Dog Day Afternoon

It's a dog day afternoon here on Anna Maria Island.  I've been lounging on my dog bed in the shade of a few palm trees thinking about all of my friends.  You might not have realized that in addition to my dog and human friends, I have hundreds of birds and sea creature friends  living here on the island with me.

Mom and I hang out together looking for our dolphin friends.

An incredible amount of wildlife call Anna Maria their home.  Some of my friends are sea turtles who come ashore at this time of year to lay their eggs on the beaches.  The hatching usually takes place in the dark around the end of October into November.  It warms my doggie heart to see the little turtle hatchlings enter the water for their first big swim.

Right now, in the first week of June, my skimmer friends are congregating in a protected area on the beach to lay their nests.  I saw several manatee close to shore on Monday.  And, of course, my blue heron friends come right up to our back door looking for a treat.  Sometimes my Mom will toss them a shrimp. 

I love watching the gulls, sandpipers, royal terns and plovers gently flying over the shallow water looking for little fish for dinner. 

My friend, Mark Alonso and I often go out canoeing to find my sea bird friends.

And, of course, my dolphin friends come by to visit often.  They swim so close to the beach I can see their fins as they feed and play. 

This is a wonderful place for a nature lover like me. 
Its a doggone good life!

A "Howling" Good Time!

Not sure if I mentioned it before, but I'm not a big fan of fireworks.  It's the surprise "bang!" that gets me every time.  But..... I have to say, this past Saturday night, my hometown, Anna Maria, had a big celebration for the 100th anniversary of the City Pier.  At 9:00 PM there was a fantastic fireworks display over the water.  

                                                          photo: Jack Elka

Hundreds of people showed up for the celebration which actually started the evening before with a parade!  During the day on Saturday, Pine Avenue was closed and lined with food, wine and art tents. I had some goooood food! Loved the art.  And, even had a little wine!

By the time the evening came, I was ready for a celebration with a bang!  Hundreds of us lined the pier and along the shore.  There was music and more food and the colors reflected off the water. It was a perfect ending to an exciting day.  We all had a "howling" good time!

Anna Maria City Pier

Mutterly Love

Does anyone in the whole world love me more than my Mom?  

"Biology is the least of what makes someone a mother."Oprah

What makes a good mother anyway?

Is it patience? compassion? Ever available treats? 

Or is it in her heart? 

My Mom has a child who walks on four paws 

and is a bit hairier than others!

She loves me unconditionally every single day.  

She sits up all night soothing me when I'm sick.  

She wipes up my mess without a complaint, 

(and I'm very messy!)

Mom brings me special treats, 

and takes me with her almost everywhere she goes.

There is no dog in the world who is loved more than me.  

Thank you, Mom, and Happy Mother's Day!

Bow Wow WOW!

A "rrrrruf" Day!

Well, friends, my early athletic days, and all that running around and trying to keep up with Mark, have finally caught up with me!

A couple of weeks ago, I had to have surgery for a torn ligament that I'd gotten who knows when, and how! :-)
 
Our neighbor, Heidi Goss, from across the street on Pine Avenue is a veterinarian, and she saw me hobbling around and asked my Mom, "What's wrong with Fritz?"  She examined my leg and said immediately it was a torn ACL and told my mom to take me up to her classmate, who is a board certified surgeon, in Largo.

Well, for those of us who never get off the island, that was a big excursion!  Mom and I, with the help of navigators, Gina and her daughter, Rachel, finally found our way to the clinic about an hour north of the island.

The doctor, Matt Oakes, examined me and said, "That's an ACL.  It's very common in big dogs and very fixable."  Mom picked the best type of surgery for me (aren't I a LUCKY dog??), and I had it the next day!  

(See below to find out what it was and what I had!).

So, I had the surgery two weeks ago, now, and I'm already healing and hobbling just a little bit now!  I was treated so well and just love all the people who took such good care of me.  

Here I am with one of my favorite staff:

They told my mom it will take four months to recover fully, but just two months of being careful with my leg.   That's hard for an active dog like me!!   I'm always hopping in and out of the car, and following my Mom wherever she goes!

I'm feeling great, and my mom is so relieved!

 

INFO on  ACL injuries:    

It is very common in both humans and dogs!  You Tube has more graphic videos, but this one explains it well enough!

An Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury is a tear in one of the knee ligaments that joins the upper leg bone with the lower leg bone. The ACL keeps the knee stable.
 

Fritz says, "No wonder I was limping!!!" 

The most common surgery for this involves putting something almost like a "fishing line" in to tie the joints together.  The surgery Fritz had, though, is called TPLO, or Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy, and it is a newer, unique method of treatment of cranial cruciate ligament disease in dogs.  An actual plate is put in, which decreases the slope of the tibial joint surface so there is little or no cranial force on the proximal tibia during weightbearing.  The muscles then have a greater mechanical advantage and become stronger.

The doctor told Fritz he'd recover fully in 8 weeks.  It's only been a little over 2 weeks, and he's already doing better!

Anna Maria Island - Every Day is a Holiday

As I was searching through my iphone for photos to post on this blog, I realized that I have quite a few fun pics of me during the holidays.  Anna Maria Islanders celebrate any chance we get. I think you'll love my outfits.  

4th of July will be here before we know it.  I'm ready, are you?

 

Of course, Mom and I have our matching St. Patrick's Day outfits.  Here we are at the parade.

Then, of course, there's Christmas.  Mom is really into the details!

 

The Holiday Parade. This is one of my more elaborate costumes.

Actually, I'm up for anything.  In this picture, Mom and I are with Rachel and her dog, Pierre, at the Annual Dog Show.  

Look closely at my ...... well, just look.  You'll see why I won a ribbon!

Well, these are the photos I've found so far.  I'll keep looking for more and post them later.

Don't forget to send me your pictures. And, please sign up as a blog follower.  You won't want to miss a thing!  See you soon! 

On the Go....

I know I have a reputation for lounging, but actually, most days I'm on the go.  I love traveling around the island with my friends.  Anna Maria Island is bustling with things to do and places to go and people to see.

And, there are just as many different kinds of transportation as there are places to go.  Just to give you an idea of some of the fun we have each day, I thought you'd like to see some pics.

Here I am with my Mom, Sue.

Sometimes, I drive myself.  I like the four-wheeled vehicles best.  
This pic was taken around Christmas time, as you can see.  
Beautiful blue sky, palm trees......does it get any better than this?

Pedal to the metal!

4th of July with Sue and our friend, Ed Kennedy.

Here I am with Mom in the An Island Place Realty vehicle.

Just parking and lounging.  I've got it down!

My good friend, Mark Alonso, created this wild ride for me.  

We love cruising around the island.  Everyone knows us.  

I think one of my favorite rides is in my Mom's Volvo.  

She won't let me drive, but I love hanging my head out of the passenger side window.  Have you ever done that? What a rush!

Hey girls, want a ride?

Friends Forever

A dog is the only being on this earth that loves you more than he loves himself.

Henry Wheeler Shaw

I am one of the luckiest dogs on earth.  I am so blessed with many friends.  Of course, my best friend is my Mom.  She loves me more than anyone.  We've had so many wonderful adventures together and lots of hugs and laughs.

 

Have I introduced you to another good friend, Mark Alonso?  You'll see us driving around the streets of Anna Maria in our three-wheeler wearing matching scarves.  We often stop to chat with neighbors and visitors. 

Actually, I like having my picture taken with all our friends.  Here I am with Marge and Marty, and Marge's grandchildren.

Here I am with Gary, who works for the City of Anna Maria.  He stops by every day and gives me a biscuit, or two!  I give him a great big kiss in return! 

Alice and Vera, our visitors from Sweden!

 I even love attending closings in our office at An Island Place Realty. Fran Jones, Mom's title agent, loves to have me come to closings!  I've even been to her office in town!

 But, most of all, I love spending time with my Mom. 
She calls me her lap dog!