A good friend reminded me of this Lolapug.com post from 2013, and I love it so much, I had to repost it today.
I mean – there’s really nothing more Canadian than celebrating our own day on a dock up in cottage country, right?
HAPPY CANADA DAY, EVERYONE!
As a friend of Lola Pug’s so aptly says, “Dignity. Dignity above all”.
Filed under Adventures, Pug Duds, Special Days, Traveling Pug
While Lola and I were cooling off (and scouting out some awesome garlic) in the curing barn, our newest tour guide was rounding the corner to show us a few more things.
Oh, HAI there, Logan!
Lola isn’t always so great with bigger dogs, so we had a careful introduction…
…but there were clearly too many more interesting things to do than be grumpy, so the new friends got down to important sniffing business…
…and they actually seemed to hit it off quite well.
The Pug and Logan had a good time exploring the greens and shrubbery, but before long, it was time to move on, so I scooped the little monkey up into my arms and we made our way into the gorgeous vegetable garden for a tour.
We’ve got green beans and fresh peas (delicious when eaten right off the vine), and kale and more kale and…little fuzzy pods?
Seriously. I had NO IDEA that chickpeas grew like this. Where have I been living all these years?
Needless to say, Lola was getting REALLY bored with the vegetable tour, what with being unable to sniff anything or pee on anything, so we left the veggies in peace (with some in our bellies – the wonders of organic!), and walked past the fields of buckwheat to visit the largest resident ladies on the farm.
I have always held a deep love for horses, but so much in life is a matter of perspective, and only now can I understand why Lola Pug might be less than impressed with them.
All teeth and nostrils does not exactly make for an immediate best friend, eh, pug?
Right.
In search of more shade – and less horse – for The Pug, we happened upon a perfectly pug-sized picnic bench, where we cooled off (again) for a bit.
Logan had created an even better arrangement for himself, having dug out a Great Pyrenees-sized cooling cave to relax in.
Lola doesn’t do dirt, and she’s not one for nesting under tables, so a compromise was eventually reached, and the two new friends chilled out, and traded city/country stories, filled with raccoons and coyotes and chickens, no doubt.
All in all, a rather glorious adventure that left us with sunkissed skin, baskets (and bellies) full of fantastic vegetables, and huge smiles on all of our faces.
And if you ever happen to find yourself in Ontario, and are lucky enough to be up in Muskoka on a Sunday in growing season, be sure to visit Jay’s Organic Vegetables at the Midland Farmer’s Market to check out his veggies – and the 16 (16!) types of organic garlic – that he grows.
Jay’s farm is Lola and Logan approved!
Filed under Adventures, Friends, Traveling Pug
Lola Pug’s lifelong BFF and cousin, Roxy, is moving to the other side of the country shortly (cue the sadfaces at Casa Lola), so we invited the Little Miss and her people up to Lola’s northern playground for a weekend of adventuring and bonding before the big move.
One of the first things we all must do when faced with outdoor adventures is put on our hats and sunscreen, so Roxy reminded us all to do so before we set out….
The first order of the day was to have a little boating adventure, which Roxy took to like a …duck to water?
Lola, being used to such travel, was a little bit less impressed, but that also might have something to do with the fact that she’s rather grown out of her life jacket a little bit. (Middle age spread happens to the best of us, baby).
Not only did we have gorgeous sunshine and water, but we had jumping fish and giant aeries to be on the lookout for.
Once our not-quite-three-hour tour was done, we were all rather toasty, so we thought we’d bring the pugs to the water to cool down a bit.
Roxy has always been a bit of a water baby, so she was quite pleased with the refreshment.
Epic and proud, babygirl, epic and proud.
Lola, however, has *never* had a fondness for water OR being wet, so imagine my shock and temporary horror when THIS happened…
Yup.
She stood in the water in a dreamy state, thoroughly enjoying every soothing moment of the cooling wetness.
When I finally coaxed her out of the water to come up on a rock with her cousin to watch some passing boats…
…she turned around and walked back INTO the water for a bit more spa action.
Which prompted me to call out… “WHERE IS MY PUG, AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH HER???”
Oh.
We’re all back to normal now, I see….
Yes. That’s likely goose poop she’s smearing her wet face in.
That seemed to be enough adventuring for one day for these two, so we settled in for a little nap on the porch together.
Lola was a bit miffed that Roxy got her favourite chair…
…but we do these things for our friends. Especially when we might not see them again for a long, long time.
Love and kisses, little Roxy Pug. Here’s hoping we will get a chance to come and visit you in your new (and terribly exciting) coastal home before long.
Filed under Action Pug, Adventures, Friends, Hello Sunbeam, Special Days, Traveling Pug, Weather
As a friend of Lola Pug’s so aptly says, “Dignity. Dignity above all”.
Our Home and Puggie Land…
NEVER let it be said that The Pug isn’t patriotic.
Happy Canada Day, everyone! 146 years young!
Filed under Pug Duds, Special Days, You got a little somethin'....
Working on the (likely not entirely correct) premise that Lola Pug is happiest when she’s with her mama, I take her on as many of my adventures as I possibly can – as long as it’s safe for her to come along, of course.
I thought it only fair to share my latest passion with her. The instructors I know in the sport encourage canine participation, and the way I figure it, the more time I spend with the little bean, the better. So I got her all geared up.
Well. She was skeptical at first (the life jacket is never a good sign, in her books)…
…and I think it’s pretty safe to say she remained skeptical when we left the shore…
…I thought the world might end when a wave got her foot wet (pugs ARE made of highly refined sugar, after all)…
…but she seemed to settle in quite nicely after she realised there was no dry escape route.
I tell myself that she wasn’t sitting behind me the whole time, trying to set my calves on fire with her glare…
…and I think she looks rather regal, to be honest.
But I might be confusing “regal” with “coldly plotting her revenge”, because she sure was happy to hit dry land.
Needless to say, like Lola Pug, I am determined and stubborn at times, and this weekend was not the last time that Her Royal Highness will see the world from a paddle board.
LAKE HO, pug! Summer has just got a whole lot more FUN for us! Well. It has for me, at least.
Filed under Action Pug, Adventures, Weather
Lola Pug came into my world thanks, in huge part, to her Grandma.
The little boozer was not only chosen by her Grandma and me, but was also babysat, coddled and checked in on by her Grandma for the first few months, while I lead a rather consuming corporate life.
Grandma Su loved to sit in a rocking chair on the screened-in porch at the cottage in the summer, and she loved her Grandpug.
We lost Lola’s Grandma two months ago today, and we miss her so very much.
All of our love to you, Su P Su, and many, many doggie (and puggie) slobbery kisses to you at the Rainbow Bridge.
Filed under Special Days
…leashed. And slightly bored, methinks.
Out in the civilised wild, surrounded by trilliums on a beautiful spring day. Nary a bear in sight, still too cool for the snakes and bugs, good smells for pugs and people abound…
…and she’s still not impressed.
She shows her patriotism and thanks by allowing me to feed her every day, I suppose.
You are one seriously tough customer, little girl.
Filed under Adventures
It was great to see the pug feeling so excited about Victoria Day as she enjoyed her long weekend up north.
I’m sorry, pug. We appear to be keeping you from some really important business. Like a nap, perhaps.
A little cultural appreciation can’t hurt you, you know.
Filed under Adventures, Special Days
Pugs have always been favoured by royalty. For goodness sake, the breed was born to royalty – they originated in the Imperial courts of China thousands of years ago. Eventually smuggled out of Asia by Dutch traders, pugs were gifted to and preferred by the powerful House of Orange. Napoleon Bonaparte’s lover, Josephine, had a pug named Fortune. William Hogarth, Winston Churchill, and King Edward VIII, among others, were famously and unapologetically devoted to their snuffling, little companions.
Most well-known in the Western world, however, was the love and favour bestowed upon the pug by HRH Queen Victoria, who was not only the leader of the Commonwealth, but also founder of The Kennel Club.
It is only fitting that Lola have a weekend of celebration for the woman on her birthday.
Being a modern pug who is subject to the whims of her people, Lola must adapt and celebrate in her own way – unique to her times and her environment.
Ah, yes. 3,000 years of careful breeding and royal patronage leads to this:
Happy Victoria Day to all from the pug.
Filed under Adventures, Special Days
Lola Pug 