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?!?!?