I'm baaaack!

Aloha friends!  I know it's been a while since I've blogged.  Even mascots go on leave, you know. 

On the homefront, my dad took leave and we worked on the yard. Here I am, working hard.

My job was to enjoy the cool dirt that my staff dug up. Meanwhile, they laid pavers. What a waste of good weed growing earth.  I did move some of the dug up dirt back onto its ground even though the pavers were there. Apparently, the staff thinks dirt on top of pavers is a bad thing. They keep sweeping my dirt off the pavers. Strange.

Once Dad went back to work, I went back as well. I got to meet two more veterans from the Vietnam War. 

Getting groomed for work.

My staff has a lot of fur to go through.
My fur collects burrs and they try to get rid of them.

Wolfhound veterans Gary Huber and Chaplain Carter Tucker
came to give a class on loss to Wolfhounds leaders.

Kolchak III's memorial marker or grave in the sidewalk outside D-quad.
That's his paw print and the inscription Nov 21. 56

Opposite Kolchak III's marker is this:
Nov. 21, 1956
Constructed by
M/Sgt. (Master Sergeant) Breward
                                     Nay
                                       Clark
                                                       Jarvis (or Jaris?)

I have some big paw prints to fill. I think I can do it.

It's like the Wolfhound Walk of Fame.

My mom and I can't get this to be straight. It's to show you
that I had some help to get these photos. I wasn't exactly sure
what I was supposed to do at first. Madeline helped me (made me).

Reward for jobs well done: run free in the baseball field.
I chased birds, hopped, skipped, jumped, and smiled!

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

When I stopped running on my own, my brother and sister kicked off
their slippers and ran with me. They chased me or ran along side of me.
I only trot when they run.
For all of their advancements, humans are sure slow creatures.

Even Dad got in on the action. I let him think I couldn't catch him.
Yeah, right...

I look like a bucking bronco in this shot!

My sister and I rest after my long day. I think she missed me. I know I missed her.
(I howled and whined all the way to work.)

This last Sunday was beach day for us.
Isabella and I were so dusty from laying pavers that we went to the beach since
we needed a bath anyway. Here I am relaxing by our stuff.
It's a dog day every day in Hawai'i.

As you can see, I swam.
Now I'm just looking cute while Mom reads.

Madeline thinks I make a great pillow.
A little bony, but very lovable pillow.

She's trying to convince me to dig in the sand.
The theory is to teach me to dig here instead of covering up the pavers.

Seriously? Do I look interested in digging a hole for which I have no use?

She says she loves me despite my refusal to dig.
Something about me being a brat too.

Since I won't dig to the cooler sand, Madeline decided to dig to it for me and
cover me with it. Perhaps she should consider this was my plan all along.
Lazy Borzoi need silly staff.

Ah... this is the life.
(There is a Kolohe Kai song by that name.)

Really? Still trying to get me to dig.

What did I hear? Birdies???

My new ginormous kennel. All four of us children fit!

Thank you Wolfhounds for my new, large, and very ventilated bed.
I don't need kenneling as often, but when I do, I will be cool and I can stretch out.
This kennel is not available in Hawai'i and shipping was cost-prohibitive so
we had to buy this and have it delivered to a mainland address.
A Wolfhound on leave to the mainland took it back to Hawai'i as luggage.
Thank you to everyone who helped bring me this deluxe "jail."  ;-)

My humorous two-legged sister named my bed:
Kolchak's Kozy Korner
(Kome in!)

Perspective on size... but I'm worth it!

This is my "love on me please" pose.
Usually I do this on someone's lap, but today I did it while Matt was cuddling me.

Boys like to make faces when they have their photo taken.
We two brothers are no exception.

This is my postcard shot from Poka'i Bay, my beach home.
As any good postcard says, "Wish you were here!"

I'm swimming!

The parents remembered the camera and I was a bit more prepared.  Lots of photos since they tell more than words can.

Really, Lady?  Do I look excited and ready?

This seems far enough and I didn't mess up my fur-do.

I'm not going any where, but it's getting deeper. 
What's up with that and may I go now?

It's good that one of us really loves it here. 
I will too... eventually... in my own time... when it suits me....

Does the photo speak volumes or do I need to tell you
how I feel about this ocean-with-huge-surf thing?
Check out these waves!!

So, Isabella, I'm going out, you want to come in.
One of us needs to get out of the way and you know who is smaller.

The toy thing does tempt me to play.

O.K. You got me. Let's play!

I'm gonna get you!!

C'mon, give me the floaty toy, pleeeezzze.
I'm doing my best cute look with puppy dog eyes.

Not a glamour shot, but I'm having too fun much to care!

Madeline thinks she'll get me to go out farther
if she throws the floaty toy out there.

Thankfully, she loves me no matter what.

And she decides there is more than one way to get me totally wet.
It's hot out here today!

I caved.
I'm swimming out to Mom and she's happier than I am about it.

That was far enough so I'm coming back into shore.

I'm wet. Are you happy now?
I'm not sure how I feel about it yet.

The water feels pretty good. I'll walk out to Madeline and Mom.

Is this really a good time to pose for photos, Dad?
I'm also checking to make sure the shore is right where I left it.

Bunny ears on a dog, Madeline?  Really?
(I think Jane gave me a very strange family.
I love 'em, but they're on the odd side.)

I like it when Mom holds me in the water.
I'm cool and I get to relax.

She gently pushes me toward shore.
I'm doing so well!



Much more graceful than my first few times swimming.
(I may even be smiling.)

Check this out!  Dad caught me on video.

Mom is SO proud of me.

Everyone is proud of me!

Soggy doggy.  This water is not like my dog dish water.

Ah, the dog days of summer... NOPE!
It's Hawai'i and these are the dog days of autumn!
Life in paradise.

Busy afternoon. Need nap. No matter that I'm still sitting.

Cut my nap short to eye a plastic bag blowing down the beach.
Is it worth chasing?  Not today. Maybe another day.
(No wonder I'm always on a leash!)

Posing.

Mom telling me how much she loves me.
We do this a lot.

Needed to stretch.

Hey, what are you doing there?

Since I like to lean on Mom or be right next to/on her,
she found a way for us both to be happy.
I'm really, really close to her and she gets a beach pillow.

This way we both get some rest.

Dad thinks any view with me in it is better than one without.
I agree and humor him by waking up.

How many more photos, Dad?

My furry sister joins the nap.
We help keep Mom warm since the sun
is setting and the wind is picking up.
She says it must be nearly 75 degrees cold
with the wind chill factor and we're wet! bbrrrr...

I'm trying to kiss you.  Why are you making an icky face?
(Answer: You're sandy. Spitty and sandy.)

I smell BBQ.

If I can't eat the BBQ, then I'll go back to sleep and dream about it.

End of my second day at the beach.
Rough life.  Or is that ruff life?

Much aloha to you and mahalo for stopping by...
Kolchak XV, the swimming King of the Wolfhounds!