Reflection Lake...flowers are blooming

 i'll try to buzz through these as i am really tired and ready to crash for night.  amazing how exhausting coughing is.  above is Tusker.  he is so funny...he seems to have now decided that anytime there is a park  bench he needs to climb up and take a rest.

 the wild roses were blooming all over and the smell was divine!! so beautiful.  kept trying to get Miss Ivory Rosmarus to pose by flowers but she was in go mode.  she is a pistol that little pup.  cracks me up.  they are both super sweet and really, fairly mellow overall.

 i was still in a nyquil haze i think this morning and after i'd fed the dogs and they seemed to be settling in for their post breakfast nap, i headed back upstairs to bed again.  they were loose and did just fine...not that this will become normal yet, but my lab had to be crated at all times when he wasn't under my watchful eye until he was nearly 2 years old.

 Baby Huey wasn't as wild eyed crazy as some labs i've met, but he was a much higher energy dog than any of these doodles are.  i remember at some point i was leaving his crate open finally at night but every time i came home from work that pup was sleeping in the crate...and then one day a curtain was open a bit and i watched Baby Huey climb off the couch and go curl up in the crate.  he had been fooling me for who knows how long.  dogs always amaze me with their smarts.

 got a late start obviously.  slow moving today.  back to work tomorrow so i will try to get as much rest as i can.  i don't feel feverish or anything.  i'm back on the inhalers...we shall see how it goes.

 today i first did a little loop on the beach trails behind Chugiak high school.  they look to be doing work on the trails so several areas were closed up.  ended up on something called swamp trail...you never want to be on anything called swamp  in the summers.  it got buggy.

 here we are taking a rest on the bench.  a few folks stopped by and gave them lovings.  i think one girl took a few photo's for a friend of hers who loves labradoodles.

 Ivy was more than happy to join Tusker on the bench.

 they have their rough play times, but they are able to chill as well, so i'm thrilled with that.

 i debated different walks. these guys aren't quite up to some of the longer walks in my mind yet and i probably wasn't today anyway.

 as it turns out there seemed to be some dark clouds filling in some of the trail areas i debated.  that is why i headed to Reflections Lake. always a safe bet.

 the shooting stars are blooming all over back there as well.  so pretty.  just love these flowers!!

 the wild iris are just getting started, they will go crazy in this area soon.  amazing.

 gotta love all the wild flowers of summer.  the skies today were pretty amazing as well.

 stopped by the cliff cam on Round Island in time to watch the amazing sunset tonight.  so awesome to be able to visit via the cam anytime i want.

 so many roses!!

 not sure what this one is called, just getting started.  i know i took a wildflower course last summer, but that did not make me an expert.  this summer we will head back to Denali Natl Park to learn about mushrooms.

 that will be cool as well.  gotta get the dogs covered for all these adventures.  also a few day trips i'd love to do or overnighters.

 crazy me for getting pups right as summer starts, but oh well.  you gotta jump when your heart is ready.

 Blossom is sure enjoying her puppies.

 she is laying in here at my feet with both cats chilling nearby.

 not much training done today.  rest, eat, cough and walk.

 always so pretty out here.  love this place.

 pups get a wee bit more wet each time they go out, but neither has been ready to make the plunge.

 they enjoy watching Blossom out there so i'm sure their day will come. i don't go crazy encouraging it as i still need to work on the serious come command and general training before they are out swimming and i can't get them back in.

 they seemed content chasing each other around on the grass for the time being.

 ivy investigates the area.

 lots of running and wrestling was done by all.

 i'm sure they will all sleep great tonight.

 scar moose was seen in bog with just one baby...:-(  doesn't look good for them finding each other.  at least i was right that the bog is where that mom hangs out and getting the baby to the bog was it's best hope.

 wanted to get a photo of Tusker in the flowers, but he really was just out there to poop

 did capture Ivy...dirty dog with all those flowers.

 another water attempt into the lake.  off to lala land...

thankful for: A.  the beautiful smells of flowers out there today...it really was lovely  B.  some of the most amazing sunsets possible...out there on Round Island  C.  my sweet Blossom and my two new sweet puppies. such great temperament in all of them.  truly feel blessed.