Road Trip. No dock diving, but a F-U-N time!

My dad is a professional sports photographer and had to go to Biloxi, MS, to shoot some kind of bowl game (a Jr. College Bowl, or something like that). My mom wanted to go with him. (She had ulterior motives that I'll get to later.) Now, of course, they aren't about to go off and leave us, so we all packed up for the 7-hour trip to Biloxi.

Spud slept back in the back of the truck for most of the trip.

I knew we weren't going dock diving because there were no crates, or pop-up canopy of equipment case. But they had their bags and the ice chest. I knew we were going for my dad to shoot a game because I had heard my mom and dad talking about it, and he had his big camera bag.

Finally, we arrived at a hotel and checked in, just like on our dock diving trips. But when my mom put Spud and me on our leashes and took us out for a walk, she did something different. She took two towels and a couple of wubbas. (She said she always brings something to throw in the water, just in case.) We walked down the hall and out back behind the hotel and guess what we saw! A POND!! And boy, did we have fun swimming and retrieving in that pond.

And then, after Spud and I thought it couldn't possibly get any better, my mom took us one block behind the hotel to a big open field and we retrieved with the Chuck-It until we were almost dry.

I had no idea my dad's photo shoot trips were so much fun. But it was only beginning.

The next day, my mom dropped my dad off at the stadium so he could shoot the game. Then we (Spud, my mom and I) took off in the truck and rode for about 20 minutes. I was looking out the window the entire time wondering, "Where in the world are we going?"

My question was soon answered.
We were going to Labrador Retriever Heaven!

It was what my mom called a "beach." I don't care what you called it. In my opinion, it was the greatest place on the entire earth!

About a mile of sand to run on. We ran and ran and ran.

Water to swim in, water as far as we could see.

Birds to chase. Mom called them sea gulls, but she couldn't get any photos because it all happened so fast.

Dead stuff to sniff (crabs, fish, birds). Lots and lots of good smells for our noses.

Good wet sand for me to bury my tennis ball and then dig it up....over and over and over again.

After a while, my mom laughed at my dirty face and especially the thick coating of sand on my tongue!

It just doesn't get any better than this!

When we got back to the hotel, my mom said we were still very dirty, sandy and wet....and smelly! So, to clean us off, guess what she made us do. That's right...go swimming out in the pond again! Oh, if we could just be that dirty and need cleaning off every day.

By the time we finally got back to the room, Spud and I crashed. We were worn out. Even when we left the next day, not only did Spud sleep all the way home, but so did I. Here we are both zonked out in the back of the truck.

If all of my dad's photo shoot trips are this much fun, Spud and I will accompany him every time.

Oh yeah, let's not forget my mom's ulterior motives for going with him. It was something called a "casino." I think she went and spent a lot of money on something called "slot machines." If she thinks that's fun, she should try digging in the wet sand!

See you on the dock,
Sally
The Fire in Team Fire and Ice
Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs
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