China has always been a great dog! From the moment she came into our family dad started working with her every morning to teach her tricks and manners. She's a very smart dog.

Sometimes she completely surprises us with how aware of things she is.

Like most dogs she can tell when we're leaving for a big trip. You can't pack the car without her sneaking in. When she knows that she is coming along she'll head for the truck entirely too early and sit in the passenger seat. You aint leaving her behind.

In the summertime, she knows what a swimsuit is. As soon as we turn the corner from the hallway she sees it and jumps out of her chair, with her childlike squeal, heading straight for the back door.

On the weekends when we take a trip to the lake, she knows exactly where we are headed. I don't understand how she can distinguish between hours of car riding and a trip to the lake. Whether I get it or not, she really does know the difference.

Mom and Dad were sitting outside the camper eating breakfast this morning and China was napping in her usual spot underneath said camper in the shade. When they were finished eating they took some stuff inside and then came back out. They had to make a few trips in and out before everything was put up. In the process of all that they decided they would go for a walk. They headed back inside one more time to put on their shoes.

When they came out to get China, there was no sign of her.

They hollered and hollered and hollered. When she didn't come running mom started to freak out. She headed down to the public restrooms to see if somehow China had gotten shut inside.

Nope.

They looked all over the campsite and hollered some more.

Nothing.

The only other thing dad knew to do was go check the boat. We leave it parked in the water by the swimming area when we know we're going to be camping for a few days. Maybe all of their going in and out of the camper confused China and she thought she had been left behind.

He headed down there while mom paced frantically at the camper, almost at tears, trying to think of how she would explain this to Casie and I.

That smart little booger!

She was sitting at the foot of the boat waiting patiently.

Her poor legs are too short to jump in, but she knew that if she didn't see us around, the boat was the only other place for her to look. So there she sat. Waiting.

:)