A Farewell to Mecki

To my bff Mecki-

Words will never ever be able to express how much I’ll miss you. 

I’ll miss our walks through the estate, both of us competing to be slightly ahead of the other on the path.

I’ll fondly remember our sleepover where we kept stealing each other’s antlers (even though neither of us really wanted to chew on them), sneaking in to eat your breakfast (sorry…you snooze you lose), blowing out Sister’s eardrums with our barking and whining, and rough-housing in the backyard (even though it resulted in us both getting a bath).

I’ll miss receiving mini-Meck toys smelling of you (for that extra touch of authenticity). 

I’ll think frequently of that time I swatted you with my paw when you were climbing all over me and laughing when your Mom stuck you in a hollowed-out tree trunk for a picture. 

And Sister?  She’ll always remember your over socialized nature, the fact that you ran on belly rubs, that your tail never ever stopped wagging, and all those attack kisses (you really could get some air with those short little back legs). 

There’s so many memories and so many stories and I thank you for all of them (not to mention it was your blog which kick started this one). 

You were the best friend a pup could ever have and you will be so missed. 

Your bff Rigby

 

A Series of Small Adventures

The life of a devilishly handsome pup such as myself isn’t necessarily one exciting adventure after another.  Sometimes, it’s more of a series of small events packed in between well-earned naps and dinner breaks.  The last handful of months have definitely fallen under the category of the latter. Here’s pictorial collage of what I’ve been up to: 

Twined with Lamb Chop (that’s me on the right).



Suffered a post Easter hangover (parties take a lot out of me).



Worked on my patented “Aren’t I pitiful?” look (look at those big brown eyes).



Gained fame as an advertising star (shout-out to My Estate for posting this throwback picture).



Hung out in the great outdoors with my new squeaky ball (sod is quite comfy).


 

But there was one event from the last few months which was not captured on camera:  Pa and I bonded while sniffing a tree.  You see, Pa and I were heading out for our morning walk, when we stopped at the next-door neighbor's dogwood tree.  While I busily sniffed the base of the tree ("reading the newspaper" as Pa calls it), Pa leaned forward and sniffed a couple of the pink flowers hanging from its branches.  Sister witnessed this touching scene from the front window, but rather than be moved by it, she instead decided to mock Pa and I for it.  

 

Obviously, some people just don't appreciate a poignant father/son moment.

Visiting My Estate with Baci

Baci

We had been friends for a while, Baci and I, even though we had never actually met snout to snout.  Sure, I'd hear tales of him from conversations his Mom and my Sister would have (and I'm sure Sister shared quite a few overly exaggerated stories about my daily forays into mischief because she's that kind of person), but Baci and I were, essentially, unknown to each other.  But then, a couple of weekends ago and after nearly a year and a half of listening to stories, I was beyond happy to hear that I was finally going to meet Baci.  And even better, I found out that I was going to meet him at my estate (AKA Old Westbury Gardens) at their Fidos at Four event.

For those of you who don’t know, Baci is a 16-month-old Silver Labrador Retriever who calls Sister’s friend Gina "Mom."  From day one, I knew that Baci was a really cool guy even though I most certainly did not understand his love of swimming or why he got eggs for breakfast and I never did (I only get my kibble, a small pretzel, a single Cheerio, and maybe a blueberry if it's in season).

Anyway, as soon as I found out what was going on, I went into my normal routine of excitement overdose (pacing, barking, whining, running in and out of the house, stealing shoes and socks as Sister tried putting them on, and, of course, drooling all over the place).  When I got in the car I paced, huffed, drooled, and generally drove Sister (the driver) crazy.

Baci Leading the Way

Needless to say, by the time we reached my estate, I was pretty much exhausted.  But me being me, I dug deep and managed to find enough energy to drag Sister from the parking lot to “Rigby’s wall” located directly in front of the house (see my profile picture featuring a very young yours truly and his namesake wall).  Not that long after arriving, Sister knelt down next to me and whispered “There’s Baci” in my ear.

And there he was, pulling his Mom up the path just like I had a few minutes earlier.

With a wag of the tail and a nose bunk, Baci and I said our hellos.  Then I said hello to Gina while Baci said hi to Sister.  Gina tried to give me a treat in greeting, but as my loyal readers know, I’m very suspicious of freely offered food and immediately spit the cookie out onto the ground and walked away (Baci then swooped in and ate the cookie himself).

Art of Water Bottle Drinking

Once our greetings were over, we set off to explore the estate.  I took Baci to all my favorite spots, we bunked noses with a whole bunch of dogs (there was an especially large number of cousins present), I taught Baci how to drink out of a water bottle, and we were good boys and didn't cause too much drama when either Gina or Sister held both our leashes when the other stepped away for a moment.

Overall, a grand time was had by all (though I did notice Baci looking longingly toward the two ponds and one reflecting pool we passed on our travels).

Baci and I Twining

 

Outtakes

Spring Dog Days at Old Westbury Gardens

Loyal readers of my blog know that there are a handful of specific dates/events that I look forward to each and every year.  There's my birthday of course, Christmas, the day the air conditioner is installed, and Dog Days Weekend at Old Westbury Gardens (AKA "my estate").  Well, my birthday's a month away, Christmas is seven months away, and as much as I huff and puff Ma insists that "it's not that hot" and therefore way too early to put in the air conditioners.  That means that this weekend past had to be Spring Dog Days at Old Westbury Gardens.

On Saturday, the first day of Dog Days, I went with Sister, Karin, and Mecki.  As is tradition, we met at "Rigby's Wall" (the one depicted in my profile picture) and participated in the great cookie exchange. Deciding to be ornery that morning, I refused to eat most of the cookies Karin offered me, choosing to instead roll them around in my mouth (getting them good and slobbery) before spitting them out onto the grass.  And do you know what happened next?  Karin actually picked up each slobbery cookie (unless Mecki got to it first) and put them back in her pocket.  What great fun!

Anyway, after the great cookie exchange (Mecki ate the cookie Sister offered), we made our way into the gardens.  We wandered around the West Pond, perused the Rose Garden, scurried through the Ghost Walk, and explored the East Lake via the Woodland Walk.  On our stroll, we met lots of pups (including numerous Golden Retrievers), sniffed lots of interesting smells, and begged for attention from passersby.

 

 

And then we met something that I can only describe as other-worldly.

Snapping Turtle

Wandering down one of the paths, the four of us ran into a giant snapping turtle who was making his way, rather determinedly, across the property to get from the East Lake to the West Pond.  Sister and Karin took turns checking out the turtle, leaving Mecki and me behind which was fine by me because that turtle was scary looking from a distance and I certainly did not want to get any closer to him.

A couple of hours later, our walk was over, and we returned to the car.  I was exhausted and fell asleep in the backseat before we even left the property.

When I got home, I drank about three gallons of water and stretched out on the kitchen floor in a puddle of drool and drinking water.

 
I snoozed there until dinner time at which point I ate my food, went out for a quick business trip, then settled down on the living room floor for another nap.

I roused briefly to sample the ice cream Sister had for dessert...

...but spent the rest of the evening snoozing on my pillow when I normally would have been barking for a PB&K or at car doors slamming blocks away.  At 10pm, Sister asked if I wanted to go out to do business one last time.  I didn't really want to, but I knew Sister wouldn't leave me alone unless I did so, sore and achy, I got up and dragged my weary bones outside.  When I got back in, I collapsed on my pillow.  It was after witnessing that particular moment of sheer exhaustion that Sister decided to camp downstairs in the living room rather than force me to drag myself upstairs to bed.

Early on Sunday morning (6:30am to be precise), I woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed having slept nearly 17 hours straight.  I was begrudgingly taken outside by Sister for a morning business trip (Sister, as I've said before, is not a morning person) then Sister declared that it was still too early for breakfast and she and I snoozed for another hour or so.  By the way, that's why I like Sister--she's always up for a nap!

Anyway, shortly after we both woke up for the second time, Aunt B came over and she, Sister, and I piled back into the car for a second round of strolling around the estate.  The weather was decidedly unsettled that morning so there wasn't nearly as many people and dogs to meet, but even so, we had an enjoyable walk filled with lots of sniffing and posing for pictures.

Emma Rose and Me:  Oct. 2018

Unfortunately, there was one sad thing that happened on this second excursion:  I learned that my Dog Days Golden Retriever friend Emma Rose had passed away since I last saw her in October.  A highlight of Sunday morning Dog Days was always running into Emma Rose (and her human mom and grandma) and I'm going to miss her a lot.  Sister was very upset about the news, too (I let her give me an extra long hug later in the day).  But, while there will never be another Emma Rose, I did get the opportunity to bunk noses with the newest member of her family:  Alfie, a five-month old mixed breed pup with huge ears and a long curly tail.

Fall Dog Days 2018

Surveying My Estate

It's the most wonderful time of the year!  No, not Christmas (though that is a lot of fun with all the food, wrapping paper, and toys).  This last weekend was Dog Days at Old Westbury Gardens (AKA my estate) and while I wasn't able to hang out with my pals Mecki and Bastille (their mom is vacationing in France), I did have an absolutely wonderful time.

The day (Saturday) started as any other day that promised an outing would; basically, I was crazed.  As soon as I realized that I was going somewhere, I started running through the house, pacing back and forth, eager to get going.  I barked loudly when either Ma or Sister slowed us down by doing such pointless things as packing my traveling bag, checking the weather on TV, and putting on shoes (I don't bother with shoes, why should they?) and when my collar was placed around my neck and the side door opened, I bounded out toward the car.  I even huffed, drooled, and paced in the backseat of the car during the twenty-minute ride to the gardens!

Sister and Me

Ma, Sister, and I spent nearly an hour wandering through the gardens that morning.  I stopped to sniff random plants, I posed for pictures, I bunked noses with a couple of pups, and even showed off my prowess by jumping over the cement bench Sister wanted to pose with me on for a photo. I even stopped long enough to sniff the tree that Mecki and Bastille are routinely photographed in (and yes, I did thank my lucky stars that I'm too heavy to be picked up and put in that tree).

Liberty, Me, Baxter, and the Rest

Eventually, Ma, Sister, and I made our way to the great lawn out back behind the house where I was met with a fun surprise:  three Golden Retrievers (two under the age of one and the other eight years old), a big fluffy black dog, a German Shepherd, and their humans.  I was first greeted by the big fluffy black dog who was off leash and made a bee line straight for me.  He was obviously the welcoming committee.  Anyway, the black dog and I bunked noses then the three Golden Retrievers ran over to say hi.  The two young-ins (one was named Liberty) ran straight to Ma and Sister and began begging for pets and belly rubs.  The older Golden, Baxter, walked over to me to say hello.

The final part of the trip was perhaps the best.  I got to see my Old Westbury Gardens pal Emma Rose.  My readers might remember Emma Rose as the Golden Retriever “cousin” I first met all the way back in 2011.  Since then, Emma Rose and I have run into each other, always unscheduled, at every single Dog Days weekend.  My pal is eleven years old now and had had a serious health scare a couple of weeks ago, but I was happy to see that Emma Rose was feeling better and acting like her old self; calm, quiet, and reserved.  Emma Rose and I bunked noses and hit up each other’s humans for pets.  Then our humans came up with a spectacular idea.  We needed a picture together.

Emma Rose and Me

After saying goodbye to Emma Rose, Ma, Sister, and I made our way back to the car and headed home.  I was completely and totally exhausted, but it was so worth it!

Spring Dog Days 2018

It's been a while since I've been able to partake in the fun and frivolities that is Dog Days at Old Westbury Gardens.  I'm not even one hundred percent certain when I was there last.  I know I didn't go last year.  In the spring I was supposed to meet up with Karin, Joan, and Mecki, but I ended up with an angry belly and not really feeling up to going.  There was another Dog Days event in the fall, but I must have been busy that weekend because I didn't make it there either.  Looking back into my blog's archive, the last time I appear to have gone was back in 2016.  Is that possible?!  Wow, time really flies!  But anyway, no matter when I last went to Dog Days, I went twice last weekend and had the time of my life both days.

The Moment I Found Out

Going into Saturday morning, I had no idea that it was a Dog Days weekend; Sister had managed to keep it a secret from me.  In fact, I only figured out that we were going somewhere about a half hour before we left the house when I witnessed Sister packing Ma's car (because Ma's car is the official "Rigby Road Trip Car" as it is permanently stocked with a seat protector and doggy seat belt system) with cookies, newspapers and bags, leashes, her camera, and multiple bottles of water.  While I watched her pack the car (and occasionally tried, unsuccessfully, to force my way into the front seat), Sister told me where we were going and that my bff Mecki and his mom were going to be there too.

I don't think I need to describe how excited I was.  I think all my loyal readers know me well enough to anticipate my reaction to being told that I was going to go for a car ride, visit with my bff Mecki, and wander through my estate so I won't describe my reaction to you.  Instead, I'll show you a video of what I did for the entire half hour between realizing I was going somewhere and when I actually got in the car.

In the Car

So, after what felt like ten years of barking and carrying on, Sister slipped my collar on over my head, attached my leash, grabbed the car keys, and opened the side door.  A moment later, we were strapped into the car (I rode in the back seat--sadly, Sister did not let me ride shotgun) and driving towards Old Westbury Gardens.

Usually, Mecki and I meet at "Rigby's Wall" which is an outdoor stone wall located right outside the mansion's front door (and where my profile picture was taken years ago).  He usually gets there first and I can hear him howling and carrying on all the way back in the parking lot.  This time, however, we met in the parking lot which meant we could start our pack walk even earlier.

My bff Mecki!

We met tons of dogs on Saturday, Mecki and I, including a half dozen Golden Retrievers of various ages (one was only five months old!) and a pup who looked a lot like Bastille (Bastille stayed home during this adventure because he can be a bit of a handful).  In all, Mecki and I spent almost two and a half hours walking around the lake, up and down the stairs, and through the Rose and Walled Gardens which are usually off limit when it comes to my species (sadly, the Woodland Walk, home of the tree that Mecki and Bastille are always pictured in, was closed due to storm damage).  As is our custom, Mecki and I spent a fair portion of the day vying for pack leader status--scooting in front of each other at every bend of the path.

Surveying My Estate

But then something funny happened.  Mecki, Karin, Sister, and I had made our way to the vendor booths to check out all the bandanas (thankfully, Sister didn't buy me one...she did once and, let's just say, it didn't go over well), dunk our snouts in all the complementary water bowls, and glom pets from anyone who would give them.  Suddenly, a nice lady from behind one of the booths stepped forward and asked Sister if she could give me a sample of one of the home made treats she was selling.  Sister said "Sure," but warned her that I was a bit of a picky eater.

I know, I know, you just did a double take on that sentence.  You might have even heard an old timey record needle scratch.  Yours truly is a "picky eater"?!  Well, in a way, I am, but it's complicated and rather than explain my issue, Sister usually just leaves it at "he's a picky eater."

Smelling the Flowers

Undeterred, the nice lady went back to her booth, picked up a cookie, and handed it to me.  I sniffed it once then turned my head away refusing to take it.  Sister then expanded on her initial statement and explained to the lady that I'm just not a fan of taking food from anyone but my own family. 

And that's where it gets complicated.  You see, I rarely take food from anyone who is not a family member.  I've even been known to spit out carrots (which I love) given to me by Mecki's mom (though I've also been known to root through her bag in search of cookies which I then inhale).  I don't mean it to be impolite or ungrateful when I do this; I guess it's just a little quirk I have.

"Okay," said the nice lady trying desperately to save her sale, "you give it to him then" and she dropped the cookie in Sister's hand.  Sister took a deep breath and placed the cookie in front of my nose.  "Hey Rigs, want a cookie?" she asked though I know what she was really saying was a simple chant of "Please eat the cookie...please eat the cookie."

I tried my best.  Really I did.  I tried to convince myself that the cookie was from the bag of Milkbones Sister had her in her pocket.  I even managed to take the cookie and bite it in half, but that was it.  I ended up spitting it out and sniffing at it suspiciously before walking away while Sister apologized profusely to the nice lady.

Mecki Rollin' In the Grass

Shortly thereafter, I said my goodbyes to Mecki and Karin and climbed back into the car.  While Sister drove, I snoozed in the backseat.  When we got home, I threw myself down on my pillow, fell into a deep sleep, and only got up when it was supper time.

Sunday morning came bright and early the next day--maybe even a bit too early for me who was still recovering from the fun and frivolities of the previous day--but even still, I was up and raring to go when Sister told me that we were going back to my estate.  Into the car I climbed and off we drove, but this time, Sister went the wrong way.  Instead of turning right at the end of the block, she turned left.  Immediately, I became concerned.  Where were we going?

Posing

A minute later, Sister pulled over to the side of the road and the passenger side door opened.  Much to my surprise, my friend Joan climbed into the car.  Now, I haven't seen Joan in a really long time (not since that BBQ at Mecki's house) so I was super excited and by the time we pulled into the Old Westbury Gardens estate, I was pacing back and forth in the back seat with anticipation.

Sleeping in a Pool of Drool

Like Saturday, my estate was packed with dogs and once again, there was a plethora of Golden Retrievers to bunk noses with.  I even got to say hello to my old friend and fellow Golden Retriever Emma Rose and her mom and grandma.

Needless to say, by Sunday evening I was completely and totally exhausted.  Once again, I only woke up long enough to eat meals and I'm not ashamed to say that I was kind of looking forward to my family going back to work the next day because it meant that I would have a good seven hours to really catch up on sleep.  But as tired as I was afterward, I wouldn't have missed Dog Days for the world (and I probably would have still passed on that cookie). 

Outtakes:

Spring Dog Days at Old Wesbury Gardens

Smiling

Last weekend, my bff Mecki, Mecki's mom, Sister, and I went to Old Westbury Gardens (AKA my estate) for their bi-annual Dog Days celebration and oh boy was it fun!  Mecki and I:

• squabbled over who was going to lead the pack on the walk
• bunked noses with lots of dogs (I'm always amazed at how many cousins--AKA Golden Retrievers--I meet on these walks) and had our ears scratched by a lot of humans
• forcibly dragged our slow two legged family members around behind us
• threatened to jump into the lake to steal fish food (okay, that was me, but Mecki would have approved had I done so)
• tangled our humans up in our leashes
• walked in and out of the giant dog houses (log cabins) multiple times 
• slobbered all over everyone with our drinking water soaked beards (Mecki) and jowls (me)
• ate a lot of snacks

Annoyed (or Sneezing)

And speaking of snacks, why is it that Mecki's mom always shows up with a bag full of nice tasty human treats like carrots and apples while Sister only shows up with a bag full of dry flavorless dog cookies (not that I would ever turn my snout up at them)?  Obviously Sister doesn't shop in the right supermarkets.

So anyway, a good time was had by all (and we all slept well following the adventure).