Five Signs You’re Having a Great Summer!

1. You leap about and chase after balls in a big open field with your friends.

(Lucy gets the award for being the most athletic!)

2. You rest in the shade of a beautiful tree with a really big smile on your face.

3. You share in the wonders of nature.

4. You swim and dive at your friends’ pool while a cute baby and her dog watch your athletic feats of grace and splash.

5. You share your evening with your new friend.

Yes, there are many signs you’re having a splashy summer…many, many signs.

Until tomorrow when summer continues,

Rubin

Starting Off with a Bang!

Okay, our Monday actually started on Sunday evening, if you can believe it and what an evening it was! Gretchen left me at the house, but when she returned, she brought a new friend — Wilson. Ann, my other mom came with us as we walked up to Jessica’s house, picked up Quillette and then headed, to of all places, the lake!

Oh joy!

I love the lake, but Wilson loves the lake almost as much as I do. He is a retriever after all so you can imagine how excited he was to fetch the red buoy or the orange and blue ball every time it was thrown into the water.

I was excited, too.  An evening swim is a perfect way to spend it with old and new friends, don’t ya think?

Wilson is quite the swimmer.  He swam with ease out to to the ball and then swam almost all the way back before he’d stand in the shallows dropping the ball over and over again.  We had to beg him to bring it in and when he did, Gretchen would throw it back out in the water again.  He liked that a lot.

Quillette likes to get in the water, but she doesn’t like to swim as much as we do. Instead, she wades in and then stands on the shore and barks at the rest of us.

I’m not going to post too many photos of Wilson yet because we got to see him again this evening and well, Gretchen likes to take lots and lots of pictures so he’s going to get lots of air time.

The actual day today (Monday) started with a curious activity. Ann climbed up a big ladder, reached up in a tree, and pulled down these curious red things that she put in a bucket. Then she gave the bucket to Grandma Genevieve (visiting from Mexico) who pulled the stems out again and again. She must have done that for hours this morning while I watched intently.

Occasionally, she gave me a red thingymajig, but only after she pulled out the stem AND the pit.

After all the “cherries” (that’s what they are called) got picked, Ann retrieved Oshi and Perrito and Gretchen and I got Gemma. We headed to the tennis courts for a game of fetch, chase, and body slams.

And then Ann came by with Oshi and Perrito…we were very, very thrilled to see them all and have a crazy play time at the courts…

Okay most of us were excited…Oshi just kept running toward Gretchen. Perrito, on the other hand, chewed and chased the ball while Gemma ran around inviting us all to play with her…

Ann hung out in the shade and eventually we all paid her a visit…

And then we played some more…

Gemma headed home with Gretchen while Ann took the boys back to their house. When we arrived back home, Gretchen, Ann, Grandma Genevieve and I got into the car, onto a ferry, and landed at our friends’ house for lunch and a play date at the beach.

See, I told you it was a big bang of a Monday!

This is Keenan. She’s a good friend and an elderstateswoman.  She’s almost 11 years old, but she still swims like a smooth otter.  I like to steal her ball, but she’s very friendly and is willing to share, but boy was that water cold!

The best part of the beach trip was that Mt. Rainier was full and beautiful on the horizon…almost as beautiful as Keenan!

But don’t think our day was over after we arrived back in Seattle. Oh no, no, no!  Remember Wilson?  Well, he needed a walk again tonight so while I ate my dinner, Gretchen took Wilson for a walk and guess who they ran into?

GEMMA! Talk about fast friends…

They played for about a half hour and then took a bit of a break…a perfect photo opportunity…

But still the day was not over because Gretchen brought Wilson back to our house and let me tell you, we played like fools!

And then Wilson figured out where the treats were sitting…oops…

Good thing there was only one treat on the table!  We played some more and then Gretchen took Wilson back home and guess what I did?  Well, I slept and dictated this blog to Gretchen who graciously typed it up for me. Boy am I tired…

…and it’s only Monday!

Until tomorrow,

Rubin

Take Your Dog To Work? Come on!

Today is apparently Take Your Dog to Work Day. For me it’s Take Your Human to Work Day. For both of us it’s Take YOUR Dogs to Our Work Day. Whatever. It was a day and we were surrounded by dogs starting with a fun frolic with our dear friend, Richard who is also a dog walker (among many other things!).

We all LOVE Richard. He always has treats in his bag and a variety of balls like tennis balls, soccer balls, baseballs, and more.  He’s the pied-piper and wherever he goes, we’re sure to follow!  Ginger, the dog on the far left, is his wild and crazy dog. She just turned 10, but she doesn’t look a day over 5. Next to her in the photo is Quillette who also just turned 10. She doesn’t look a day over 5 either. Then there is Richard and me and a very happy Monty with his ears flat against his head. We’re all smiling in this photo because, as I’ve said, WE ALL LOVE RICHARD!

He throws the ball for us, he gives us treats, he scratches our backs…he’s a such a good guy.

But in between it all we had lots of fun…Quillette stood by Richard the whole time and asked for treats. She’s quite a talker!

Monty, Ginger, and I played fetch…a lot!

As you can see, I love the soccer ball and Richard brought a new one today. Oh, I love bouncing that ball around and chasing it!

We got tired pretty quickly and then sat around posing for the camera…

What a good way to start the day! Monty, Quillette, and I headed back to my house for a little snack and a little rest. Then Gretchen took Monty home to be with his mom (who has the day off) and took Quillette with her so that on the way back, she could pick up Oshi and Perrito who enjoy Quillette very much. They headed back to the little field and did their own playing and posing.

Oshi poses the most and today Gretchen spent time trying to get a close up of the weeds stuck on Oshi’s face. Silly guy. That’s what you get for always having your nose to the ground!

Meanwhile, Perrito chased Quillette who chased the ball…

But as we are all prone to do, everyone got tired and rested in the shade. Here’s Perrito with his paw on the beloved orange and blue ball…

While Quillette demonstrates the best way to relax…yawn, stretch, and sprawl…

What a full day already, but it wasn’t over yet!  Gretchen dropped of Oshi and Perrito back at their house, left Quillette at ours, and she and I headed over to Gemma’s house for a long walk up to Madrona to pick up Teabiscuit. For those of you who don’t know, Madrona is  pretty far away so while I got to rest some today, Gretchen didn’t. She put in about 10 miles of walking and I suppose that’s appropriate on Take Your Dog(s) to Work Day.

Gemma and I got to pose by the Leschi Park and Teabiscuit and Quillette got to pose by a tribute to Michael Jackson at the local barbershop.

Take YOUR Dog to Our Work Day was long, but very fun. We hope all of you got to take you dogs to your work as well.

Have a great weekend,

Rubin

Windy City

Summertime is a time when the sun usually comes out and the rainclouds go away. It’s true that this summer has been fairly true to form, but of late, we’ve had a few more clouds, a lot less rain, and not so much sun.  Today, for instance, we had wind and lots of it.

But we also had fun since Ann is off for the summer and she gets to go with us on our work walks.

Oh, and it’s not just Ann who went with us today. Grandma Genevieve is here from Mexico and she got to visit Seward Park, the first walk of the day.  She loved it — “A very beautiful place,” she said — but at first she was a little cold. It’s not as warm and sunny here as it is in Mexico. Luckily, we had extra jackets and she bundled up against the wind as we walked around Seward Park with Mr. Ollie.

Yep, that’s Ollie standing with Ann — they are both showing off their wind-blown hairdos!  I like Ollie’s the best!

Once we got past the windy side of the park, the sun was much warmer and everyone was glad about that.  It was so warm that both Ollie and I thought it might be a good idea if we could go swimming.

We were the only ones who thought that was a good idea.

So instead of diving into the lake, we headed up to the wooded trails while Ann and Grandma Genevieve continued on around the paved lake path.

The wooded trails are very fun, but they are even more adventurous with the wind pushing the big trees back and forth.

Ollie was a little scared at first because those trees can really creak and sway, but once he realized we could run and play and chase each other, he was very excited to be in the woods with me.

Oh, and the smells!  My goodness the forest was rich with wonderful smells of raccoons and squirrels and who knows who else!

After our romp on the trails, we swooped back down to the paved path where we astonishingly met up with Ann and Grandma Genevieve again. Talk about perfect timing! We paused there to watch a heron resting on an old dock and then headed off toward the car a little warmer and a lot happier!

I got to rest when we got home while Gretchen took Gemma for a walk around the neighborhood. Gemma had fun and is feeling more chipper these days so at the end of the walk, they swung by the house to pick me up. It was good to see Gemma, but we didn’t get our picture taken together. Instead, she was “posed” by some Seattle landmarks…

Flowers of the Mt. Baker neighborhood…

The Martin Luther King Jr. fountain and park; the Seattle skyline…

And Gemma happy (and tired) to be heading to my house for a short visit followed by a walk back to her house.

Short post today because I’m off to my last agility class for a few weeks.  We must get loaded up and on the road because the traffic is always so unpredictable.

Until tomorrow,

Rubin

Summertime…

It’s officially summer now that my other mom, Ann is officially done teaching. She’s very happy because she gets to work in the garden and take naps in the afternoon. I’m happy, too, because I like to help her in the garden and sleep by her side while she rests.

Monty came early this morning and after a long walk, he helped Ann in the garden as well…until I decided we should romp.

My favorite way to get Monty to play with me is to stab him in the neck with my nose.  He resists at first, but the more I jab, the more irritated he becomes and then it’s game on!

Only Gretchen says we have to take it easy since Monty has kind of a bum front leg. So there is no jumping off the deck and our time is limited to one minute.

It’s amazing how much wrestling we can get in in one minute.  We have to work quickly, but in 60 seconds of playing today, I think I was thrown to the ground at least ten times and Monty bit at my neck five times. Here is a time elapsed sequence of our fun…

Notice, no matter how fierce we look or how high Monty leaps, Ann just keeps working in her garden. I told you she loved it!

Next, we picked up Oshi and Perrito next door and headed to the field for some fetch. Even though it’s cloudy today, it’s very muggy so we got pretty hot pretty quickly. Still, we had a great time.

Instead of chasing his own ball, Perrito thought it wouuld be more fun to chase us. Oshi, on the other hand, watched as he always does. Perrito eventually got tired and he watched after awhile as well.

When Monty gets tired, he always lays by Gretchen’s backpack. We’re not sure why, but no matter where she sets it down, eventually Monty will end up there looking happy and content.

After a little rest, everyone wants to play more fetch so they race out into the middle of the field and wait for the ball…

“I think we have to remind her to throw it, Monty. Don’t worry, I’ll do it,” said Perrito.

Eventually, Gretchen can get Oshi to run a little, but it takes lots of effort and he only goes a little ways then he stops and watches some more.

By the time we were done, everyone was pretty tired. Oshi and Perrito went home to rest and Monty stayed with me while Gretchen went to walk Gemma who is still healing. They went for a long walk and visited the summer gardens around the neighborhood. First stop, a meditative pose at the Bradner Gardens.

But soon Gemma wanted to continue the walk…”This Cone of Shame is hot, Gretchen. Let’s keep moving, okay?”

So on their way they went down through the garden and then onto the wooded trail above the lake where Gemma ran along the shady trail dragging her leash.

Finally, Gretchen found a flower that looked just like Gemma and made her pose in front of it. It made Gemma smile to know that she looked like a flower.

On the way home from Gemma’s, Gretchen realized she was supposed to walk Lucy today so she headed up there to pick her up. Lucky for Monty and me, she brought Lucy to our house for a short visit, but then Lucy got to go to the big field and play fetch all by herself. She really, really liked that.

Gretchen says that she likes it when Lucy doesn’t have the ball because her ears go straight up. Unfortunately, Lucy gets a little impatient and barks and whines for the ball to be thrown. Still, she’s cute, isn’t she?

So Gretchen throws it and Lucy is very happy…

We’re about to head out for our last walk of the afternoon. We have to take Monty back, which makes me kind of sad since he is my best friend, but we have to go out to dinner tonight and Monty unfortunately can’t come with us. Maybe next time, buddy!

Still no real rain, but there isn’t supposed to be any now, is there?  After all it is summer time!

Until tomorrow,

Rubin

PS — Grandma, I’m sorry I didn’t proofread today. We’re kind of in a hurry, but I hope my mistakes are few.  Love you, Rubin

All the Way Home…

The sad thing about having another dog at our house as a boarder is that they eventually go home.

The good thing about having another dog at our house as a boarder is that they eventually go home.

Does that make me sound mean?

Let me explain.

Argo has been with us since last Thursday. He’s a sweet little fella whose personality broadened every day.  At first he was shy and a bit out of sorts, but as the days progressed, his playful, jolly, and wiggly self emerged. Today was his last day with us so we took an early morning walk to the little field where we played fetch.

That little guy loves to play fetch, but then again, so do I.

Argo wasn’t to go home until the evening so that meant he got to go to work with me only my work was pretty trim today. Ollie and Gemma were the only dogs on the docket…or should that be “dog”ket?  No matter.

Gemma is still recovering so the only dog Argo got to meet was Ollie and as usual, Ollie was very excited to see us and meet Argo. We headed on a long walk aiming toward the little field for games of chase and fetch, but when we got there, they were mowing the lawn.

What now? We decided to see if anyone was at the off-leash dog park. Generally, we don’t go to the dog park because 1) there are often lots of dogs there and 2) it’s often very muddy, but since we haven’t much rain of late, we decided to check it out. And what do you know…no one was there AND it was dry. So we got to play and play we did!

As you can see, Argo and Ollie got along really well. Ollie chased Argo and then another dog showed up (Vadar) and Ollie got chased. He was one happy guy.

Since Argo had played that morning, he got tired pretty quickly and found a couple places to rest first in the tall grass and then in the shade. Smart fellow!

I played fetch and Ollie stood around waiting to be chased…

Eventually even Ollie got tired and found his own shade in which to rest.

On our way to return Ollie back to his home, we stopped at our house where Gretchen left Argo and me so we could get some rest. We needed it.  Gretchen dropped off Ollie and then walked over to Gemma’s house.

You know how they say a dog’s bark is bigger than his bite? Well, in Gemma’s case the bandage is bigger than her bite. Yes, her ear had to get stitches, but to keep the ear from splitting open again, the vet had to bend her right ear back and strap on a full-headed bandage.

On top of that, she has to wear the Cone of Shame to keep her from scratching out the stitches.

Poor girl.

Though Gretchen reports that she’s still full of energy!  To burn some of it off before their walk, Gretchen took Gemma to the tennis courts to play fetch and race around.

Gemma likes to chase after the ball, but unlike me, she’s not very good at bringing the ball back. This makes fetch kind of a tough game, but Gretchen pulled out three balls, tossed one across the court to get Gemma to chase it then threw the next so Gemma would chase that.

But after awhile, Gretchen noticed that what Gemma really liked to do was jump up after a bouncing ball so they played that game for awhile.

Occasionally, the ball would get stuck in the Cone of Shame. Gemma had a hard time trying to figure out how to get the ball out of the cone. Eventually, she learned to flip her cone and the ball would fly out on it’s own.

Amazingly, Gretchen got a picture of it!  Talk about luck!

But it was warm yesterday and Gemma soon tired out. A perfect time to take an energetic dog for a walk. But first, some rest in the shade and a happy yawn…

They finished their time together with a walk through Judkins park, but Gemma sought the shade every now and then. That’s a tired dog!

The rest of the day, Argo and I hung out together and ended the day with a walk around the park and games of fetch in the backyard. When Argo’s family arrived, it eased the pain of his leaving by seeing how happy he was to have his family around again.  He is a loved dog, it’s true, but we will miss him very much.

Be a good boy, Argo.

The good part about the boarder going home? I get my moms all to myself!!!

Until next time,

Rubin

Zoom, Zoom, Zoom

If there is one thing I’ve learned about little dogs it’s that they are very, very fast. I always thought I was fast, but Argo is a Mach One race car compared to my turbo engine.

We started the day with a long walk up over the hill and down through the woody park.  Argo likes to walk and he squirted and spurted in front of us the whole way…and I mean that both figureatively and literally. I thought Monty could pee a lot, but Argo lifts his leg without much provocation. Pretty amazing for such a little guy.

We also went through the Bradner Gardens where Gretchen propped us up for one of those classically staged photographs. Everyone we walk it seems, gets their picture taken at the tractor and Argo is no exception.

After the tractor, we headed through the park and then back up over the hill toward home.  Usually after our morning walk, Gretchen works at the computer for awhile, but today she left us behind at the house and headed out the door to help my other mother, Ann, pack up her classroom for the big move to her new school. We’re all excited because Ann’s new school is only 3 blocks away and that means she’ll be close by and we can visit her often. Yippee!

Gretchen returned from her work with Ann, leashed us up, and we headed next door to fetch Oshi and Perrito. There’s a love affair blossoming between Perrito and Argo. The second they saw each other their tails got all wiggly and they had a peeing contest all the way to the park.  Impressive how much liquid those two can produce. At the park, I played fetch and they played chase. First they chased after me, then they chased after each other, and then we all chased after a swallow who decided to join in on our fun (3rd picture…can you see the swallow just to the right of my tail?)

Oshi, as is his style, watched and mourned for home,  and eventually we all got tired and rested…

Oshi’s position doesn’t change much on these outings. Perhaps that’s because Gretchen leaves his leash on. She’s taken it off before, but then Oshi heads for home on his own and that’s just not a good idea. With the leash left on, he stands in one position or walks a little dragging his leash like an anchor. Argo, on the other hand, is all over the place, but never leaves his new friends’ sides. That’s good.  Makes him really fun to be with and a whole lot more reliable for Gretchen! Perrito goes whereever Argo goes…like glue I tell ya, like glue.

That’s it for today in terms of the business side of my life. I think there are more walks planned later and perhaps even a romp with Monty this evening, but only after we get finished cleaning the house.

Until tomorrow,

Rubin

Ergo Argo

Dear Family,

Rubin has been kind enough to let me write on his Dog Blog about the weekend. He said that as a guest, I get to give my viewpoint of life at Camp Rubin. And what a life it is! When you told me you’d be leaving me with Ann and Gretchen, I had no idea how much fun I would have. Okay, I’ll admit, I was kind of shy when I first arrived, uncertain about where I’d sleep, who I should follow (since I always follow you, Mom), and when or where I’d get fed (a very important part of my existence). But soon I learned the routine at Camp Rubin and have settled right in.

Rubin is a good friend. He pretty much leaves me alone, but allows me to go with him to work. He’s a dog dog walker, if you didn’t know, and he stays very, very busy during the week.  He also stays very busy on the weekends, too. .

This weekend, for instance, we traveled over to visit his grandparents as well as his Uncle Paul and Lindsey, his human cousin. They were all really nice to me and we had lots and lots of fun.  We played lots of fetch…a game both Rubin and I like.

I also got lots and lots of loving attention…

Not only from Ann and Gretchen, but from Gretchen’s family as well. For instance, this is Grandpa Bob. He’s very kind and gave me lots of love. He also gave lots of love to Rubin since that is his Grand-dog.

Lindsey, Gretchen’s niece and Rubin’s cousin, liked to scratch my back and I even got to hang out with Ann while she read the Sunday paper.

Rubin is one lucky dog. Not only does he have a loving family (just like I do), but he gets to go on all sorts of adventures.  For instance, on Saturday afternoon, we went to this boat launch where that’s what they did…launched two kayaks. And guess what? Rubin got to go for a ride in one of the kayaks! They asked me if I wanted to go, but I didn’t like the thought of getting my paws wet. Instead, I went for a walk with Ann around the park. That was fun, too. Everything smells so different in Bremerton!

We all hung out on the dock, too, watching the boats go by.

We also played fetch in the park and I got to chew on Rubin’s orange and blue ball. That was especially fun!

When we got back to the house, Rubin and I hung out in the front yard while everyone washed down the boats.

Because it was Father’s Day, we all got to watch Grandpa Bob try out his new hose wrapper-upper. Rubin liked to chase the hose, but I got a little nervous and wanted Ann to pick me up, and she did…just in time for the family portrait!

I also got a new nickname. They called me “Star Anise”…I’m not sure why but I think it has to do with the white star on my back end.

At night, I get to sleep in the middle of the human bed and sometimes Rubin comes up, too and we sleep together.  Rubin and I also play in the back yard, too, which is really fun though he likes to bark at me and that makes me a little nervous.

It’s been really fun so far hanging out and playing at Camp Rubin. I do miss you, though, but I’m glad if you had to be gone, that I got to come here.  I feel safe and loved almost as much as I do when I am at home.

Your faithful and curly boy,

Argo

The End of a Long Week

I should have known it was going to be a long day to mark a long week when we woke up to rain today. The rain smelled good, but it was that summer kind of rain that gets you wet 30 steps out the door. And we got wet. The house still kind of smells like wet dogs even though it’s no longer raining and Gretchen’s opened the windows to bring in some fresh air.

But today was uneventful, compared to yesterday, though it was still very long. It started with a walk with Captain and Argo. Captain is the dog we just finished boarding and Argo is next.  They got along fine, but I think Captain was really happy to go home. He seemed happy when his family arrived to pick him up.  We had fun, didn’t we Captain? Hope you come stay with us again, though next time, no ear biting!

Speaking of ear biting…how’s this for an ear-ristable picture?

Gemma looks like she has two ears, doesn’t she? Well, don’t be fooled. That’s her tail sticking up like an ear…what she really looks like is this…

I always knew Gemma was “fearless” but now she’s “earless”….though only temporarily. After Captain nipped at her yesterday, Gemma had to have some minor surgery with the vet stitching up her ear and then bandaging it like the Egyptians bandaged a mummy. Needless to say, I didn’t get to play with Gemma today. Gretchen met up with Gemma and her human dad and they walked through the park and then played some fetch and ran around a lot. Apparently, Gemma had lots of energy after her groggy Thursday afternoon and evening.

Speaking of fetch, I think Gemma looks kind of fetching in her orange bandage…it looks like a designer necklace!

Get well soon, Gemma. I can hardly wait to play with you again… and you can chew on my ears just like you always do!

But I’m retelling the day all out of order. After Captain went home, we fetched Monty for a short walk and then Gretchen played with Gemma while we all rested.  After Gemma, Gretchen took Argo to meet Oshi and Perrito. Talk about a hit. Gretchen told me all about it, but I think the photographs tell the best story!

As you can see, Argo and Perrito hit it off. They played like crazy, with Argo racing around the tennis courts and Perrito doing his best to catch him.  He only caught up to Argo when Argo took a rest after all the circling around at lightning speed.

Gretchen tells me that Argo is really fast. I’ve only had hints of his speed when he races around the house inviting me to chase him. We’re going to go out this afternoon to play so maybe I’ll get to see for myself just how fast he is.

Oh and Oshi you may wonder, was at the tennis courts, too, but he had no interesting in playing. Instead, he watched.

And hung out with Gretchen as close as he could get so he didn’t get run over by the crazed dogs…

And Argo and Perrito did a lot of wrestling, too. They got quite the workout!

Argo got to come back to the house and rest with Monty who was digesting his lunch before going out again.  I got to go visit Teabiscuit and she was very happy to see me!

We got to play fetch and though Teabiscuit was a little uncertain about playing fetch at the same time I did, she eventually warmed up to it!

After we walked and played with Teabiscuit, Monty, Argo and I went for a walk up to the pet store to pick up some food for me. Yummy!  We had to stop, of course, at the scary grate lookout where Argo showed how fearless he is.

We made our way along the ridge and then headed back home to be posed, one more time, on the back porch.

Do I look tired? Well, I am. I think Argo is, too. He had a full day. I had a full week. There’s a joke in here somewhere about a full Monty, but I’m to tired to tease it out (Gretchen said that would be “strip tease” it out! She must not be as tired as I am!).

Have a great weekend everyone. Argo and I get to go to Grandma and Grandpa’s house!  Yippee!!!

Rubin

PS — And if that weren’t enough…we finished the day off with a game of fetch and a walk with Quillette and Teabiscuit!

Oh Crap!

Gretchen says not to worry. Some days are like this, but I’m still a bit upset. Everything started out normally. It always does, doesn’t it? Captain and I went for a walk through Volunteer Park early this morning where Gretchen posed us in front of one of her favorite spots…the resevoir.

Then Captain ate his breakfast. I passed.  I wasn’t hungry yet and so I didn’t force myself.  We rested as we are always required to do after eating, and then set out to pick up Ollie. He was happy to see us. He is always happy and we headed up over the hill to the park to play some fetch. That’s always fun and very much a normal part of our normal work.

Ollie tried to get Captain to play wrestling with him, but Captain was more interested in playing fetch…and so was I…for awhile…

And then I decided to play with Ollie…or should I say, he decided to play with me!

And then Luke showed up. I’ve met him before and he’s as focused on his orange and blue ball as I am…as Captain is…

We all had a great time…even Ollie, even Captain…even Luke!

We were all very exercised and as we walked back up the hill and through the wooded park, our tongues hung low in contentment and exhaustion.  At Ollie’s house we had some water fresh from the hose…best kind…and then headed down the street to pick up Gemma.

It all sounds normal, doesn’t it?  It was normal when Gretchen left Captain and me in the car while she went to retrieve Gemma. Gemma gets really excited when she sees us and Gretchen decided our meeting should take place outside the house, not inside. Gemma roared out the door, down the steps, and toward the car. She knew I was there, but she didn’t know that Captain was there. She also didn’t know that Captain looks a lot like me, so when he jumped out of the back of the car first, Gemma greeted him like she greets me.

She threw herself at him…awhole body slam down.

Captain is a gentle fellow and he, kind of like me, isn’t fond of dogs forcing themselves into his personal space. In human terms, his bubble was violated and Captain let Gemma know. Now when dogs say, “Back off!” they often say it loudly. There is more noise than anything else, so when Gretchen and all of us headed down the road, it took a moment for her to notice that Gemma was bleeding.

Yikes. This is not normal.

Ears, Gretchen tells me, have lots of blood veins right on the surface. When scraped or torn or as in this case, nipped, they bleed like crazy. Gretchen grabbed a towel from her backpack, gently grabbed Gemma’s ear and held tight trying to stop the flow of blood. After about 5 minutes, the compression seemed to have worked, but then Gemma shook her head. Oh my. Blood went every where again.

Gemma doesn’t live too far from us, so we headed over to our house to find hydrogen peroxide, sterile gauze and a wet towel (to clean up Gemma and also Gretchen..she was covered in blood). But it just wouldn’t stop bleeding.

That’s when Gretchen called the vet and that’s when I hid under the desk.

I hate the vet.

Gretchen piled Gemma and Captain…who were friends now (go figure)…into the car and headed to the dreaded hospital. I stayed home.

This is where we must give a Woof Out to Four Paws Animal Hospital because the doctor gave up her lunch to see little Ms. Gemma…the bloody girl.  Captain, if you can believe it, waited for Gemma in the clinic as well. I think he felt bad that his harsh words had turned into an injury.

In the end, Gemma got stitches. Her parents were incredibly gracious stating that “…these things happen…” but I’m still overwhelmed. These things happen?  Really?  Not to me. Not to us, usually. This is when our normal day went a little haywire.

And this is why we have no photographs of Gemma. We contemplated taking a photograph of Gretchen’s bloody shirt and shoes, of the bathtub where she tried to clean Gemma up and the hallway of the vet’s office splattered like a crime scene, but we decided to forgo the gore and just tell the tale…or is that tell the ear?

No matter. Once Gemma was in the safe hands of the doctor, Gretchen raced back to pick up me and then raced to  pick up Teabiscuit, fearing we’d be late. We were not and thankfully, a contrite Captain was on his best behavior with Teabiscuit…and she truly appreciated it!

Then we walked by one of our least favorite signs and Gretchen quietly posed us in front of it.  I ask you…in front of your beautiful house would you rather have an occasional pile of doo or this permanent signage? I think I’d choose the poo…

I sure hope tomorrow goes back to normal!

Until then,

Rubin