February 12, 2009
Darwin’s Dog Days
Today, it seems, is a day of important birthdays. First, some guy named Lincoln and then another guy named Darwin were each born on this day in the exact same year, but they didn’t know each other. Gretchen tried to explain it to me, but I got confused. A theater in the Galapagos? What? Evolutionary Emancipation? Did you say Abe or Apes?
Humans. Somewhere something went terribly wrong.
Today we met up with Lucy and Ollie for our morning amble that landed us at the park for a rousing game of fetch and chase. Lucy, I’ve decided, does three things very well. The first, as you all know, is fetch. A fiend I tell you, a fiend. 
The next is begging. I like my treats, but she actually quivers in anticipation.
The last is a sentry bark. She howls at certain people. I’m not sure what triggers it, but as she waited impatiently for her treat, a bicyclist flew by and Lucy let loose with a warning howl.
Ollie, on the other hand, was happy to play with me. I must admit, when we arrived at his house, I was kind of thrilled too and raced with a wiggle-wag all the way to his gate. By the time we got to the park, we were all over each other and he chased me again and again and again in between the throwing and retrieving of the ball. It was mighty fun.
He, too, is good at waiting for a treat though when it’s offered, he sails skyward as if on a pogo stick. Hard to capture in a photograph!
It was hard to say goodbye to both of them, but we had Ms. Gemma next on the schedule and she’s kind of fun, too. So we headed down the road and met up with Ms. Funnelhead. 
She was thrilled to see me and even jumped for joy as she chased me around the courts. Later, we came back to my house so she could have some lunch and we ended up wrestling in the backyard. No photo as time was short and we had another appointment.
And wasn’t I surprised when we met up with Richard – Ginger’s dad! He’s a dog walker, too so we followed him around and told our life stories. Mine is very short, but his is long and fascinating. He walked Maggie who I mistook for a cat when I 
first met her. Not a good thing because cats make me bark in an angry hateful way. Poor Maggie was frightened out of her fur until we started walking and then she was just fine. I was, too, once I realized she didn’t have a cat’s genes!
Plus, I got to spend the afternoon with Richard and that is always a special treat – and he even has special treats that he shared with me!
Now I’m really tired. That’s a lot of exercise for one day and after trying to understand Genetic Proclamations and what presidents have to do with precedents, well, I’m mentally exhausted as well. Time for a nap!
