Last Wednesday I spent the day at Lake Biwa, swimming, jet-skiing and eating BBQ. (Though what I really wanted to eat was funazushi, the super-aged original sushi only made near Lake Biwa. Maybe next time.) We camped out on concrete, next to a trash-clogged dock, so the best sight of the day was not Japan's largest freshwater lake -- it was Ricky the dog.

Upon arriving at the lake, Ricky was strapped into a life jacket. With a handle. Ricky didn't mind if you picked him up by his handle. In fact, he seemed to quite enjoy it. Ricky also liked (or at least tolerated) going for a spin on the jet ski. And hot dogs. And I liked Ricky.