Happy 1st birthday to the 2nd largest dog in South Hobart

Winston turns 1 today.  He is a lovely fella, extremely gentle and good-humoured. He has mostly stopped eating shoes. We have met only one larger dog in South Hobart, in that time. We were told Winston was the offspring of a labrador-retriever cross and a labrador-boxer cross. So we were a little shocked when he didn't stop growing. I think he's got some Newfoundland or St Bernard going on there somewhere.

We took him, the kids and the wave ski to Kingston Beach yesterday, to have a paddle in the lazy Browns River estuary. Last time we took him there, he was very keen to follow the boys, but got a bit panicky when the water was too deep for him.

Yesterday was his first experience of the wave ski. Suddenly Elf and Michael were on this orange thing, moving away, faster and faster. Winston followed, and suddenly he was swimming. He had a look on his floppy face of combined worry, astonishment and pride. His jowls floated along either side of his massive nose, like he might be part manta ray.

Marcus took the wave ski off on his own, and looked right at home on it. He paddled up to the footbridge and back, with me trying to keep up (doing a nanna breaststroke to keep my head out of the water). I could not.

Winston makes friends with every dog and child he possibly can. People are always pleased to meet him - he lollops towards them, radiating good intentions. One lady called to us "He must be a Newfoundland! They're so intelligent!". Which is not something we have noticed, yet.

Hound in the sky! Hound in the sky!