More Diamond Lake, a Puppy Play Date, and Home!

The Diamond Lake saga continues....Friday afternoon, 7/22, Rian, our youngest daughter, arrived from Sacramento. She just bought a new truck on Wednesday and was super pumped to take it on a road trip and get to show it off. It’s a 2021 Toyota Tacoma with only 5K miles on it. Very nice!! Rian was excited to see Riley and to meet her new puppy sister, Raney. They had a blast together.

Woohoo! That truck looks good on you, baby. 😍

Sister love!

Puppy brother was not neglected.

Smoosh face.
Rian takes the best pictures.

On Saturday morning, Rog and Rian went fishing on the lake, but again, not much love. Rog got a bite on the first cast, it was a biggie and snapped his line. And then a whole lot of nothing. Sadly, Mike and Erin had to leave for home that day, so we got a group shot before they left.

Diamond Lake fishing. 
Not good when you're best shot is of a duck. Lol.

Now there's a cast of characters.
(Teddi, Rian, Tim, Rog, Mike, Erin)

In the afternoon, Rog and Rian decided to try out a spot on the Rogue River that Rian remembers fishing at when she was about 3 years old. She claims a garter snake eating her fishing worms there is one of her core memories. Too funny. The good news is they killed it! Lots of bites and lots of fun! Rog got to try out his new Tenkara fishing gear. It’s a form of Japanese fly fishing, but there’s no reel just a long, flexible carbon fiber rod. They were successful with both the Tenkara and the traditional rod/reel – so both Rog and Rian were pretty stoked. We had a lovely campfire that evening, joined by all three of the puppers.

Now this is more like it!

Evening campfire.

The puppers enjoyed the campfire too.

Rian had to leave Sunday, but not before she and Rog made another successful foray to harass the trout at their Rogue River fishing spot. 😊 They had such a great time. I’m glad it’s all catch and release or we wouldn’t have had enough freezer space! It was a long drive for Rian, but it was wonderful to see her! And of course, I'm sure meeting Raney was a draw too. 

Sissy hugs.

Rian road trippin' in the new truck.

While Rog and Rian were fishing, I had a great snuggle-fest with the puppers. They really seemed to be getting on fairly well together which is what made this next little incident feel like such a setback.

Snuggling together.

Did the ice finally break? Apparently not.

Tim and I did another loop around the lake on our bikes in the early afternoon and after I got back to the RV, Raney was in one of her “moods”. We’re noticing a fairly consistent pattern with Miss Raney, when she needs a nap she tends to gets cranky and hyperactive. She’s like an over-stimulated toddler fighting sleep. The sweet angel baby is nowhere to be seen and the bat-eared wolver-demon takes center stage. And that’s when Riley and Raney had their second kerfuffle.

They were both in the RV and she was in crazy puppy mode, barking and lunging at his face. We know that doesn’t sit well with Riley, so we were gathering her stuff to take her outside. But we just weren’t quick enough. Rog went out to grab her leash, I was standing right next to them and turned around to shut off a light when I heard Raney yip. Riley didn’t vocalize, but when I whirled around Raney was sitting at the top of stairs. We took her straight outside and that’s when I noticed she had a scrape on her muzzle.

Owie nose.

We think Riley did an air snap at the same time she lunged at his face and his tooth scraped her. No blood, but it scratched a line in the fur on her perfect little face. I felt horrible, world’s worst mommy award coming my way. Raney on the other hand, took it all in stride and was chasing after Riley within the hour. Although, she is being a little more cautious around his pointy bits, which I think shows she is brilliant as well as beautiful.

 

Smart girl.
Walking on a floating dock, another first.

We made a trip into La Pine on Monday, where we had a vet appointment scheduled so Raney could get her second set of shots. We had the vet check her face and she wasn’t at all concerned about the scrape. She said if it does scar, we should come up with a great story about a cougar or a bear. Frankly, I think sticking your head into Riley’s mouth is story enough! Lol.

Raney rocks her vet visit.

Wednesday morning Rog and I went for a last kayak while the pups had their morning naps. We had planned for a final campfire that evening, but the weather gods intervened. In the afternoon we had a thunderstorm and it rained buckets. So all that fine dust and dirt turned to mud. I do recall saying I didn’t think the coach could get any dirtier… well, I was wrong. Lol.

Last paddle of the trip.

Dirty dog.
This was before the rains turned everything to mud. Need I say more. Lol.

I offered our firewood to a tent camping family and we went with Plan B and took dinner to Tim’s coach for our final evening together. I wondered what we did to deserve the weather god’s blessing? We might blame Riley, since we had a brief episode of hail and you all know his snow dance is potent juju.😊

Her AKC registered name is Tundra R3 CAN'T STOP THE RAIN.
How appropriate. Lol. 

Thursday, 7/28, we spent a little time picking up camp and taking the pups for a last walkabout. Our destination was Deluxe Brewing in Albany, a Harvest Host location that we’d stayed at before. The brewery is located in an old Borden Dairy building with the original cow and logo still intact. We got settled and took Riley and Raney inside. The temps were in the upper 90’s so they enjoyed the cool concrete floors and we enjoyed a cold beer.  

Raney made several friends and even Riley said hello to a few people. It will be interesting to see if watching a friendly pup have positive interactions will encourage him to do the same. We had hoped to visit with one of Raney’s littermates, Rooster (formerly Greg), who lived about 30 minutes away, but it just didn’t work out. We did manage a short walk along the river when it sorta cooled down. 😊

Cool floor, cold beer.
Deluxe Brewing was a winner.

Deluxe is a fun stop right next the Willamette River.

We were super excited though to arrange a playdate with another of her littermates, Gunthar (formerly Peter), who lives in Newberg. Friday morning, 7/29, Raney and I took the Acadia to Newberg, while Rog and Riley headed home in the RV. Raney’s breeder, Mai, had two helpers raising the litter. One of them was Gunthar’s mom, Wendy, and the other was Debbie. We got to see both of them! It only took Raney a moment to go, “Hey, I remember you guys!” and it was game on. She loved on the people and had a total blast with Gunthar. Unfettered puppy joy is so much fun to watch (but hard to photograph – sorry for all the blurry shots!). They wrestled and chased and dug in the dirt and nommed each other for a couple hours until they finally wore each other out. I have to say, even though Gunthar was just a tad larger, Miss Raney totally kicked butt. Yep, that’s my girl. Lol.

Debbie (seated) and Wendy were so happy to see Raney again!

 

They had a great time together.
Debbie aptly called it a brindle blast!

Girlfriend kicked butt. Lol.

Raney goes for the take down. Lol.

Debbie brought a bubble machine too!

I was sad to leave, but on the upside Raney slept the whole way into Washington where we rendezvoused with Daddy and Riley in the RV. The Friday afternoon traffic going home was a grind, but Riley is a great traveler and our tired, contented puppy was oblivious.

When we got home, Raney was ready to greet her big sister, Randi, who’d flown in the day before from Texas. Randi was in town to attend a friend’s wedding, but we all know she really was there for the puppy kisses. 😊 We also introduced Raney to Clyde, our 16 year old cat. Clyde has helped raise several mastiffs over the years and is taking no crap. Lol. We spent several hours in a “heat event” getting most of the RV unpacked. Ugh. Rog set up the puppy pool to help keep everyone cool. I dumped a month’s worth of laundry in the utility room and will tackle it and all the other home again chores as time permits.

Randi loves up Raney.

All dressed up and ready to go!

Clyde will be teaching his own Puppy Manners class. Lol. 

Puppy pool!!

Loving the big yard and no leashes! 

Yes, Riley. She is here to stay. Lol.

Raney is having no trouble adjusting to the "big" house. 

You see, we have another adventure already planned! Randi, Raney and I are leaving for an all girl’s tent camping trip on Tuesday. It’s just two nights, but it will be fun and full of more firsts for the little girl. In the meantime we have a happy hour planned with our friends, Bob and Carole on Sunday and they’ll be bringing their new puppy, Ruby, for play time. Ruby is a maltipoo (maltese/mini poodle cross) who defines adorable. She is also a super fast ball of energy that will give Raney a run for her money. We have them both enrolled in a Puppy Manners class, however their first session scheduled for this Saturday was cancelled due to the heat. Bob and Carole stopped by for a brief introduction on Saturday afternoon, which was a smashing success. Can’t wait until happy hour when the kids will have more time and a chance to run about in the back yard.  

Ruby is tiny but fast!
Raney made a new friend.

Rog and I haven’t decided yet if we’ll do another trip this fall. Our housesitter, Jordan, left Saturday morning and we have a few days blocked off before our Boondockers Welcome guests start rolling in. If I get ambitious, I may do a short post with happy hour and tent camping photos. Stand by! 😊

More Firsts at an Old Favorite - Diamond Lake, OR

 

Mt. Bailey across Diamond Lake.

If you’ve followed the blog for long you know that Diamond Lake, OR has been a family favorite for over 30 years. We first started camping here with Rog’s parents and grandparents when our oldest daughter Randi was a toddler. Fast forward many years and many happy memories and we keep coming back. We never tire of the views of Mt. Bailey and Mt. Thielsen, we love the 11-mile paved trail around the lake, a couple of lovely beach areas, and the lake is beautiful with great fishing and kayaking. The campground is set among tall pines for shade and the night skies are simply spectacular. Yep, definitely one of our happy places.

Loved introducing Raney to one of our favorite places.

We have 11 days scheduled here and, since it was a short drive from Lemolo Lake, we arrived early in the afternoon on Sunday, 7/17 (Happy Birthday, Randi!). It’s nice to be stationary for a while and not feel rushed to see and do everything in just a few days. Although, in truth, since we’ve been on puppy time this trip there really hasn’t been that much rushing (or seeing or doing for that matter, Lol.).

Riley and Raney hanging out with Dad on the patio.

This year we are camping with my brother Tim and his mastiff Brody, Mike and his cousin Erin. Our friends Mikey and Glen were also scheduled to come, but their pupper, Prince, had a medical emergency and while he’s on the mend, they opted to cancel and stay home. (Miss you guys and sending Prince love and hopes for a speedy recovery!)

Tim's coach (which I still affectionately dub the Deathstar - 45 ft)
and our Short Bus (a petite 33 ft). 

Prince is on the mend, but will be staying home with his Daddies. 😞

Uncle Tim gets to meet his new niece, Raney!

How could you not love that face??

I’d originally planned on just doing one post to cover our stay at Diamond Lake, but given the number of pictures and fun Raney firsts we have to share, thought maybe a two-fer was in order. Besides, this way you get to watch Raney grow and man, is she ever! Puppy sister weighed in at 12 weeks at 42.1 pounds. Needless to say, carrying her was swiftly becoming a nonstarter. Teaching her how to go down the steps moved up the priority list. She picked it up quickly enough and now we only have to do the deadlift if we’re in a hurry or she is sleepy or being stubborn… a mastiff stubborn? Noooo, say it’s not true. Lol. Raney is also picking up some camping skills, she has learned how to drink out of the faucet and now insists on getting a drink every time we walk past one. And then there's the no dogs on the bed rule...how's that working out? 

I  had to learn to go down the stairs.
Mom says I weigh too much! Lol.

Learning new camping skills.
Drinking out of the faucet. 

I don't see any dogs on the bed, just a little princess. Lol.

On Tuesday, 7/19, Rog went out in the kayak for some morning fishing. He got skunked and didn’t see many other folks having much luck either. It’s getting so hot that the trout are staying deep so fishing the lake may not be the way to go this year. Luckily he has options. More on that in the next post.

 

Morning light on Mt. Bailey.

Rog heads out for some lake fishing.

I spent the morning puppysitting. Raney loves to explore the open meadow areas full of wildflowers and tall grass. She walks the fallen logs like an Olympic gymnast on the balance beam. Pretty impressive until she does the clumsy puppy somersault. Lol.

 

Working on her balance beam act.

Our gorgeous girl.

She loves to explore!

In the afternoon we took both of the puppers to “Riley’s beach” at the north end of the lake. It’s a great sandy beach area with shallow water quite a ways out, so it’s perfect for play time. They both had a great time. 

She's getting braver!

Both of the pupper's enjoyed Riley's Beach.

There were swarms of these electric blue dragonflies. 
Finally got one in focus!

After dinner we were at Tim’s coach for a campfire. We were sitting there conversing and enjoying the sunset and a nice breeze off the lake when Raney stood up and led Rog back to our RV, guess she decided it was bedtime!

Evening fire at Tim's coach.

Lovely sunset at Diamond Lake.

Rog and Riley doing some serious contemplation. 😏

Brody enjoys the evening gatherings.

Raney says, "Bedtime!"

On Wednesday, Tim, Mike and I rode around the lake. It's one of the highlights of our stay and we did it a couple times. It’s such a beautiful ride and the views just never get old. We always stop at the bridge over Silent Creek for photos and I keep my eyes peeled in the places where we’ve spotted wildlife in years past – deer, a bear, and a family of otters. Alas, nothing more exciting than kamikaze chipmunks on this trip. Lol.

 

Tim and Mike on the trail around Diamond Lake.

Me and my baby bother. 😁

Silent Creek.

No wildlife besides kamikaze chipmunks and sassy ground squirrels.

Mike is outstanding in his field. Snark, snark. 😄

Mt. Thielsen from the trail.

Got both the mountains in a pano. Lovely!

After we made the loop, we stopped back at the RV to pick up Rog and Raney for the 3-mile roundtrip ride to the South Beach store. You’ve seen pictures of the stroller princess, so we decided to give it a try as a bike trailer. She was a little fussy at times, but then would settle down and enjoy the ride. She did great for her first time behind the bike! I promised her ice cream at the store, but they were closed on Wednesday. ☹ Rog opted to ride around the lake, while Raney and I went back to the RV. We made a return trip the next day so Momma could deliver on her promise.

Sister is riding in style!

 

Momma delivers on her promise!

Thursday, Tim, Mike and Erin drove to Crater Lake. It’s a gorgeous national park but, like many, not very dog friendly. Rog and I opted to stay home with the puppers, but I will share Mike’s awesome pano. Thanks Mike!

 

Mike took this spectacular pano of Crater Lake.
Thanks for letting me share!

We strategically planned our kayaking on Friday morning for puppy naptime. It felt a little like sneaking out to have some adult time without the kids. Lol. We’d usually take Riley with us in the kayak, but there’s no shade on the lake and with temps in the 80’s – 90’s, he would broil. He much prefers to sack out in the heat of the day.

Woohoo. Sneaking out without the kids. Lol. 

Tim and Mike with Mt. Thielsen in the background.

Mike enjoys a paddle on Diamond Lake.

Momma duck and her ducklings.

The puppers are happy to chill in the shade.

Well, I think we’ll pause here and cover the rest in our next post. Stay tuned for our next episode of Diamond Lake! We'll have a visit from Rian (with her new truck!), fun fishing adventures, more puppy pics - all the good, the bad, and the indifferent. Lol.  And as a tease, I’ve been in contact with two of the families that have littermates of Raney’s and we’re trying to set up some play dates on the way home. Stand by for lots more fun and an overdose of adorableness!