Susie

Susie is Richard's trusty sidekick. She's been through two near life-ending experiences with Richard, which you can read about in The Coast Guard is my Savior and That Sinking Feeling, Again.

This is the way Susie rides all the way to the keys, 6.5 hours every trip, with her arm on the armrest looking to see where we are going!

Susie is getting to know her new friend, the manatee. These guys love fresh water. All you have to go is whop the water with a hose, and if there is a manatee within a mile he will be there in no time for a drink.

Susie is just about the friendliest dog you'll ever meet, even up close and personal.

Whenever Richard goes overboard for rock or sand, it takes a leash to keep her in the boat. Otherwise she'll be in the water, snapping at the bubble's coming up from Richard's regulator. When Richard is down, she constantly keeps an eye on his bubbles. Note the diving flag in the picture -- it's seen better days after thousands of dives!

It's an 18 mile drive from the shop to the launch site. About a mile from the marina, Susie can smell the ocean. As you can hear in this video, she gets pretty excited!