Roux the island dog

Good fortune smiles upon the border collies occasionally, and this time it was an invitation to a weekend retreat at Worthington Island on the Mississippi River.

In addition to miles of trails to explore and other pups to play with, in mid-summer the island features a large sandbar that extends into the river.

We knew from a prior trip that Gumbo would chase a tennis ball anywhere, including into shallow water if necessary.

We toted our umbrellas, chairs, lunch and reading materials to the sandy beach. We gathered driftwood for a fire to grill some hot dogs. We turned around to count dogs -- there were five -- and Roux was standing in water up to her shoulders.

Just standing there.

We thought she was stuck in the muck. But no, she was just cooling off.

As we rafted in the cool water and watched the river traffic go by, we learned that Roux is one fine swimming dog.

In fact, she coulda been a retriever!