love to couch surf and watch Animal Planet.

I still get to work with Sara a lot. Sometimes I get to go with Dan, but it is not as exciting.

Here I am on my way out the door with Sara. I am so lucky that I get to go everywhere with Dan or Sara so I am hardly ever left at home by myself. I really really don't like to have to stay home by myself.

Oh- and last night I made it all night long without having to piddle!! Dan got to sleep through the night without having to take me outside for the first time in a long time.

-S.

More About the Shells and Friends...

2006-10-05T14:24:00.000-05:00

This is a photo of everyone that came to visit me. Let's see, there is Amy, Darron, Sandee, Raia, ME, Kip, and Dave.
I can't wait to meet more new friends and family. We wil have visitors through November and December, so I am very excited.

While everyone was here, Shell hunting was one of the favorite activities. I think we found all of them! This is an example of a Lightning Welk.

These are Royal Crowns...We found a ton of them, and Dan still has some pieces of them in his feet!

And these are Cat's Paws...I think.

Many shells were collected. I am not sure what we will do with the collection.

But I like them.

And in other news, Myron, Dan's brother got to star in a TV commercial! He is pretty much famous.

-S.

We Got Some Visitors...

2006-10-02T17:39:00.000-05:00

This weekend was great! I had so much fun meeting Dan's family...or at least some of them. Dave and Kip, Amy, Darron and Sandee...and Raia, who knows exactly where I am coming from, because we're both 16 lbs. We both had to get shots from the doctor last week too, which wasn't even that fun. We don't have the same doctor though. Don't worry.

We got to do all kinds of exciting things this weekend. We found lots of shells and sticks. We went to Ding Darling Nature Refuge to look for alligators. I helped look for them with Sara. I kept my distance though, 'cause they say I would still taste good to a gator if I got too close. No Thanks!

Darron helped us find some nice ones! He is good at that game.

And then, out of nowhere, we saw the only crocodile on Sanibel (footnote: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crocodile - This croc is famous!). It must of been 9 feet long! Huge! I was pretty nervous, but Dan told me that it wasn't interested in eating me. I looked into it, and they do mainly eat fish... (or anything that comes into their territory) according to the website. Not very reassuring if you ask me. He must have just been trying to make me feel better.

Everyone was very excited about seeing the American Crocodile or Crocodylus acutus. They are critically endangered. I've heard that there are only around 800 in Florida and they aren't found in any other state. Dan and Darron could hardly believe it. They were comparing pictures on the internet for a long time trying to identify it before finally accepting what me and Kip knew the whole time...It was definately a Crocodile.

I really liked everybody. Kip, Dan's mom, was so nice to me. I will miss her a lot while she is away. She leaves in two weeks for South Africa! I will be all grown up by the time I see her again. But hopefully we will see each other on this new thing called video chatting! I met Amy's family that way this weekend! Here is Staten and Windsyr during our last video chat. They live all the way out in California but we can still talk and see each other at the same time! Very cool! I can't wait to meet them in person.

I will tell you more about the weekend soon!
-S.

A Glance at the Weekend...

2006-09-24T22:15:00.000-05:00

It has been a relaxing weekend. I spent a good deal of time at home by myself, which is no fun at all. The only good part is that I usually get a surprise from my humans because they feel bad for leaving me behind when they run errands.

I have been getting better at my duties like sitting and laying, and not bothering Sara while she eats. I am getting them down, and I still think I am a good learner, and show excellent behavior for a puppy. But, Dan and Sara must either be silly, or they are starting to trust me because they spent the weekend fixing up the house and building furniture. I haven't even got my big girl teeth yet...so this should be interesting. Everything in the house looks to me like it needs to be chewed!

Some fun facts:
• I turned 3 months old this past week.
• I not only caught my first ball, I caught it on the run, from over the shoulder!
• I tasted memory foam. I know why they call it memory foam...I'll always remember how fun it is to eat.
• I think I weigh around 10 or 11 lbs now. I am getting bigger every day.
•I got my first frisbee, and new red collar. I am pretty sure I can destroy the frisbee the first real chance I get.
•I get my first west coast visitors this week. Dave, Kip, Darron and Sandee, and I think Amy are going to come and see me. I can't wait to show them around!

Here is a photo from one of my black and white seiries. I think my new collar really ties together my outfit.

In other news: This is a spider that had babies in the lanai. We were wondering what kind of spider it might be. It is huge! If you click on the photo, you can see a larger version. Look at the babies!

Here is another angle. It looks like a funnel web..? Any guesses?

Here is the spider one last time. This time she is stretched out in her glory...Moments before the end. Not a great day for the mystery spider family.

-S.

Kayaking...

2006-09-21T11:09:00.000-05:00

Finally...I got to go kayaking. I think I did pretty good. At first, I tried to jump out and swim to shore, but after just a little while, I got a hang of it. Especially when I was with Sara. I trust her a lot!! I hope that I get my own boat someday.

I wanted to send a shout out to my Treat Peeps. I love the the treats Dave Johnson, Dan and Sara's friend from Humboldt County, CA, makes and sends to me. They are so good! I think that they played a crucial role in my quick potty training. I will add a link to their website. Thanks Dave!!

-S.

Movie: "Attentive Savannah" Breaks Through to Information Superhighway...

2006-09-17T22:44:00.000-05:00

Traditional Sunset Outing...

2006-09-14T22:08:00.000-05:00

It has been a while since I had a chance to update my blog. I have been pretty busy though. Mostly, I have been busy growing! I must be well over 9 lbs.

I helped Sara at work a couple of days, and I even got to go to work with Dan,which is further away, and no Kubbie. But I do get a lot of attention there.
Today we went to the beach again. We didn't stay too long, but we made it for sunset.

I discovered a few things today:
Some sticks are just too big...

I like to run with Sara (for a little while)...

And some thing s are even better than sticks!

My humans say that I have a couple of interesting traits that seem to be coming out. For example, first they thought it was funny when I started to track a rabbit...but then decided it was a bit early to encourage me to hoan my hunting skills.
I just wanted to show them that I already know how to point...

I saw some great clouds out there this evening...

My First Swim...

2006-09-09T16:47:00.000-05:00

We all went to the beach again today. At first, I didn't really want to go in the water. I got hot playing in the sand though...and Sara and Dan seemed to be more comfortable in the water.

So I got up my courage...

Then I got a good run at it...

And jumped as far as I could jump - right over the wave...

It was a nice leap, if I do say so....

And I SWAM! All the way out to Sara...

And then I swam back to shore...

It was easy. I did it over and over again, until I was too tired to play anymore.

I love going to the beach. We even saw a big manatee just a few feet away from us!

The sand still makes me sneeze, and the water didn't taste any better this time. Since it was so hot, and I was so exhausted, we finished our swim in the water and headed home. Good thing, cause I could barely stay awake after all that! Whew....another fun day!!
-S.

Small Beginnings...

2006-09-08T23:08:00.000-05:00

I met Sara and Dan a little while ago. I liked them right away and knew immediately that we'd be a great fit.
I just wanted to post this picture of me and my human, Dan. He's warm. I was only 5 lbs. when they brought me home with them. I am an astounding 8 lbs. now, and since I love food time so much, I think I will grow up big...almost as big as Kubbie.

Kayaking...

2006-09-08T19:42:00.000-05:00

This was another fun day! Sara and Dan left me at home, so they could go kayaking for an afternoon at Ding Darling (a really cool nature preserve near our home).....I was bummed that I couldn't go kayaking. I'm hoping they will buy a small raft to pull me behind their kayak!

Anyway, when they got home, they washed their kayaks. I helped Sara wipe down her boat. It was fun!! Don't I look good?!
-S.

A Day at the Beach...

2006-09-08T19:39:00.000-05:00

We went to the Beach for the first time not too long ago. It's really close to home, but it is an exausting activity! Talk about limitless digging potential!

Upon our arrival, I was given only two rules:

-Don't drink the water and Don't eat the sand.

Well, I did both first thing! Neither were that great. The sand made me sneeze, and the water tasted horrible. I'll try again next time...maybe it will taste better.

Seashells are fun to eat.

The ocean is big and a little scary. I may want to swim around in it someday, but for now, I am happy just getting my feet wet and playing in the sand.

Here is the beach where I love to play!

I can't wait to show everbody all of my sticks!

-S.

Me, Kubbie, and Sara...

2006-09-08T18:51:00.000-05:00

Here is a photo of my friends, Kubbie and Sara.

They are good friends, especially Sara, who is one of my humans. She takes real good care of me, and feeds me. She makes me go to work with her sometimes, which is nice because I get to play with Kubbie - but really, who likes work!

Kubbie is my idol. He is 2 years old and 110 lbs (I'm only 8 lbs.)! He teaches me a lot of cool things, Sara says he teaches me 'bad habits'. I'm not really sure what that means, but I know that I need to grow big so I can drink out of the toliet like Kubbie! That looks like fun!!

-S.

The Alligator Next Door...

2006-09-08T16:40:00.000-05:00

I mentioned that I met an alligator. I just wanted to expound on that for a moment. I wasn't even scared, but I could tell that my humans were more than a little nervous about the meeting. We were on a walk down to the end of the street, which is one of my favorite places to go on walks. I love it down at the end of the street because that is where the Sanibel River is. But along with fresh water on the island come alligators. They are not so much an issue for my humans, but until I get a little bigger and even a little smarter, I need to be careful.
Here is a picture of the alligator that lives in my neighborhood:

This alligator was not that big...but I guess they get pretty large. My human, Dan, threw a rock near the gator to scare it off in the other direction. He didn't hit it with the rock, although I am not so sure he wasn't trying.
-S.

Enter...Savannah.

2006-09-08T15:25:00.000-05:00

Hello. My name is Savannah. This is going to be a great way to share my adventures with my friends and family.
A little about myself...
I am about 10 weeks old, but growing up quickly. My humans tell me that I am quite bright and a very fast learner- which they have mixed feelings about. I am a Weimaraner pup, and I love to play, and pounce, and find perfect little sticks to carry around.
I live on Sanibel Island in Florida, where there is lots to do, and plenty of friends to play with. I love to go to the beach and watch the waves (term used loosley) roll in. I like to go on walks, and I don't even mind when my humans get lazy and make me drag them around on their leash The only thing I have to watchout for are alligators- I saw my first one last week right down the road!
Apparently, I would make really good snack if I got too close.

I look forward to telling you about my experiences, and what's going on with my humans.
Check back soon for updates!

-S.