Poor Dylan

Dylan continues to have skin issues that appear to be related to his beach swimming. New patches are coming out as fast as old ones are healing. Mom and Dad have decided he needs to stay out of the water for now. The problem is what to do with our handsome guy on a beach day.

Today Mom kept Dylan on the leash once the crew got to the beach. But Dylan kept pulling towards the water whenever Dee Dee and Dora went in.

Instead of making the poor boy just watch, Mom decided to take Dylan for a walk down the beach.

She waited until the two girls were engrossed in the bumper and slipped away.

Dylan enjoyed his own solo time while checking out the many beach smells. After all, there are lots of ways to enjoy the beach.

Unless you’re Dee Dee, who only wants to swim. She truly does carry Dyna in her soul.

Team Effort

The Clampetts...

We like that Red Head is not a spit and polish kind of boat. She works well for the crew. What we didn’t anticipate was that one day she would have a Beverly Hillbillies kind of look. It’s not just the dog paraphernalia everywhere.

Or the beach towels flying from the bow.

Since Dora joined the crew there’s been an ever increasing combination of barriers. Some to keep her on the boat.

Some to keep her off the roof.

Some to keep her away from her dad’s current project.

We sometimes have to resort to an oddly placed fender.

Given Dora’s Houdini ways, her dad constructed a maze of line to keep her from climbing between the rails and off the boat. Yes, she did that one day...

There’s even barriers inside the boat to (try to) keep Dora out of trouble. Red Head may never make the cover of House Beautiful, but she sure is full of love!

Solo

Since Dylan has been having issues with his skin, the Red Head crew has been modifying their morning routine. Some mornings, Dad has been taking Dee Dee to the beach on her own, while Mom takes Dylan and Dora for a walk.

Dee Dee loves being solo. No sharing toys or sticks or Dad.

She’s not sure how she ended up in the midst of this motley crew when she was born to be an only child.

Swimming!

Today Dora did more actual swimming than all other mornings combined. What got her motivated? The coconut. Dad threw it and the three crew members raced to see who could grab it first.

Dora swam so long that Mom was able to dig her phone out of her pocket, remove the plastic bag, power it up, and get a video!

Rough Seas

The water was pretty rough at the beach this morning.

Dad kept the bumper tosses close. The crew still had a good time.

Even Dora, who continued her quest to dig to China...

Just Walking

Dylan is getting some dry patches from the saltwater, despite a good fresh water rinse and weekly bath with medicated shampoo. Today, we took a break from the beach and just had a long walk. Bad news, no beach time. Good news, no rinse off or ear drops. The kids hate ear drops...

Beach Fun

Dylan, Dee Dee, and Dora love the beach - each in their own way.

Dee Dee only wants to swim to retrieve the bumper.

Dora loves to dig in the sand, don’t know why...

Just give Dylan a good stick or a coconut and he’s happy. Not a bad life for the Red Head crew.

Beach Treasure

Trips to the beach always include several toys for retrieving. But nothing beats found treasure. Dee Dee and Dora found a hunk of plastic floating in the water. Dora even swam out to retrieve it - alas, Mom had her camera in her pocket. A hunk of found plastic sure beats expensive throw toys...

Lucky Dogs

The Red Head crew woke to rain but no wind. By 9:00 am the rain had stopped and Mom and Dad decided to take the crew to the beach.

Dylan, Dee Dee, and Dora sure are lucky dogs!

Stormfront

A few days ago, the Red Head crew started watching an approaching storm. It was looking like lots of rain and some high winds. Yesterday boats started pouring into the marina as every bit of dock space was filled with people looking for safe harbor.

By late morning the storm clouds gathered off the marina. By lunch the wind and rains had come. Alas, it was not to be a beach day today. Probably not tomorrow either... ☹️

Dylan, Dee Dee, and Dora are hunkered down until the storm passes.

Beach Queen

While the entire Red Head crew loves the beach, Dee Dee is the beach queen.

No one plays as hard or takes the job of swimming for the bumper as seriously as her.

No one has as much fun.

Dora would like to follow in Dee Dee’s footsteps, if only it weren’t for that swimming part...

Getting Braver?

Dora still isn’t convinced about this swimming stuff. She really prefers to have her paws firmly on the terra firma.

But Dora also likes fighting with Dee Dee for the bumper.

How far will she go?

She still doesn’t want four paws off the ground.

However, Dora is getting braver, pushing a bit further into the surf. She may end up a swimmer after all.

The Ultimate Prize

Dylan, Dee Dee, and Dora vie for the bumper.

What a Brat

Dee Dee swims the distance to retrieve the bumper.

Dora waits to waylay Dee Dee.

Then Dora makes the steal.

What a little brat...

Sisters on the Beach

50 Tosses

Dee Dee definitely channels her great grandmother Dyna when it comes to swimming. Like Dyna, Dee Dee will retrieve the bumper until she drops - if we let her. Her dad decided 50 tosses is about her limit. Occasionally, she will start to slow down sooner.

But we’re pretty sure that most days, whether it’s 50 or 500 tosses, Dee Dee will keep retrieving.

The Next Generation

As the elder statesmen of the Red Head crew, Dylan has been passing along his coconut prowess to Dora. She has been a willing student.

Of course, she also has to add her own special take on coconut play. Once Dora found the small nut in the center, she went all badass on it. Or as her Dad stated, “Psycho, crazy.”

You can judge for yourself.

Dora kept it up for about 30 minutes, until the surf started to breach her hole to China. Hey, coconuts, you’d better watch your step!

Kokonut King

When it comes to coconuts, Dylan is the king. Let him show you how it’s done.