May 27, 2009

Going With the Flowposing

I’m a fella who likes routine. I get up early, rest until work begins, and then work — diligently and with dedication. Work today started with Monty, but he is still recovering from a leg injury that has slowed him down. My routine with Monty is all about romping and playing, but for the past few weeks, we have had to veer from our routine. Now we just walk and while it’s fun to hang out with Monty, I do so miss the playful times.

But I’m learning to go with the flow. This may seem like an easy task, but for me, it’s a challenge. Today, though, I got a great deal of practice.

After our walk, we left Monty at our house and Gretchen and I headed out to pick up Rufus and Riley. On the way there, Gretchen informed me that our last walk with the two boys would be Saturday and that they would no longer be part of our routine.

boysI’m kind of sad about this. I’ve grown to like the short-legged fellows with the curious noses. They’ve encouraged me to sniff more and to take my time when on walks. Like today, for instance, they were all noses to the ground with very little energy for walking. This was frustrating a bit for Gretchen, but I reminded her that going with the flow appeared to be the order of the day.

She smiled at me, but still did everything in her power to exercise Rufus and Riley.

From my perspective, this looked kind of funny. Once safely away from any traffic, Gretchen drops our leashes and lets us roam freely only the boys don’t roam far. I would if given half a chance, but Gretchen keeps me nearby so I don’t get into any trouble.sharing in the smell

The only trouble the boys get into is being transfixed by their noses. They could stand for hours in one place just smelling. At first it annoyed me, but I’m learning to ga nose like thato with the flow and have adjusted my attitude. Now when they pull off the path to take a whiff, I join them.  I’m not really sure why it’s so exciting, but I’m trying to expand my horizons and for that I have Rufus and Riley to thank.

I do think they were endowed with better noses than my own. I mean, just look at Rufus’ snout. And those ears! They pick up so many scents he must just go crazy basking in their smells.

Riley, on the other hand, not only enjoys a good sniff, but he is the master of finding something interesting and then rolling it with abandon. I like to roll around, too, but I roll for fun. Riley rolls with a purpose.

purposepurpose2

Finally, after much delay, Gretchen got the boys to follow her up the grassy hill for a run. It took a great deal of encouragement on both our parts!

we're coming

moving

moving2

Let’s just say — the boys are cute and good sniffers, but they are none too fast on their feet!

When we drove back home, Gretchen decided to let Monty rest while we walked Oshi and Perrito.  They were very happy to see us and both of them raced up the road on our way to the park across the way. There I got to play some fetch. Perrito likes it when I play fetch.

chasing

First he chases me and then he stalks me, trying to cut me off at the pass…

stalking

Yes, this presented with another opportunity to go with the flow.

made it past

And I did quite well.

Oshi could learn to go with the flow. He likes routine far more than I. He walks, he does his business, and then he’s all about going home. See how he’s literally at the end of his leash pulling us back to the house?

end of the leash

Eventually the heat of the day made both Oshi and Perrito give up. Perrito took a load off…

giving up

and Oshi decided to roll in the cool of the shade…

rolling

Both boys were happy, though, when we continued on with our walk. How do I know? They both smiled!

smile onesmile2

You’re not gonna believe what came next. I couldn’t believe it when it happened and this is when I realized I would blog about going with the flow because what else can one do when one is forced to have a bath! Can you see the humiliation on my face? Monty witnessed it all and I must tell you, that is the most embarrassing part of it all — my friend watching my humiliation! But he was understanding since he just had a bath the day before. He’s such a good friend!

post bathgood friend

We thought our day was done. Gretchen pulled out a special treat for us and that marked the end of a productive work day. Since it was warm, she grabbed two marrow bones from the freezer and Monty and I laid out back in the shade and enjoyed the delicacy. I know, it’s hard to see the bones because the grass is so long, but trust me, they are there.

bonesbones2

Perhaps this is a better look…

bones3bones4

A perfect end to an ever-changing day, right? Well, it wasn’t over yet. There was a bit of confusion about who would walk Gerta and when the call came, we realized we had more work to do. Actually, Monty had more work to do since I’d had a pretty big day already. So Gretchen and Monty loaded into the car and raced to rescue Gerta who was THRILLED to see not only Gretchen, but Monty!

Monty and Gerta

They went for an extra long walk since Gerta had to wait so long for hers, but it was warm so Gretchen stopped at a shady park (as in cool shady not drug-trafficking shady) whereupon Gerta rolled around while Monty looked on.  Monty only rolls when he’s super hot!

smiling rolling

Gerta was grateful for the walk and Gretchen was happy she was available.

stoicsmiling again

Then it truly was the end of our busy day and frankly, I’m happy it’s over. Going with the flow is exhausting!

Until tomorrow,

Rubin

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