KAYAKING IN THE SNOW

We finally got the kayak that we have been researching and shopping around for (and by "we" I mean "me".. Luke didn't really care WHAT kayak we got, or what kind of deal we received on it, he just wanted a kayak)

But, as would be the case with any long-awaited purchase, we weren't about to let the weather get in the way of testing it out..

So we dealt with the mockery of people in the parking lot.. and the weird looks we got from people.. and we went kayaking in the snow!

We just took turns using this one kayak, because REI only stocks one color of the one that we wanted, and clearly we can't have matching kayaks, that would be lame.. so the color that I'm getting has to be ordered.. won't be here for awhile..

I didn't realize this picture was going the wrong way until it was too late, and I wasn't about to spend the time to go back and edit it.. so.. uh.. tilt your head?? This is on the way to Prineville Reservoir.. he looks like a kayaker huh?

Um.. same here?? These are the fancy warm wet-suit type pants that we got on clearance.. we were rejoicing over this purchase once we got out on the water.. they kept us very warm.

Bentley was the biggest focus of the day... we got him as a little bitty puppy after it was already cold and snowy.. so he has never swam... so it was our goal to get him to swim.

The maiden voyage.. check out that outfit!!

Bailey LOVES to swim.. she was in heaven.. never mind the fact that the water was about 10 degrees..

This ball didn't make it home.. Prineville Reservoir is one plastic ball richer..

Here is the moment we've all been waiting for.. When Luke was in the kayak he would paddle out and call Bentley, trying to get him to swim.. but Bentley just paced the shore crying and barking..

But even cold, deep water is not a great enough barrier to keep him away from his mom.. he couldn't handle me being that far away.. so....

HE SWAM!! He looked terrified with his little eyes sticking out of the water.. so I pet him (and pushed him away since he was very near tipping me over trying to get into the boat) and then paddled back to the shore so that he didn't drown..

So proud..

They were filthy.. wet, cold and filthy.. so we took them to the self-service dog wash at Pet Express.. a little expensive, but worth not having to get them up the stairs and through our house to the shower..

See the snow falling?

That is snow on our bumper..

His teeth were chattering, it was pretty sad and pathetic..

Way too much snow on the ground for the end of April..

We actually did get a little bit of good weather, basically it was snowing when we first arrived.. and the boat ramp is closed at the Prineville Reservoir because they completely rebuilt it.. so we had to carry the kayak all the way down.. (which I thought sucked, Luke, of course, said it wasn't that bad).. then we had blue skies and sun for about 45 minutes, and then when we got the boat all packed back up and started the long walk back to the car it started snowing harder..
all in all, not a bad day!