Ah, late Sunday afternoon in the sun.

Another...

The Long-Awaited End of the Spay Saga

Today is Tsuki's last day of the cone!

Yay! Finally rid of the cone!

Here she is running around like crazy--first day of freedom.

Mmmm... Tsuki wants some wine, too.

Tsuki sporting her trendy new look, post-"surgery number two." The second suturing after her spay operation seems to be working, and all is healing nicely.

The cone can actually help keep the ball under control. Unfortunately, no running is allowed for the next week.

Post-"surgery number one"... note similarities between man and beast

A Busy Week of Travels

In the middle of the week, we went to Hartford, CT, for the World Cup Qualifying soccer match between the U.S. and Trinidad & Tobago. The U.S. won (1-0) by scoring in the second minute... and no more after that. The next day we spent some time in New Haven, visited Yale, and had lunch at a great Eritrean/Ethiopian restaurant. Then we spent Friday-Sunday cabin-camping at Allegheny State Park with Leeny and Brian. It was an adventure, as well as Tsuki's first camping trip. She proved to be an excellent hiker, but not much for water sports. Mostly she seemed confused by having to sit by a fire at night and drive to bathrooms, but she went gamely along with whatever we wanted to do.

Approaching Allegheny State Park, on the border of NY and PA.

We met fearless adventurers Brian and Leeny at the park and shared a cabin, good times, and good meals (and thunderstorms and mice and distant bathrooms).

Our "rustic" cabin, 013 Barton Trail. (Absent from this picture are the mice who scuttled around inside all night long.)

Friday night baked potatoes... in the rain.

On Saturday afternoon we hiked Black Snake Mountain trail, 3 miles... right before the thunderstorm arrived.

Tsuki and I on the trail...

We spent Sunday afternoon by Quaker Lake.

A partially-wet Tsuki liked climbing the lake's banks.

We're back in the hotel after the U.S. Men's Soccer team beat Trinidad & Tobago (1-0) in a World Cup Qualifying Game. Soccer is much more fun in person than it is on TV.

One of the many courtyards of Yale...

Another shot of Yale...

Braden and Tsuki at Selkirk Shores State Park. On Saturday we went with Braden's parents to explore some Lake Ontario State Parks. On Friday we had gone to Chittenango Falls, too (minus Tsuki).

Tsuki tentatively explores Lake Ontario for the first time.

Tsuki and I at Selkirk Shores State Park.

Tsuki became quite the beach dog at Fair Haven State Park on Lake Ontario. At least 10 people stopped us to say she looked like a fox (and one girl thought she looked like a wolf...).

Tsuki got pretty brave around Lake Ontario waves.

Tsuki voluntarily attempting to body-surf in the water. We couldn't believe she went in that far--Shibas are supposed to hate water.

We had to rinse her off so as to prevent lake-water dog smell.

On Saturday afternoon we went to Chittenango Falls with Braden's parents.

Braden's parents and us at the falls.

Tsuki at about four months old now.

We've recently discovered the joys of the regional farmers' market. Here's a cherry almond tart I made from the recent issue of Fine Cooking.

Don't you hate it when your ice cube gets stuck under the refrigerator?

Tsuki's second trip to Wisconsin to see "Grandma and Grandpa Smith" and Camby in Madison in early July.

Still working on the whole "mouthing" thing...

Braden and Tsuki in the sunroom.

Braden and Tsuki are putting together the new wine cooler... a "necessity" because of the week of 90 degree weather we've been having.

Tsuki keeps watch over the wine bottles... just her size.

We took Tsuki to the park in our old neighborhood in Fayetteville for the afternoon. She had fun being outside for a few hours while we read (and untangled her leash from our chairs).

Exploring at the park.

Dandelions don't stand a chance...

Tsuki's getting bigger! She weighed in at 7.1 lbs at the vet's on Wednesday (up from 4.6 lbs when we first got her).

Lazy days of summer...

She's quite a jumper.

Tsuki got a new hedgehog toy.

Tsuki loved being the center of attention back in Wisconsin on Memorial Day weekend.

How many relatives can take pictures of Tsuki at once? (Answer: at least three.)

Matt played with Tsuki, too.

Meghan puppy-sat while we went to a wedding.

Tsuki's first car trip to Wisconsin on Memorial Day weekend. She was excellent, sitting between Braden and I the whole way (14 hours...).

Tsuki takes a trip to our friend Lena's house. Turns out she likes cat toys (but cats don't like her too much).