Coming soon I will have fall photo’s of Sundog Ranch but the colors have not quite peaked yet so I thought I’d first share some photo’s of Sasha and Maisie on one of my little work vacations to “The Lake” last November. I LOVE this time of year at the lake. Some of the fall colors are still hanging around but the icy cold weather starts to make a presence which makes for that heavenly mountain smell. Pulling out my Irish wool never felt so good. Maisie and Sasha did not mind the cold one bit. Sasha is seen here in one of her favorite places on the deck.
The closer she can get to the top of the tree the better since that is where to coveted ground squirrels hang out. I am convinced the squirrels torture my dogs on purpose making their little squirrel sounds while they are up there.
Enough of the tortuous squirrels! So off we go for our afternoon jaunt to the pier. Along the way Sasha and Maisie find a patch of snow. Sasha starts to do the Rabbit run or the “Zoomies” as noted in the blog We Live in a Flat
Why is it when dogs find a patch of snow they suddenly go berserk?
Once we hit the pier the coast is clear. The beauty of this time of year is no one is on the pier. Leashes not needed. I can let the dogs run berserk. As long as I have plastic bags for you know what. The pier has laxative effects. 
You see I am not the only one who knows this. Sasha has to check out that leaf which looks like it could be something else.
Have you ever been on a pier this wide? It makes for great photographs. I did not ask Sasha to pose for this photo.
Nor did I ask Maisie to pose for this photo. Being out in the cool air in the mountains makes the Sundogs love life. Being in Tahoe make me love life too. It is one of my favorite places in the world. I think the large body of water makes me feel good. Especially when it is starting to get cold.
There are lots of things for Sasha and Maisie to look at in the water. Even though seemingly nothing is going on to me. 
Puddles need to be investigated.
And things floating down below need investigating. I looked over the edge and saw nothing.
But there was something there. No kidding.
“Oh boy something is going on at the other end of the pier. We better check it out mom.”
“I’m looking but I don’t see anything….or smell anything.”
I know all dogs have a good sense of smell but Maisie has an extrordinary sense of smell and sight. I know she would find something if it was there. How about that Golden coat on the aqua blue water? I like shorter coats. When you have five dogs the grooming goes quicker.
It ‘s time to go back home but who’s complaining? Leaves are falling, snow on the ground, what more could a dog want?
A chase is what a dog would want. Mom in front baby behind.
Life is good.
Adios Amigos
How could I not pick this photo for “The Golden Hour” Who is this?
But first we started out by having Rockin’ Roy get the dogs focused on “The Precious” on the lawn. Notice who are the best students. Lassen the noncompetitive one has other things to investigate.
Sasha’s focus is unbeatable.
At two years old she’s in her prime. Sorry Yolo.
After the warm up it’s time to head down to the pier. As you can see someone got a little too warmed up and is already cooling off at the shore. Normally at the condo cabin we have to have the mountain dogs leashed up in the common areas and the pier. But since it is off season and no one is around the COAST IS CLEAR!
We HAVE to make sure we bring plenty of bags (for you know what) and the leashes out on the big long pier. Because sometimes guests come walking out and want more peace and solitude than the Mountain Dogs are willing to offer. 
Human rules don’t apply to the Mountain Dogs.
Even though Sasha’s in top form these days Yolo will not give up on owning the “The Precious”. Lassen on the other hand has other things to investigate.
You see, Yolo is addicted to “The Precious”. His addiction gets a little annoying at times and we have to put “The Precious away”. Right now Roy is trying to teach Yolo a little patience.
Yolo tries to maintain his cool.
“Will you PLEASE throw that thing for me!”
“Finally he is lifting his arm a little”.
“I thought it would never happen. And look….. all five Mountain Dogs are competing with me now. Darn”
Their off!
Miss perfect beats Yolo again by two body lengths at least. 
Watch out for Sasha. MONSTER MOUTH.
ESCAPE ROUTE PLEASE!!
Amazingly Sasha makes it back to Rocking Roy with “The Precious”. 
Did you ever wonder if “The Precious” ever goes over the edge? Well it does. As you can see Yolo still has his eye on “The Precious” but I have to be truthful and admit, it took quite sometime for him to put two and two together and figure out how to get to it.
He finally figured to go over to and then down the stairs that lead into the human swimming section which is where “The Precious” fell. He looked and looked at the water and at me. “Where is The Precious?”
Sasha was looking for “The Precious” too.
Finally they both were on track and getting near “The Precious”.
When suddenly Sasha gave up and turned back. I think she just wanted to give her big brother a chance. But in reality Yolo is “still the man” He kept his eye on the ball (I mean “The Precious”) and did not give up for anything. I guess his “Precious” addiction is good thing…….sometimes.
Sasha not being quite as addicted the “The Precious” said “I gotta get back to dry land”.
While Lassen is off investigating again. Not giving a hoot about “The Precious”
Maisie is my leaper. She does not drift into the water she LEAPS into it. Off the metal stairs that lead to the swimming section off the pier. The roped off swimming area is reserved for humans but unless it is the heart of the summer in prime daylight hours the Sundogs TAKE OVER at the swimming section. Leaping affords Maisie a lot of time to get in front of her brothers hence to get to the object she is after FIRST.
Once Maisie gets what she is looking for of course she is FIRST to the stairs.
Sasha at four months old and her first time at the “stairs” does not want any part of what seems like fun to the big Sundogs. Leaping by herself into the blue-green sea of liquid ice with two or three other giant Sundogs after her does not seem fun.
But no matter how hard she tries by putting two feet first in the water Sasha cannot bring herself to plunge in to the sea of liquid ice like her Mom does.
So she plunks down at the top of the stairs where she can watch that is going on.
Mr Lassen is also staying dry for now. He got his feet wet but since he is not too into competition he used the opportunity while everyone else was swimming to check out the good sniffs….. on the end of the pier by the swimming section. 
He could watch the swimming scene with Rockin Roy and that was fine with him.
And RARE undivided attention was to be had.
While Maisie and Yolo had to get the ball FIRST from the stairs. 
Sasha stayed far away from the bottom step when Yolo was there.
Lassen finally gets in on the action and so now we have three big wet Sundogs crowding the stairs.
When they shake Rockin Roy tries to get away from the shake but not Sasha.
Sasha has to play the “I BITE YOUR LEG” game while they aren’t even finished shaking off yet.
It is time to dry off on the pier now. No more fun “on the stairs”.
Sasha seems a little more at ease now with Mom and Yolo at her side NOT on dry land but at least on the pier. They can all survey the lake and bird situation from here and stop the silly plunging into liquid ice even if there is that retrieving thing going on.
Rockin Roy calls and in no time the Sundogs sprint to the call. It must be time to go home, finish drying off and hit the couches.
Leashing up for the walk down the pier away from the swimming section is OK since we got a bit tired out. 
Even if we don’t want to admit it.
The Sun Dog Drift 