2013 - April - Meet Capt. Jack Sparrow

We anchored on the west side of Christmas Tree Island…(aka Wisteria Island) & took a dock on the 15^th waiting for Captain Jack Sparrow to fly in from NC. Scupper was despondent - it was clear she was missing Molly…nothing we did could cheer her up so we decided to get a puppy - that would be Cap’t Jack. A little confusion at the airport. We were told to pick him up at the ticket counter - SO like Key West to screw it up. We found him in baggage claim - no, he didn’t go round & round with the luggage…a very nice guy delivered him personally. OMG!

1st view of his new home ('how will I ever get up & down these steps?')

 

He is so tiny - born 2/21/13 now weighs about 2 lbs…guess that makes sense since we got him at the Teeny Weenie Weinery from Sueann Burns. What a great person. She sent all kinds of stuff down with him taped to his crate including a darling outfit with a skull & crossbones on it.

I couldn't get him to stay still for a better picture

 

And, I could get him to keep it on!

 

Scupper seemed stunned-she looked at us as if to say "you're kidding-right?" She didn’t want anything to do with him & took her a good week to even acknowledge his presence. But when she finally gave in, it was LOVE

 

 Scupper wanted no part of this little twerp

When Molly died Scupper would not go into Molly’s bed but Jack didn’t hesitate. At bedtime, we blocked off both cabins so he wouldn’t fall down the steps. Surprisingly, he slept the whole night in the bed & piddled on the ’pee-pee pad’. This is good, this is really good. (or so we thought)
 

After an exhausting 1st day - sleep at last

We left KW on the 16^th - 12 hrs later, we anchored in Marco Island. Jack didn’t seem frightened & slept most of the way. We had to know if he could swim so we anchored at the south

Confusion reins - 'where the hell am I now?' note his right paw

 

end of Keeywaydin Island (where we spend NYE), loaded up the dinghy & the kids & headed for shore. I put him in the water right away & off he went (thank goodness) -

Scupper - full of sand as usual

 

he still has to adjust his ‘rudder’ a bit, but damn - he can swim.

quickly made friends w/ the kids, Ava, Will & Sam

 

We wandered the beach & both of them kept up. EVERYONE stopped to see Scupper & the pup. We spent 3 days there just

He did really well on the dinghy

 

vegging. Wayne & Scupper took the dinghy & picked up Kathryn at the Naples docks

Kate & the very comfortable, Jack

& brought her back to the boat. I wish I had a picture of her face when she first saw Jack…she spent the next few days with us. We took a dock on the 20^th, had a yummy dinner at Café Luna & got to see Shannon (at Luna) & David (at Lurcat across the street) - both restaurants were swamped so just a quick hug & kiss.
Jack is very smart (isn't that what all 'parents' say about their 'kids'?) & he's quickly learning from Scupper & vice versa - the good, the bad & the ugly.

Checking out the steep step leading to the saloon from the outside deck

We have lots of places on the boat that can be a danger to a little guy like steep steps from the salon down into both cabins & off the flybridge; large hawse pipes the he could easily crawl through & into the briny & the cap rails, that if he tried to jump up on, would land him into the sea as well. However, he's very cautious, he looks before he leaps & that doesn't happen with all dogs. When Scupper was little I was reeling up a fish & it was hanging just off the side of the boat. Scupper (being the crazy fish-loving dog she is) jumped up & out to get the fish & in she went! It was pretty funny but scary too. She's never pulled that stunt again.

Our friend, Laura from Naples, took this great picture

 

They started to play together & chase each other around. And they play hard. It is pure entertainment for us. One of the dog's beds has a hole in the center...Jack soon learned that this was a place he could hide from Scupper. Hard to explain

how it works, but Jack would borrow into the hole

(the other bed was underneath it) & disappear. First time it happened Scups was baffled - then, slight movement - aha, I found him! Scups grabs the bed & pulls it off leaving Jack in the open. Other times, Jack would slip out between the two beds & run like hell. It's hilarious! Jack likes to play while laying on his back & uses all 4 paws to fight Scupper off. He likes to sleep that way too.

 

Looks scary doesn't it ?

 

 





 

Totally vegged out