26 April 2016
Tuesday

Subject:  Of Mud Mask, Blackberries and Chocolate-Dipped Labrador

0500 hours
Alarm rings.
Heavy downpour with thunder.
Whatsapp to Uncle Nic: "Oui!  Weather..."
Human falls back asleep.

0600 hours
I knew humans had something planned.
I don't usually do this but I knew something was up....

*nudged human with nose*

"Wake up!  I know you have something planned.  I promise I won't roll in the mud."

But what human doesn't know, I have already conspired with Frodo about mud-rolling duty.

Human looks at the sky; still raining.
Human checks phone; no reply from Uncle Nic.
Human falls back asleep.

0700 hours
Human jolted awake.
"Oh shit!", human said, "Nic!"
Human had agreed to pick Uncle Nic at... 7 am!
Human clumsily (yes, my human is terrible with this message thing) messaged Uncle Nic and they started a debate of 'to-go-or-not-to-go'.

Needless to say, Uncle Nic pretty much insisted we should proceed.  My human protested as, well, you know... marshy grounds + dogs + mud = either human slips and fall... and/or massive doggie mud spa party clean-up.

Human looked at the sky, looked at the grounds, looked at me, looked at her phone...
Looked at the sky again.

Human thought about how completing this  has been on the agenda since last September.  She had planned to complete it during our 'Jeep Experience Road Trip' but had to scrap it on the day due to timing.   Since then, Uncle Nic and her requently discussed about completing this leg of the Green Corridor but it was still on the invisible "to-do list".

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream....

True that.

The human always tells me, "Flapper, as long as you are healthy, mobile and capable of getting up to mischief, we should continue to set new goals and/or try new things/places so you can live your life to the fullest."

Whatsapp.

"Tell you what... we go ahead but if traffic gets shit we u-turn and find something else to do k?"

More whatsapp.

"Nevermind.  We try the trail first... wanna cross that out from my wishlist too."

And that was that.

Green Corridor Sungei Kadut to Woodlands...

HERE.WE.COME!

Start of the Green Corridor trail at Sungei Kadut.  Heaven loved us.  We were blessed with perfect weather to conquer this 6.6 km (two-ways) walk/play/run.  The grass was not marshy too!

We, the Labs, report we LOVE Green Corridor.  We, the Labs, need more places like that in this puny country.

Return in kind for Uncle Nic's presence and persuading our human to pursue this excursion, time to flash our PR faces for the camera.

Uncle Nic calls this my 'PR-face'.

Frodo as Frodo do...

The Beautiful Trail.....

And Those Well-Developed Blackberries

Remember earlier this morning I promised the human that I will not get myself muddy?

What I failed to inform her was.... Frodo and I had discussed and agreed that HE will be in-charge of developing those 'Blackberries'.

*big smirk*

This gorgeous tree-lined trail that took us away from our urban country setting - even if it was just for a few hours.  How can anyone not love these gifts of nature?  We sigh and constantly wonder why these gifts have to be efficiently replaced by those weird looking concrete things called buildings.  (P.S. At this point, Frodo had already started developing those 'Blackberries')

"Shhhh!  Developing blackberries is highly confidential.  DND.  Lab at work."

We went off-track to discover somewhere a little rough, a little wild... and somewhere I could do a little FACIAL MUD SPA TEST.

The beauty in doing these nature trails, we can always go off-course to discover a little more.... and get up to mischief a little more.

A little rough and wild compared to the main trail but hey!  We, the Labs, will never complain of nooks and crannies.

Evidence that we have been hard at work doing these #LAB-tests....

#LAB-Test Result: Blackberries Well-Developed!

As demonstrated by Frodo, the 'Blackberries' have proven to be well-developed.  Could be a little more well covered but we will pass it anyway.  And now you know what the 'Blackberries' are.

#LAB-Test Result: Facial Mask Needs Improvement.

Due to my promise to the human, I only modestly applied the mud-mask on my face.  By my usual #LAB-test standard, I should be well-covered from head... to toe.  Definitely needs improvement.

We Conquered.

After some 3.3+ km walk mud-mess, we finally reached the end of the trail at Woodlands which was signified by this quirky Legoland bridge.

After all that #LAB-testing, time to pretend and pose for the humans to mark our accomplishment.

Got to flash those cute smiles to the humans.  Proud that we can finally cross this out of our agenda!

The Way Back

It is just another 3.3 km walk back... and well, what is an adventure without testing the humans and getting up to more mischief?

Walking through (again) the famous landmark of this route.  Note the mud....

A view from afar of 'Chocolate-Dipped' Lab in the making.

The Chocolate-Dipped Lab-periment

Because Frodo got bored now that his well-developed 'Blackberries' creation jas received its accolade, he decided to embark on a new #LAB-test called 'The Chocolate-Dipped Lab-periment'.

Step 1: Find different 'chocolate' puddles and test the consistency,

Step 2:  Follow your older brother.  He knows where the 'treasure-spots' are.

Step 3: And when you finally find the 'Chocolate' of the right consistency, make sure you dip yourself well.

#LAB-Test Result: Successful Chocolate-Dipped Lab-periment

Conclusion

A very successful day of #LAB-Testing.

Based on our accomplishments, there is a buzz amongst the humans about further developing this #LAB-Testing thing.
 
In the meantime, we (Frodo and I) love spreading our 'Chocolate-dipped' love to our friends.

Finding our friends after our Green Corridor adventure to spread our "Chocolate-Dipped" love.

Frodo is enamoured with Jessie.  Me thinks he wants to be a chocolate lab... just to look like Jessie?!?!?

True story.

Grandpa got a new mobile phone and badgered mummy for a photo of us, Flapper, Dumbo and me, as the wallpaper.

Mummy, knowing that what Grandpa really wants is just Dumbo and me.

Mummy: "I deleted a lot of photos off my phone.  What I have left are the recent ones with all four dogs (including Pebbles)."

Mummy sent the first one that was taken during Flapper's birthday, thinking maybe could crop Pebbles out.

Photo 1 as wallpaper: Nope!  It was either Flapper and me, or Dumbo and Flapper.  Grandpa would want DUMBO AND ME.  Fail!

Photo 1 - FAIL.

So mummy continued scrolling her phone to see what else she had.

Photo #2:  One of the few in portrait orientation that is good for a phone's wallpaper... and one of the RARE photos with Dumbo 'smiling'.

Grandpa: "But Frodo's face is blocked."

Mummy: "But Dumbo is smiling!"

Grandpa rejected the photo.
Because he has to see me my face.
My entire face.

Mummy got annoyed and decided to send Grandpa this photo.

"Commercial break". Looking at our selfie perked mummy up from Grandpa's obsession with Dumbo and me.

After a brief chat about how Flapper and my brotherly bond, mummy sent grandpa two more photos.

Photo #3: One of mummy's favourite family photo of us 4.

Photo #4:  Another family shot in portrait orientation.  ANYTHING to get the 'Yes' from Grandpa.

Grandpa: "Pebbles is in the photo."

*Mummy lost for words*

*Mummy laughed*

*Mummy rolled her eyes*

*Mummy started cracking jokes of Grandpa's nonsensical bias-ness*

Mummy announced, "I am sure all dad wants is a photo of Frodo and Dumbo... ONLY."

In the meantime....

Grandpa gleefully (and proudly) sent Mummy this photo of me being the Prince (Dumbo is the King) of the sofa constantly looking at him.

I love Grandpa.
Grandpa loves me.
We love each other much much.

I googly eyes at him.
He googly eyes at me.
We keep giving each other googly eyes.

Mummy gave up going through her phone for photos.

She called Flapper and me.
She lured Dumbo (he's deaf).

Mummy: "Aiya!  I take another group shot for you la!  Just the 3 of them."

Freshly taken photo of three of us... just for grandpa's phone.  APPROVED.

Grandpa was happy with the photo.

Mummy quickly set it as his wallpaper.

Knowing how much grandpa loves me.....

Mummy sneakily set this as the 'Lock Screen' image for Grandpa's Phone.(Photo by Uncle Nic of Furry Photos)

Mummy chucked the phone back to Grandpa with my face flashing in his face.

Mummy: "How?  Can?"

Grandpa nodded and smiled in approval, "Nice.  Very nice."

Mummy laughed and shook her head.

Mummy's favourite group shot of us.  It tells the whole story of us as a family.  Flapper and me looking all 'husband-and-wife' again and Flapper looking very much like the big brother (as usual) to us.  While Dumbo, as usual, a little distant from us, solitary and acting like the 'King' as usual.

And this is the story of... Grandpa loves me.
Well, what can I say?
Everybody loves me.