Peach and I are going on a canoe trip with the family. I’m not sure what a canoe is, but I know it involves a big coat. Hannah and Nate tried the coats on us a couple dark sleeps ago. The coat had padding in it, and it was very uncomfortable. Peach didn’t like the coat either. She prefers her Batpeach costume.
The ride in the car to the canoe trip is long enough that I fall asleep. I wake up to Peach stepping over me on the way out the door. I follow her out of the car.
“I’ll get us checked in,” Hannah says. She says a few more words to Nate and walks into a building across the street.
“Ben, can you take Zelda for a minute?” Nate hands off my leash. He pulls out the big coat and straps it on Peach. Peach sits motionless. She is unhappy.
“Zelda, it’s your turn for the life jacket,” Nate says. He hands Peach’s leash back to Ben and takes mine. I try to squirm away from the big coat, but I know it’s hopeless. He snaps the coat on me. I am trapped.
“All right! Are we ready?” Hannah says.
When did she get back?
“I think so.”
“Let’s go get our life jackets and paddles.” We circle to the back of the building. My family puts on padded coats. Nate hands everyone a long stick. We walk down a dirt hill. A group of people are standing on the edge of water. They get in something I haven’t seen before and move across the water in it.
I don’t like what I see.
“Okay, Lucy, you are with me. Ben, you are Mom’s canoeing partner,” Nate says.
What about us?
“I wanted to canoe with you, Dad,” Ben says.
“I know, but if Mom and Lucy are in the same boat, we will be on the river forever,” Nate replies.
“Hey! Lucy and I would do just fine!” Hannah says. Nate smiles at her. “Okay, maybe you are right.”
“Ben, would you like Peach or Zelda in the canoe with you?” I look at Ben, then Peach. I don’t want to be split up from Peach.
“Peach,” he says. He picked Peach over me! “I don’t want to swim after Zelda when she does something crazy!” The family laughs.
Crazy? I’m not crazy.
I step into the canoe with Lucy. Nate pushes us into the water and gets in the back of the canoe. The canoe shifts when he gets in. I don’t like that feeling of it swaying back and forth.
Nate and Lucy move their sticks back and forth in the water. We begin to glide across the water. Peach’s canoe is in the water next to us.
“Zelda, come here,” he says. I walk to him slowly. My movement doesn’t seem to affect us. When I reach him, he unleashes me. I jump in his lap.
“Whoa there, Zelda,” he says.
From his lap, I can see ahead and behind us. I feel a breeze blowing. I look across to the other canoe. Peach sits in the middle of it. When she sees me, she stands, and puts her hind legs on the side of the canoe. It looks like she is going to fall in the water, but she doesn’t.
We move down the river for a while. I move out of Nate’s lap and try to find the best spot in the canoe. The sun is over our heads most of the time, and it’s hot. I end up standing on the bench next to Lucy to get the best view.
“Ready for lunch?” Nate yells.
“Yes.”
“Follow me. I’ll find us a bank on the river,” he says. We canoe a bit farther, then our boat turns for the land. Grass! Before the boat stops, I jump out of the canoe. I land in shallow water, splashing myself. It feels good. I take a drink and run away from the water to the grass.
“Zelda, wait!” Nate shouts. I stop. He pulls the boat farther on shore. Peach jumps on the land and runs to me. She licks my face, so I nip at her to start a chase cycle. I dart away, but my coat makes it hard to run.
“Zelda, Peach, come!” Nate says. We run over to him. He takes our coats off and then gives us a few treats. The family sets up a blanket on the ground.
The surrounding smells intrigue me. Peach and I wander through the dirt and grass, sniffing and sneezing. I smell birds, squirrels, a few dogs, and some other animals I don’t know. I’m so wrapped up in the scents that I don’t realize how long I’ve been away from my family. I better get back to them. When I return, I see the top half of Nate and Ben in the water.
“There’s Zelda,” Ben says. “Let’s see if Zelda and Peach like to swim!”
What?
Hannah grabs my collar and straps me back in the big coat. She carries me to Nate.
“Okay, Zelda,” he says, standing at the edge of the water with me. Then he carries me farther into the water. We pass by the canoes and I begin to worry. What is he doing?
“Time to swim,” he says. He lowers me into the water and lets go. The water feels great, but I can’t reach the bottom. My paws start flailing, and something incredible happens. I don’t sink. Instead, I move slowly forward, on top of the water, but I don’t like this feeling one bit.
“Zelda is swimming!” Lucy exclaims. I kick as hard as I can in the direction of the shore. As I make my way, Nate scoops me up. I lick his face as a thank-you.
“I don’t think she’s a fan of swimming,” Nate says. I lick his face again. He takes me to shore and lifts Peach. From the shore, I watch Peach in the water. She looks as freaked out as I felt. After a couple minutes, Nate takes her back to shore.
“Neither of our dogs like to swim,” Nate says.
“They don’t like to swim, yet,” Ben says. Nate laughs.
“Are we ready to get back on the river?” Hannah asks.
“Let’s go!” We load into our boat. While Hannah pushes her canoe out in the water, Peach jumps into our canoe.
“Well, I guess Peach is riding with us,” Nate says. We start gliding on the water again.
Peach and I sit next to each other in the middle of the boat with our tongues hanging out.
After gliding for a while, Nate calls us over and takes off the coats. Without the weight of the coat, the warm sun dries my fur. We greet other boats with barks. The family members talk with each other, and we race down the river.
Nate leads our boat close to the land. Ahead I see a green patch of grass sticking out. I could use an exploration break. I look at Peach. She is panting in the middle of the boat. I don’t think she wants to go with me.
I put my front paws on the side of the boat. The grass is approaching quickly. If I want a break, now is the time. I leap for the grass.
Oh no.
The grass isn’t what I thought it was. It’s not the ground. I sink into the water. My paws start moving to keep me afloat, but I’m starting to sink this time. Oh no. I manage to keep my head above the water. The canoe is moving away, but I see a big splash. I keep my legs going with all my pug strength. I’m beginning to panic when I feel strong arms pull me up out of the water.
“I’ve got you,” Nate says. He keeps my body out of the water as he moves us to the boat. Nate places me in the boat before he pulls himself inside.
“Zelda, why did you jump out?” Lucy asks. Peach licks my face a few times. I sit stunned.
“What happened?” Hannah asks.
“Zelda jumped out. She thought the weeds was the shore,” Nate says.
“Of course she did,” Hannah says.
“I’m glad you are okay,” Lucy says. She pets my head, and I instantly feel better. The rest of the ride is quiet. I stay in the boat. I don’t want to make any more waves.
While we glide along the water, I think about the adventures of the last four seasons. I got stuck in a tree, jumped in a truck, and was chased by geese again. It’s been a crazy year of pug adventures!
“I can’t believe Zelda jumped out!” Hannah says.
“You know Zelda. It’s always an adventure with her,” Nate says. Hannah shook her head.
“And I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Hannah says. “She makes our life more interesting and more fun.”
“Yes, she does!” Ben says. I perk up.
It’s good to know they love me even when I cause a little trouble. And I love them. Here’s to many more seasons with them!