A Notable Resident of Cape Ann

Lenny owns a fabulous seafood restaurant in Gloucester, Massachusetts, called the Gloucester House. It's been in his family for 50 years. He's a great storyteller and historian and, as you can see, he dresses the part and entertains the diners! Did you notice the fireworks behind him? "And the rocket's red glare........."

I Love a Parade!

Gloucester is also called "Fishtown". This parade goes on and on and on. What a great way to spend a hot, New England evening-------sitting on the curb of mainstreet watching floats, bands, costumed kids, and anyone else who wants to march on by. I think I might enter next year!

Looking Smart in the Parade

Eryk and his dad were in one of the groups of musicians who entertained the crowd at the Gloucester 3rd of July Parade. I loved standing on his drum! Can you tell by his clothes where the music he's playing originated? Look carefully, Eryk is wearing a kilt.

Everyone Joins In

This Fire Department pickup truck from the neighboring town of Rockport joined the parade. It looked great------shiny and new and very red!! Check me out----peeking out from under the American flag!
This is my kind of fun!

In the Heart of Boston

About 400 years ago, John Harvard gave half of his estate and his library of 400 books to New College, the first college in America. In gratitude, the college was renamed Harvard University. His statue is well-loved by the students of this school because, traditionally, if you rub his foot before a test, it will bring you good luck.
Lots of tourists from all over the world were gathered around Mr. Harvard, taking photos of him, and touching his magic foot! Those are some pretty fancy shoes, don't you think!!

My Tour Guide in Beantown

Shelley was kind enough to drive me all over the place while I was in Boston. The following four photographs were taken while I was in her company.

The Illustrator from Lexington, Mass.

Christopher Bing made a book of a famous poem about the beginning of the American Revolution. He did the layout and drew all the pictures. He was kind enough to sit with Mom and me and go over each page explaining lots of details. The following are lines from the poem and go like this: One if by land, Two if by sea, and on the opposite shore I'll be. Do you know who the "I'll" is? A clue----he was an American patriot, a Son of Liberty, who made beautiful silverware----using real silver.
He was also involved in the Boston Tea Party.

Buy Local, Eat Healthy, Mostly Plants

As always, I stopped by the Farmer's Market, which I do wherever I go. The food is right from the garden and always fresh. We bought beets.
Mom pickeled them and were out of this world! All she does is scrub them, slice them, and cook them in a brine of apple juice, rice wine vinegar, maple syrup, and cinnamon until they are tender. My favorite!

Just Picked!!

Andrea gave me the lowdown on the beets. Mom chose the longer ones on the right because they were supposed to be sweeter, and they were! They were easier to scrub and slice too!

Eat Sparingly--a little goes a long way!

Lately, doctors have been saying that dark chocolate is good for your health. Mom is following their advice and eating a little. She doesn't give any to me, though, no matter how much I beg, because chocolate can make dogs very, very sick.
Jen stone grinds the cacao beans and makes bars of chocolate. (Mom bought six!)
Check out her website:
www.
tazachocolate
.com

From Baltimore to Boston on Amtrak

Here I am in Penn Station in downtown Baltimore. It's early morning, about eight o'clock, and I'm about to "ride the rails." I love taking the train. It's so much fun to just sit back and watch the world go by.

I Tried to Pack Lightly

Whew!! My luggage wasn't too heavy. Seems like everyone is concerned with the weight of my suitcases lately!
Mom does her best so we don't have to haul too much stuff on and off planes and trains.

Keeping Us Safe in the Station

Mike was proud to hold me for a photo. He's a police officer employed by Amtrak to make sure everyone follows the rules.
Above, is a detailed photograph of his cap!

A Seat All to Myself

Whew! On board for a leisurely ride up the East Coast to Boston.

Do You Have a Ticket?

Luckily for me, dogs ride free on Amtrak. Jamel, the Assistant Conductor, welcomed Mom and me, and told us to have a great ride!! Then he took Mom's ticket and we were all on our own-----reading, napping, chatting a little bit, eating, sightseeing, and just taking it easy. What a great way to spend the day while traveling!

Summertime in Washington, D.C.

I always have so much fun exploring farmers' markets. This one, the Eastern Market, behind the nation's capital, is very old---it was built in 1873. It's also a flea market, but I didn't see any fleas there!
Bill, on my right, kept me company and gave me the lowdown on all the musicians.
"Lucky me!! I make friends so easily."
Hey, that sounds like the beginning of a Country and Western tune.

How Cute is Tiki!!

Here I am with Tiki and his mom, Marshelle. Look at all the cool stuff for dogs behind us. Oh, boy, could I have fun shopping here!
Check out more of Tiki's doggie items. Go to: www.tikiandme.com

Sculpture Animals from Recycled Soda Cans

I really liked Shumbu's art! He was at another booth at the Eastern Market in D.C. I especially loved the smaller ones because they were so brightly painted and whimsical.

All Aboard!

Phil is ready to take me on a trolley car ride! He's one of the conductors at the National Capital Trolley Museum in Colesville, Maryland, just outside of Washington, D.C. Visit there and you'll have fun, I promise!
Find out more at www.
dctrolley.org

The Great Big Lawn called the Mall

Between the Lincoln Memorial (can you see it way, way behind the Washington Monument) and the nation's Capitol, which is behind my mom, who is taking this picture, there is a giant lawn. And I mean giant! Every summer over the 4th of July, a wonderful celebration called the Folklife Festival is presented here. There are three massive displays on the Mall. This summer it was NASA, Bhutan, and Texas. The following photos show some of the highlights of my adventure there.

A New Pal for Me!

Kali, the little stuffed collie from Florida, came to the Folklife Festival with Jeff. The NASA exhibit was set up by Jeff who works at the University of Florida when he's not doing special events. Jeff's daughter sent Kali so Jeff would take interesting shots of her dog. I think this one and the one below will qualify as "very interesting". What do you think?

A View of the Nation's Capitol

Kali and I are in the middle of the Mall at the Folklife Festival. Look beyond us to see the white dome which is the top of the Capitol where all the laws for our country are made.

A Generous Young Woman from Bhutan

Khendum was dressed in the most beautiful colors! She was very kind to me and offered some of her lunch to Mom when we began talking to her. How sweet. She spoke beautiful English and was all smiles. Can you find Bhutan on a map? I'll give you a hint, it's on the continent of Asia.

Making Cloth the Bhutanese Way

What's really interesting about the exhibits at the Folklife Festival is the opportunity to learn so much about other cultures----what they eat, how they dress, what they use to build houses, their art, and more. Make sure you come to this Festival some 4th of July in Washington, D.C.`

He Travels with the Wind

This yak herder, Tsering, came all the way from Bhutan so visitors could meet him. He is a nomad, a person who moves around all the time and takes his family and tent with him. When his interpreter explained me to him, he gave me a big grin full of love and a kind pat on my cheek.

And with a Swish of the Hand

These Bhutanese monks are creating a very elaborate, detailed piece of art called a "mandala". They will spend a whole week creating this artwork made of colored sand. Usually they lie down on their tummies and spread the sand through their fingertips.
When the mandala is finished, they sweep all the sand away. The act illustrates the impermanence of life and how quickly things can change.

A Very Comfy Pillow for a Tired Pooch

Falcor, a 5-month old Chinese Crested, is one pooped pet. I met him midday on the Mall as I was just getting ready to leave. It was pretty hot and I was tired, too. He really took to me and within moments was dozing on my nose!

Exciting---My First Visit to the Theater!

Bravo! I just saw some incredible children acting, dancing, and singing. Adults too. They really entertained me!
See if you can get tickets---go to: www.diamondheadtheater.com

The Star of the Show

Here I am with Maile who played Toto in the production of the Wizard of Oz. She wowed the audience and me. This five year old pooch was so calm and collected even in the face of a terrifying witch, booming thunder, and screaming actors. Good job, Maile.
Gina, her godmother, is holding her after the show.

The Leader of the Band

Peter posed with me in the "pit". He was the conductor and keyboard man for the musical. I was so impressed with the professionalism of the performance and the musicians------bravo, bravo!!

Shopping and Eating Right in D.C.

I'm at Dupont Circle in the heart of the nation's capital. Bernie Prince, above, started this Farmer's Market with her friend, Ann, twelve years ago. It's open on Sunday mornings from 9:00 to 1:00. Make sure you stop by when you visit the city. Drop in to say, "Hi", to Bernie and tell her Surf Dog sent you! Buy one of the cool handwoven market bags while you're at it to keep the planet greener.

Look What You Can Buy!

There were so many yummy, healthy foods to eat! I stopped by most of the booths and talked, my usual, to the farmers. I just love seeing all the produce that the local farmers have grown. I also love eating what they prepare!

Mushrooms, Anyone?

Have you ever seen so many mushrooms? Not me!
Wow! I'm going to get Mom to whip up a batch of Cream of Mushroom soup today!
I'll just have her google a receipe and presto, soup for dinner!

A Wall of Radishes

The radish is one of the easiest vegetables to grow and it comes up quickly.
Have you ever thought of growing a garden?
It's a good idea! Healthy for you, healthy for Mother Earth.

A Surfing Farmer

Zach was at the Dupont Circle Farmer's Market. We got to talking and I found out he was a surfer, just like I am.
Maybe we can ride some waves together sometime. He's in the Washingtonian article about farmers, too, just like Eli Cook.
Go to Washingtonian.com and type in Zachariah Lester and you can read about him, too.

I'm in the News. I'm on Top of the World!

Wow!! Here I am in front of the Honolulu Advertister and Debra Booker is taking my photo. Wanda Adams wrote a wonderful article about me. It made my heart full; she had so many nice things to say.
Check out the story ---just google: honolulu advertister surf dog
and read for yourself!!

Lucky Dog Flying in his Owner's Lap!

Tuffy was very fortunate. He got to sit in his dad and mom's lap in the airplane on the way to the East Coast from Phoenix, Arizona. He loved being petted and scratched and loved the whole way. He is a service dog, so that's why he was so privileged.

The Rolling Hills in Western Maryland

Here I am with Michelle and Doug at Fort Frederick, Maryland. They are sitting on the porch of a historical home they are fixing up. We had a great barbeque together, and, best of all, dessert was blueberries that Michelle picked!

Wrapped up in Love

Grandpa and Annabella kept me company at the barbeque.

The Farm Tour in Slanesville, West Virginia

Here we go.........Eli Cook who owns Spring Valley Farm and Orchard with his wife, Misty, hosted an evening at their place.
The tractors are pulling 25 local farmers around the acreage.
Eli's in the above photo. He started farming when he was 12 years old all on his own. Now he's 28 and doing very well. Read about him in the June issue of the Washingtonian Magazine. Go to:
Washingtonian.com and type in Eli Cook. You'll be surprised at how successful this young man is.

The Farmer to Be

Mulledy Jane is the daughter of Eli and Misty. She has so much fun running around the farm. I would too!
She's going to be a big sister pretty soon!

An Old Timer from West Virginia

I'm sitting in Homer's lap. He's a pretty famous farmer around these parts. He was telling lots of stories while we were eating dinner and before we went on the farm tour.

A Happy Go Lucky Guy

Kane was always smiling and made the tour of the farm tour lots of fun. He's a very successful farmer in the area, too.
Look at all of Eli's fruits and vegetables behind him. YUMMMMMMM!

The Scientists in West Virginia

Henry, holding me, is an entomologist which means he knows a lot about bugs. He helps the farmers if insects are "bugging" their fruit trees. He gave a little talk before the farm tour. Alan, sitting next to me, also helps the farmers when their fruit trees get sick. He's a pathologist. They didn't quite know what to make of me!

Getting Ready to Pick

Look at me! I'm atop a mountain of picking baskets. Do you think Eli will hire me when I visit his farm next summer?
Remember, check him out at: Washingtonian.com Eli Cook!!

And They Lived Happily Ever After

I'm with Alan, the groom, and Mika, the bride, at my first wedding.
They are beaming!
We're at the beach in Rockport, Massachusetts, near Plymouth Rock where the Pilgrims first landed.