Hey everyone, sorry for the long delay: enjoy the next chapter!
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Chapter 11: Beach Day
I am awakened from my deep slumber to the sound of two high-pitched voices calling out to me from outside my room: it's the sisters (Bluey and Bingo) and they sure seem excited about something.
"Dustin! Wake up, wake up!" Both said.
I got out of bed as they continued calling for me. I reach for the knob and open the door to see them with big smiles on their faces, "I'm up, I'm up…what's up?"
Both Bluey and her sibling held their mouths as their excitement builds…both look to one another before finally facing me again, "beach!"
"Beach?" I tilt my head to the side in confusion and they soon rolled their eyes at me, "We're going to the beach today!"
Oh, that sounds quite nice actually. It's been YEARS since I've seen the ocean. Unbeknownst to me my tail is wagging as I look at the two with a short smile on my snout, "this should be fun."
I got ready: Chili helped gather things for me that I will need for our day along the coast (just your basic beach supplies I guess.) It wasn't long before it's time for us to hop on the reddish Jeep and head east until we saw the large stretch of water on the horizon.
Bandit parked the car not too far away from a trail we would take to get to the sand, but first we headed over to a picnic area (for a quick wee in the stalls) before gathering our supplies. Chili went into the women's restroom with the girls as I helped Bandit organize everything.
"Excited, mate?" The Heeler asked before I nodded, "it's certainly been a while."
"Dustin" I heard him say as he crouched down, "remember you're smaller now, so be careful if you go into the water…try to stay knee-deep, okay?"
"Of course" I couldn't agree more. I look over to see a skateboard among the items inside the car's trunk (or boot as it's called here) and I turn to look at him with a curious disposition.
"Who in the family skates?"
"You're looking at 'em!" By the tone of his voice Bandit seemed very proud, "ever ride one?"
I crossed my arms and shook my head in response, "not really, I'm more of a bike kind of guy."
"Ah, alright-y then" he chuckled, "what kind of bike?" He asked, continuing to take things out of the car to take to the beach trail.
"Not one that runs on gas that's for sure" I laughed before backpedaling, "I usually ride a Genesis…nothing too fancy. Just a basic mountain bike."
"I see" he smiled, grabbing a handful of stuff before looking down at me, "mind getting that pile over 'ere?" Bandit asked before I nodded. We carried the stuff toward a wooden bench just as Bluey, Bingo, and Chili left the washroom, "Dustin, did you put on any?" She asked, holding a bottle (what I assumed to be sunscreen) and I just stood there in confusion.
"W-why would you use that; you guys have fur…" I stammered as the sisters giggled.
Their mother just shrugged back, crouching down to be eye level with me, "just lemme put some on, Dustin."
Bluey and Bingo could barely hold their breaths as I looked away in embarrassment (as the mom applied the sunscreen on me.) Unbeknownst to me, she tapped my black nose with a bit of sunscreen lotion, and I jumped at this, shaking my muzzle/nose as a reaction. That certainly felt weird…now I know how dogs back at home feel…
Chili stood up, putting her hands on her hips, giving a smug expression, "there, that'll do."
"Gee, thanks" I rolled my eyes playfully as the girls laughed in addition.
"Time to go, babe" Bandit jumped in before we finally made our way to the beach, just a few dozen meters away.
To say it was a nice day would be a MAJOR understatement…it is BEAUTIFUL. My eyes glowed at the sight in front of me: the blue ocean waves gently crashing in, the partly cloudy sky, the green rolling hills behind us…the sub-tropical flora…it was amazing, to say the least.
There weren't too many people on the beach, compared to places I've been to throughout my life, but there were some people out in the water (some even surfing the waves further out.) Either way, we had our way…like a whole plot of land to ourselves and I LOVED it!
First thing, the girls ran up and jumped around, clearly excited for the day to come. I looked around and saw two flag posts (both with yellow and red on them) and I asked Bandit the meaning behind them. At first, I thought it meant high surf or dangerous currents; however, I was relieved when he explained that they meant it was okay to swim between the flags. Plus, there was a lifeguard on the beach, so that was another good thing.
We quickly set up a tent and right afterward, the parents approached us with green/yellow chapStick (or whatever the heck it was) and started coloring the sisters' faces with both colors. Bingo had dots all over her while Bluey had two lines running down her cheeks and the top of her snout. As for me, I just had to get a blend of the two, much to the amusement of the girls.
For a while, we had done several small activities while near the tent such as flying small kites (as there was decent wind out here.) Bingo flew a green one (that had frogs on it) while Bluey and I shared a pink one (that had white flowers on it). One of my favorites to play was sand hopscotch (which I never played for the life of me, both that and regular hopscotch...) Bluey gave me the basics and it was simple enough, and we played for a good while. That is…until Bingo had her attention drawn to some sticks on the ground. An idea crossed her, and she smiled softly, grabbing us. Sure enough, the three of us started drawing in the sand as morning came to an end. I wasn't a good drawer, but I drew some basic shapes of fish while Bluey drew a mermaid and Bingo made seagulls.
It wasn't long before the sun climbed to its highest point, the hottest time of the day, and we figured we could cool off in the water. Bandit had made a small sandcastle while Chili was returning from a solitary walk along the shoreline: right around the time both parents joined us.
The five of us stood just where the water had lightly receded, and we saw the small waves crashing in as we braced our feet for what was to come. We looked down to see the clear blue water wetting our feet paws as the sisters giggled in delight. It certainly felt nice, though cold for sure (despite the fact I had fur now I guess even with that it still felt cold to the touch at first.) Since the waves weren't too big and the water was calm enough, the parents made the decision to head just slightly deeper (especially since Bluey and Bingo begged them to.) Unknown to me, a few times they had come the currents were strong, but this was a rare time they could actually get in without worrying about large surf. Bandit picked up Bingo and placed her on his back as she squealed with joy. I cringed as we walked a bit deeper in, and I heard a voice ring out to me, "hey Dustin…"
My ear twitched, turning to face the direction of the voice (which belonged to Bluey), and the moment I turned my head I was splashed in the face with salt water.
"Bluey!" Chili scolded her daughter before I returned fire, soaking the blue dog with a taste of her own medicine. She meant no bad from it of course and we giggled in response, hugging one another as a sign of truce. Bingo lowered herself to whisper in her dad's ear and a grin formed on his snout as he chuckled softly. Sure enough, the canine used his arm and sent a wall of water into us as Bluey and I screeched in unison, getting wet once again. Chili snapped at her husband in response, "Bandit!"
"It was Bingo's idea!" He playfully blamed his daughter as she growled at him before we all laughed together.
Then, from Bingo's vantage point, she can see some small fish passing by Bandit's submerged legs and they got excited: poking her father to get his attention, "Dad, Dad look!"
The blue canid looked to where his daughter was pointing and barely managed to see the scaly creatures leaving view and he smiled, "ah, that's quite a sight! Nice catch, Bingo!"
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By the time it's the early afternoon, we packed up our stuff and left for the beach: storing it all in the jeep. The parents decided we could check out the shops and food on a nearby street while we're still in the area. And so, we walked along a pathway: seeing a row of small white buildings that had everything from designer clothes to souvenirs. We checked out some, most notably a beach-themed souvenir store. Inside, Bluey begged her parents to get a fancy-looking seashell for her while Bingo grabbed some goofy-looking shades. Unknown to me, she grabbed one for me as well (a yellow one with pineapple shapes on it.)
"Look at yourself, Dustin!" Bingo pointed to a mirror nearby as I walked up to it to see just how goofy I looked and soon Bingo joined in with her pair…making faces. I just couldn't help myself: I joined in. The orange Heeler blew a raspberry in my direction before I jumped in surprise. I wasn't expecting that and I put my paws on my hips in response as she laughed at my reaction.
"Oh yeah!?" I blow a raspberry at her in retaliation before she joins in.
"Okay girls, come on" Chili walked in frame, rolling her eyes at the ridiculousness.
"Can we buy these, mum?" The five-year-old begged before her mother sighed, scratching the back of her head. She was about to say no but then she looked at me and figured 'why not?'
Once we're done, we made our way to get something to eat: our group decided on traditional Aussie cuisine, and we spent the hour outside on the patio with a view of a park (and the ocean further out.)
After a good while, we got back to the jeep and decided to return to the Heeler residence. It was tiring, to say the least. I mean, the sisters passed out within minutes of us getting in and I soon began to feel the same effects…
It felt nice, don't get me wrong…I had a GREAT day today…but something in the back of my mind kept creeping up to show itself to me…like a light shadow that won't leave. For all the fun I had today I wondered: how long would it last, exactly? As long as it needed to, my mind automatically chimed in. I think today was a lesson on fun…I didn't worry about a thing, and I think this is truly the first time I felt connected with the family (got to know how they really got along outside of the house and whatnot.)
That was enough, I ought to take Julie and our daughter (when she's born) to the beach someday. I look out the window one last time to see the last of the ocean disappear from view just as I drift to sleep…
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Again, sorry for the delay. I hope you enjoyed this latest addition and I'll see you next time, peace.