Coastie Takes Us to the Coast Guard!

Thursday, our meeting took place at the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station near the Clearwater-St. Petersburg Airport. It was an amazing meeting for several reasons:

Group shot with hanger in the distance. We are waiting for meeting to start. Photo by Jeremiah Khokhar.

• The Coast Guard!
• The planes and helicopters!
• The film crew! (oh yeah!)

Since there were so many photographers at the meeting, I did not take all of these photographs.  The ones not credited are mine. One photographer in particular needs a special mention as he has been following Coastie since he was a little baby: Jeremiah Khokhar.  He has done all of his baby puppy photos and he came out to the meeting just for Coastie.  The best photos are his and there are links back to his facebook site or his website.

Coast Guard Commander kneeling beside a sitting Coastie who has his coat on.  Coastie seems to be smiling and looking up. Stephanie is standing behind Coastie.  The helicopter is behind all of them and has both of its orange doors open. Photo by Jeremiah Khokar.

When we first got there we walked through a gate to a large hanger which was beside a ginormous plane that was testing all four of its engines and was VERY LOUD.  So loud that the very littlest of our group (Coach and Tabina, four months old) really didn't want to hang around.  So Steve and I left early with the little guys and gradually the big pups followed us.

Coast Guard Commander with Stephanie and Coastie and the four engined plane with the props turning in the background.  Photo by Roger Reese.

Then we went to another plane (and here is where I wish I had asked the commander for the specific name of each type of aircraft!) that had a drop down panel in the back, which the dogs where able to jump up on and walk through and then out the front of the plane down the stairs.  The entire interior of the plane was metal and a very different surface for their feet, which was a very good exposure for them.

Yellow lab Coastie waiting his turn at the plane. Photo by Jeremiah Khokhar.

Stephanie and Coastie prepare to walk up the ramp into the airplane where about 5 Coast Guard airmen wait. Photo by Roger Reese.

Our last aircraft was a helicopter.  They were going out to do a training flight on some new software and equipment they had installed.  We were able to let the dogs jump up into the cabin and then meet the coast guardsman sitting inside (it was a she!).

Brian stands outside the helicopter as Liz explores inside.

Michele and goldadore Gail look out from inside the helicopter. Photo by Roger Reese.

 Some dogs made the leap, most, had to be helped as it was a pretty sizable jump.

Stephanie and Southeastern Guide Dog puppy Coastie are at the front of the helicopter with photographer Jeremiah Khokhar and a Coast Guard member.

Then, we walked some distance away and watched as it taxi'ed down the strip and out to a take-off point.

Far shot of the helicopter as it starts up.

 Most of the dogs thought the noise from the helicopter was pretty manageable.  The first plane was the doozey!

The film crew for Coast Guard: Florida is up against the fence filming us as we watch the helicopter taxi away.

 And we had a film crew follow us.  Well, not us exactly.  They were there filming the Coast Guard and we just happened to make good copy.  So they filmed us visiting the Coast Guard.

The sound guy is watching the video guy as they film us for reality show Coast Guard: Florida.

 After all, who doesn't love puppies?

Group shot of us watching the helicopter.  Most pups are unconcerned. Some are lying down.  Some are standing and looking the other way.

Bobby, a big chocolate lab, has decided he doesn't care and turned his back on the helicopter.

Orchid, a yellow goldadore, lies unconcerned on the asphalt, while nearby, Babe, a yellow lab stands and looks at the ground.

Brian is giving black lab Liz a kiss while Gail, a golden retriever,  has decided she is quite close enough and won't come any closer, thank you very much! Fellow golden Katie is fine with the noise of the helicopter.

A photo of the whole group, puppy raisers and their puppies with the helicopter in the background. Photo by Roger Reese.

Leepa-Rattner Museum

We spent our Saturday meeting at the Leepa-Rattner Museum on the St. Pete College Campus in Tarpon Springs. This museum was wonderful and we highly recommend it for their dog friendliness in addition to their amazing collection and changing exhibitions.  When we went they had an Andy Warhol exhibition, which quite frankly, I was surprised to see in such a small library.  It was outstanding.  I highly recommend you get a chance to go up and see it.  You may never again get a chance to see so many original Warhol works of art in one place again.  Certainly not in the Tampa Bay area.

We started the meeting with obedience on the shady grass outside and then we went into the museum.

AC Carolyn starts the meeting sharing some Southeastern information.

Brian and black lab Liz, sitting, wait for a command from AC Carolyn.

Tabina, a yellow lab, is sitting pretty as another yellow lab stands off to the left in an attempt to say hello.

All the pups are lined up and in a sit.

All the pups are in a down stay and the puppy raisers are at the end of the leashes waiting to give the come command.

All the pups are in a down stay and the puppy raisers are at the end of the leashes waiting to give the come command.

Another view of the entire group of puppies in a down stay.

Our AC Carolyn hard at work.

AC Carolyn demonstrating the sit-come-heel command string.

Sunny, AC Carolyn's puppy and a yellow lab, on the recall.

Sunny does a good heel and ends up sitting next to AC Carolyn and gets some praise.

After obedience, we busied the dogs and went into the museum where we found a plethora of exposures for them.  From life-size statues to strange sculpture, stairs, vivid colors in paintings, you name it, the museum had it.

The group inside the Leepa-Rattnor Museum.

We had some prospective puppy raisers there.  Tim was trying out Babe, a yellow lab whom Karen and Bob had been babysitting.

Susan and Brian took advantage of the seating to have Liz do a down stay.

There were all sorts of strange things like life size statues at the museum.  A great exposure for the dogs!

Jam was doing his weird asthmatic wheeze, so everyone always knew where he was.  We also call him Goose because of his honking.  The museum was not a quiet place that day.

Here Denny and puppy raiser Sylvia approach a life size cut out of Andy Warhol.

Prospective puppy raiser Tim and his kids try Babe out at the Warhol statue.

Puppy raiser Sue and her goldadore Katy have tried the stairs and are now sitting on the benches.

Tabina and her puppy raiser Blake find a quiet moment in main lobby.

Tabina, finally tuckered out, lies flat out on the floor with no intention of getting up anytime soon.

All in all it was a very good meeting.  Not one accident in the museum!  There were several puppies who ran straight to the grass as soon as we left the museum (Jam included!), but not a one had a pee-saster in the museum.  Good job!