I'm baaaaack! Actually I've been here all the time

Hi! For you three that follow my blog, I have been MIA only because my two beautiful 10 and 12 year old great-nieces from Eugene, Oregon, Karson and Britt, have been visiting for 2 wonderful weeks. Moms, how do you do it? They kept me hoppin' morning till midnight. First, 12 hours of rides at the Fair. Then, visits to every body of water in Nevada County. 1st, Scotts Flat Lake of course for kayaking and swimming. Lost Mine Lake for dunking dogs and hanging out. Dixie's "High Camp" for pool swim, and our back yard for hot tubbing. Then camping on the Yuba for 2 days, and visiting various swimming holes there, then repeat, repeat. We also decided to celebrate Harry Dog's 15th birthday, which we billed as "Harry's Happy 100th." We baked and assembled appetizers for a day, then invited 13 adults, 5 kids and 5 dogs for a big birthday bash. Off to the dollar store to get personalized doggie prizes. The Doggie "guardians" had to compete in games such as "pin the nose on the weiner dog" "tennis ball hunt" and word scramble using obscure dog breed names to win their dogs prize. The girls asked about each dogs personality to choose gifts, and here's what we came up with: Bonnie the Dalmation likes her night walks, so she won reflective sticks for Kent to stick on his coat and her collar. Frankie the Beagle likes anything that squeaks, so he can run in circles endlessly driving everyone nuts. He got a rubber beer can with a very loud squeaker. Pretty Maya the American Eskimo loves to sit on your lap, lean against your chest, and look up as if to say, "aren't I pretty?" Do you want to pet me?????" So Maya got a new brush. Jackson the Retriever lives for tennis balls. His mom won him a tennis ball connected to a big rope, so you can actually get the ball back from him to throw again. Duffy LOVES her long walks, but does work up a powerful thirst. So she won a portable water bowl that hangs from her collar. A great time had by all. Adults nibbled and chatted, kids and dogs ran and played. Harry seemed a bit overwealmed, so he retreated to his stroller to avoid being stepped on. At the end he was presented with a "cake" made up of hard boiled eggs stuffed with cottage cheese and yolk, with a birthday candle atop each, one per dog. He seemed genuinely happy and interested when we opened his gifts, which were cookies, steak bones, a new winter jacket and assorted toys. Thanks to all Harry's human and dog friends. This memory will last a lifetime!