Wanderlust: The Devils' Playground

Jakey and PB aren't the devils of the family these days but for the sake of my title, we'll explore their playground first. We took them to Tolt-MacDonald Park in Carnation yesterday for a long walk. The park is 574 acres which means it's big enough to handle one rabbit and bird obsessed flat coated retriever and one big white polar bear who is scared of people. The salmon were spawning in the Tolt River and they were HUGE. In fact, Jake came to believe that they were large water rabbits put there solely to torment him.

Waiting breathlessly for the next fish to jump.

Baffled. But, but...it was just there a minute ago...???

Uh yeah. So that was fun. What's next?

Jake however, was not willing to abandon the water rabbits aka salmon. He started by overcoming his fear of the moving tree branch. He has just been "attacked" in this photo.

PB: "Soooo.... Jakey, did you pick up this tail at Goodwill or what? It doesn't really fit. I'd take it back if I were you."

Jake, shaking off the insult.

"Aunt Jen, won't you please take your shoes off and come help me catch water rabbits?"

Aunt Jen is a sucker. PB gazes wistfully at shore, once again wondering why we are back in the water.

Jake admits defeat. There may thousands of salmon in the river but he is unable to launch a successful fishing expedition. PB says hurry it up bro, I'm over this water thing.

Ahhhh...the proper place for a polar bear to be seen.

Why are you poking my eye out mom? Haven't you spent enough on vet bills lately?

Bug hunting. I was *this* close to catching it mom. I swear.

I'll check this side just in case...

The aftermath of peanut butter. PB has learned to eat his entire meal and leave his two Prozac still in the bottom of the bowl in pristine condition. So if I have to get out the peanut butter, I get to take mocking photos of him.

It's stuck to the roof of my mouth mom. Get it off.

As much fun as we have mocking the dogs (in a good way of course!), the true devils are the kittens. The playground in question is my house. For instance, here is an example of a lovely indoor plant called an asparagus fern. This is a *healthy* asparagus fern:

I do not live with cats.

My asparagus fern is too embarrassed to be shown to the general public at present. As you can see, these plants make a wonderful "green" toy for a kitten...or two. They are all natural, they regenerate (if you rescue them and put them on the deck which is where mine is residing in shame right now) and their branches spring back up after they have been pulled down, clawed, eaten and stripped of their needles. They are beautiful plants and mine has somehow overcome my own usual murderous touch when it comes to plants. In fact, it once belonged to my mom who, so shocked that I had not killed it, allowed me to keep it. This is just one of the many victims in the devils' playground.

PB is also a victim. They keep constant tabs on him. Samantha even sleeps with one foot on him, just in case.

There is no question though, that while Samantha seems to be feeling better now that she is on antibiotics, the true playground bully is Dexter. He has become obsessed with my (expensive) running shoes. In fact any shoes will do but these are his favorite.