Behind a smart dog is a desperate owner

The house I'm in has 5 entrances; the front door, the side door (to the laundry) and 3 sets of french doors leading to the backyard. Now, there are locked fences on both sides of the backyard - deadbolt locks so there's no way to get out of the backyard unless it's through the door. Problem #1. Proble #2 is that, for some reason, the only key given is to the front door. Doesn't help much is the renter gets locked in the backyard. You see where I'm going with this?

I got locked in the backyard yesterday with no one around - the dogs weren't even with me, having laid down on the bed and being sound asleep after their walk. No maids next door, no neighbors to yell for, no one. It wasn't like I was going to die out there or anything, having a hot tub and plenty of shade but, dammit, I wanted inside my house! So, as I ruminated on this decision, Killian came to the door to see where I was (thank you Lord). As he looked at me quizzically, I jiggled the door knob which drew his attention. "AHA" said I! We can work with this.

So, I thought back to all of the commands he knows - those he learned in 4 years of doggie canine dancing, those he knew from basic obedience, and those he knew from agility. I selected a command he knows where I signal him to jump up and lean against my arm to give me a hug. So, I signalled him, he jumped up inside the house and...yes! He opened the door! It sprang right open. That dog had never ever seen treats and accolades like he got yesterday. The movie here is a recreation this morning - works like a charm.

The sand bar actually is about 1/4 mile long.
Here it is before I even got there

Now, to catch up. I see I've been "busy" for a few days and haven't documented my travels. That's because there haven't been a whole lot of them! Well, that's not exactly true. I few days ago, I did venture over to the jet ski and took it out myself to the Boca Chica sandbar where John and I were a few weeks ago. I got to the sand bar with my chair in tow, set up my little camp and enjoyed the morning all by myself out there. Not a soul showed up except the occasional jet ski tour which stops there on their trip around the island. But, other than that, I was alone and loving life with my Kindle, suntan lotion, and water bottle. It finally got a bit busier a few hours later so I decided to jet back to the marina and call it a day. But, what a marvelous time it was! Can't wait to take Holly (who comes in next week) and Bobbi (the week after) out there. They'll be amazed.

Other than that, days have been spent lying around the pool and talking to the other guests. A very entertaining group came in from Oregon and we must have laughed about 4 hours or so as we languished in the Key West perfect weather. I have been taking long walks and will admit to spending an afternoon at my favorite rum bar with the dogs. The patrons love them - Bobo frequently is out of sight until I call her and her head pops up from some strangers lap.

Yesterday found me on a paddleboard with a private lesson. It's an interesting concept and I only fell off once - I considered this a huge triumph as it's not as easy as it may seem. A ramble on the board through some tight mangrove trails and I was ready to hit it on my own - not really. Tara at Lucky Dog watersports was a great teacher and had a wonderful sense of humor which helped.

Our walk last night was back to the Atlantic pier where I love to be around sunset as there's hardly any one there, everyone having rushed down to The Sunset Festival. But, this time, I was in luck and here's what I saw! I love this guy's freedom and confidence. He's out and about frequently in the streets which is why I've always said that, if you're not opened minded, find another vacation spot. I sat and chatted with him for about 15 minutes; he's a very intelligent and very interesting man. But, after awhile, I bid adieu and walked the dogs back to their dinner bowls. They were very grateful.