James is a Labrador Retriever, so he is a natural swimmer with paws that fan out like paddles. His hind quarters are above the surface and his tail seems to act like a rudder. Swimming looks easy - he actually seems to be walking in the water. James swims long distances, following us as we row - mostly swimming, sometimes running along the shore to get ahead of us. When I got the Monhegan skiff seven years ago he wanted to get in the boat. Not now. He prefers to `walk'.
