Tired Pause/Paws

Much is expected of a dog.

We are more than companion and friend. Much more than warmth at the end of the bed or laughter wrapped in fur.

We are asked to be counsel and sage, to hold our heads in such a way as to reflect confusion or sympathy, joy or curiosity. We must not be a nuisance yet playful when asked. We must come when called but also come when we’re needed — no words, no motion — just a desire yet unsaid.

We are the silent conversationalist, the affordable therapist, the moment in the day when the sigh finds release. We are unexpectedly silly, a model of patience, and a loving irritation.

Yes, much is expected of a dog and of late, I have felt the weight of my responsibilities.

First, there were the boarders, though I don’t like to call them that since, in fact, Monty and Quillette are my dearest friends. I shared my beds (yes, I have more than one in the house), I shared my treats, and most importantly, I shared my family who loved and massaged my friends just as they do me.

Then there were our clients — Rosie, Tyson, Roux, Monty, and Paige. But again, my connection to them is much more than a business transaction.

They are my teachers, my friends, my playmates, and members of my extended pack.

Then there is my family –immediate and extended — who send me emails of love and woofs, who comment on my silly smirk, and who give me gifts like knuckle bones and homemade treats. My paws grow weary from all the correspondences –typing without thumbs my inner most thoughts and my devotion to each and everyone of them.

It is no wonder that, as 2012 unfolds, I find myself breathing in then out a most tired pause and licking the quiet exhaustion of my weary paws.

I am not unhappy. On the contrary. My life is so full I find it difficult to contain my happiness. I often roll on the ground trying to take in the immensity of my joy — as wide as the sky. Still, happiness can be exhausting and I find myself seeking the warm corner of the couch or the surety of my place under the desk.

And now, it appears, we are opening our hearts and our home to another new friend — Max. I have been assured that he is going to be with us for only a short while (two months), but that during that time, my responsibilities will expand. You can read about Max’s full story here and in the coming weeks, read updates about him as well on our blog in the coming weeks.

Today, Sunday, we are going to travel to Vashon Island where he currently lives and pick him up — all Great Pyrenees/Lab bulk of him though he’s really quite skinny and bony for such a big breed. But we, like his current foster family, hope to put weight on him, strengthen his muscles and teach him to walk more smoothly and confidently. I think it’s going to be an uphill battle. Max has such a long, long road ahead of him.

Still, I’m willing to try. I’m willing to open my home (and my heart) to this sweet fellow and do my part to undo the damage of his past, the neglect of his previous life, and the scars that are left on his body and his heart.

So much is expected of a dog. Max is, perhaps, my biggest challenge of all.

Big sigh. Deep breath. One paw, then another.

Let’s begin climbing the mountain.

Rubin

Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012

Another year has passed. I can’t believe it. Just like that, it’s January of a brand New Year! Wow.

As Gretchen and I finished up last week (aka 2011) we sat down for a moment to reflect upon the previous year (last blog) and look ahead to some big changes in 2012.

Big changes!

I’m pleased to announce that Wags n’ Words is expanding its operations this year. Not only will we continue to walk dogs as we have for the past three years, but we’re moving into Pet Sitting as well. In addition, Gretchen’s going to take her massage skills on the road (so to speak) and while she’ll continue to work (and love every minute of it) at Wellsprings K9, she’s also setting up shop to come to your house (well, if you live in the area) to massage your dog.

And if you have the need, she can do all three at once — walk your dog, massage your dog, and stay at your house to take care of your dog (and perhaps other animals) while you’re away!

Okay, I have to admit I’m exhausted thinking about it all, but Gretchen assures me she can handle it.

So, if you have any interest in any of these services check out our new Rates and Services page for all the de-tails! Of course, we can only pet sit at one house at a time so get your bid in early!

In addition, to the left of this blog you’ll find a calendar. We’ll post times we have available and times we are booked. If you see a date with an underline, it means we’re booked (looks like this: 13). But if it’s not underlined, then we probably have an opening. Give us a call or send an email to make certain. I have a feeling we’re gonna book up fast!

I’m kind of excited about the new changes because it means that I’ll get to meet new dogs, new people, and benefit from all the massage experience Gretchen will be getting. I mean, she’s good at what she does, but I bet the more dogs she works with, the more I’ll benefit. Don’t ya think?

2011 ended with a pack (as opposed to a bang). We took care of Monty over the holidays and just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, our good friend Quillette showed up to bring in the New Year with us. Monty’s Mom is in Hawaii — the land of light and warmth — and Quillette’s Mom went the opposite direction to Berlin, Germany — the land of dark and wet (at least, that’s how she describes it though she’s having a great time spending the holidays with her brother, his partner and their year-old baby, Henry.)

Anyway, New Year’s Eve and Day were spent with my two friends — Monty and Q — and it felt kind of like the best way to say goodbye to 2011 and hello to 2012. Well, here’s what Quillette thought about it all…she was relaxing as Gretchen gave her a much needed massage!

We also got to spend New Year’s Day with our extended “logicals” as we call them (as opposed to biologicals — biological family versus friends who are as close as family…our logicals).

Of course, we worked as well, though our only clients this week were Rosie and Tyson. But that turned out great because Tyson’s other dog walker was on vacation so Monty, Rosie, Tyson, and I all got hang out on our walks. We unfortunately couldn’t include Q once she arrived because she and Rosie have a girl-dog thing and it wouldn’t have been pretty, but still, each of them — Rosie and Q — got hang with their boys! And it’s all good when Gretchen has treats!

And I did my duty and took Rosie and Tyson out by themselves, too!

And I got a surprise walk with my friend, Olive…

And if that wasn’t enough for the week, turns out we might have a foster dog living with us in January. More about that later, though…

Yep, 2011 well is coming to a good end and 2012 looks like it’s gonna be a brand new adventure. My tail is wagging in anticipation! Happy New Year everyone!

Rubin

Eat Play Love

I will admit that I have never read nor seen the movie, Eat Pray Love (nor has anyone at this house), but the other day, while racing across an open field barking at crows, I thought to myself, “Why is my life so wonderful?” I realize that the original story was more about someone finding the wonderfulness of life, but the premise — that what makes our lives so wonderful is all around us in the everyday details — is the same in both stories — Elizabeth Gilbert’s and mine.

So I spent this past week gathering those details (de-tails?) and spread them carefully out on the floor to study them yesterday. Yes, the floor was covered with things like car rides along the lake, a new (really really long) bully stick from my Auntie Sheila, all my friends (canine and human), a warm blanket, music, teriyaki chicken from Toshio’s, snuggling, walks, romps, cuddling with Auntie Jessica…I could go on and on and on.

But as I sorted through the many meaningful moments of my life, what I realized was that at the center of it all are three basics and they can, for me, be summarized as Eat Play Love…though technically it should go in this order: Play, Love, Eat.

PLAY: You can be certain that 99% of the time I have a moment where I stop and say to myself, “Hey self, your life is pretty wonderful!”  I am playing. Play includes running along the lake, racing through the woods, chasing after something (a ball, a bird, a squirrel, a cat, A RABBIT), swimming (at the pool or in some body of open water), hiking, kayaking, running an agility course (though I am no longer allowed to do it), or wrestling with my friends. (I know I’ve probably left something out, but you get the idea — if I’m moving and generally off-leash, I am beyond happy!)

Take this week, for instance: I got to play fetch at the park with my friends Paige and Monty (and Monty’s mom Colleen) and that made me hysterically happy…

…then I worked all week (and yes, for me work is a blast!) walking my friends Paige, Monty, Rosie, Tyson, and even Woobie…

…I got to make Woobie happy by helping her get some warm water exercise at Wellsprings K9 (as we all try to help heal her broken toe)…

…and I got to spend some quality time with my new best friend, Zoe, who visited me from Marquette, Michigan! (and I met a new friend, Chester!)

In between this full life of play is all sorts of stuff you don’t get to see — like I hung out at Auntie Jessica’s one day and we went on two wonderful walks together where I pranced and danced at the end of my leash, proud as a peacock to be walking with Jessica and her dog (and my buddy) Quillette; I saw Lulu and we spontaneously went on a walk together; I saw Liliana at Dog Mania for a Spaw Day; and I even got to go visit Dr. Geisler who gave me a much-needed adjustment on my back!

Which leads me to the LOVE part: Most of my play, if not all of it, is with friends (canine and human) that I love and who, in turn, love me.

Paige stayed with us last weekend and for a few days during the week and the more I get to know Paige (and share my life with her) the more I LOVE her (and yes, she loves me, too!).

Zoe, who I’d met years ago, came all the way from Michigan to cuddle with me on the guest bed. Now that’s what I call love!

There are places that I love and that love me back — like Seward Park — where we took Zoe for a walk…

…a ride on the zip line (well, she rode, I just barked at her)…

…and breathing in all the cool, chilly air on a cool, chilly day by the lake!

And again, there are so many places that I love that you don’t always get to see. For instance, I just got back from the Duwammish River Park where Paige and I flushed out rabbits from behind the bushes and chased them all the way across the park.

And I got to share the love, too  (which makes me feel loved as well) sharing one of my favorite places with my dear friend Woobie (Wellsprings K9) where she got to swim (something she loves to do) and get a massage from Auntie Sheila!

EAT: Okay, I’ll be honest. This isn’t one of my most favorite activities in the world but hanging out with Paige for a few days is the best way for any curly man to learn to eat! Man alive, I’ve never seen a dog ATTACK their food like she does. I watched in amazement as she waited patiently (and drooly) on her (actually MY) bed and then when given the signal, leapt across the floor and devoured her meal in 60 seconds or less! (The title of her book would be EAT, PREY, LOVE!)

That was inspirational. So inspirational in fact, I ate like a “real dog” (Gretchen’s words) the whole time she was here.

Of course, eating can be yummy at times especially when I turn my nose up at my bowl of delicious raw food and Gretchen decides to add some freshly cooked chicken or maybe some Havarti cheese to the mix and then, maybe then, I’ll eat it all up.

Though I know eating isn’t one of my favorite things, it’s certainly a necessity and I’m very lucky to have great food (and great moms) who will provide me with the best meals know to Dog!

And friends who give me bully sticks (dog chews) longer than my own body! (Thank you, Paige!)

So yes, the wonder of my life is multitude of things that add up to an equation I can only wish for every dog: EAT, PLAY, LOVE (in any order you prefer) and don’t let a moment of your life slip away into the doldrums! Yep, I’m grabbing life by the curls and never letting go! (And sometimes it’s good to sleep as well…but only if it’s under a big, warm blanket!)

See you soon,

Rubin

In Every Corner

The weather is changing. It was predictable, but there was a part of me that kind of hoped our late summer would hold on a little bit longer. It’s not like it’s completely gone. There is sun. There are blue skies. The rain is minimal — spits and fits every once in awhile. But there’s a distinct difference between the “summer” days and the nights that punctuate them. The days are comfortable and warmish. The nights — not so much. In fact, on some days, the temperature has dropped 30 degrees and that my friends, is a huge difference.

And the air itself is different. When we wake in the morning and the night is creeping off into the distance, it leaves behind a chill that now requires me to crawl onto the bed and curl up as close to a human body as I can. It requires the humans to wear long sleeves and to dig out their fleece from the back of the closet. We have yet to turn on the heat, but this morning, Gretchen made an appointment for the annual cleaning of the furnace.

In every corner, there are hints of summer passing. The cooler temperatures and crisp morning air are just the beginning.

Still, I’m doing my best to wrap my paws around the summer that is left and mostly, I’ve found the best way to maintain my grasp is with my friends. And this week, along with our regular clients, I’ve gotten a chance to spend time with some friends I haven’t seen in awhile.

The week started, in fact, with a walk with Lulu. Her mom was out of town for a few days and that meant that Lulu joined us for morning outings. She was very happy about it. We went on long walks on the ridge and then played in the brown grass of September. Lulu’s smile is my summer.

I also got to walk with Paige and on the day we took her out, we hiked up a huge hill so Gretchen could attempt a photograph of the city (one of the famous spots people go to take pictures of Seattle), but the hike up and the warmish afternoon meant Paige and I were panting and not as cooperative as Gretchen would have liked.

When Paige and I hiked back down the big hill, we walked side by side — our bodies bumping together in a friendship full of sunshine!

Then one night this week we had an extra special shot of summer — we spent the night at our friends’ house with their big, big dog Ben. Ben can appear scary, but he’s just a giant goof in a hairy suit and sharp teeth. When we arrived at their house, I got so excited to know we were spending the night (the remodel of our bathroom required us to be out of the house so we didn’t breathe in toxic fumes) that I raced around the big back yard and looked for tennis balls.

Ben LOVES tennis balls and has perhaps half a million buried in the bushes, resting on the deck, and under tables. Sometimes I don’t know what to do with all of them, but Ben told me the best thing to do was just hold them in my mouth and get them good and slobbery. Then, when the humans weren’t looking place them in their laps or onto the table. That was the best way to get everyone’s attention.

Since Ben has a huge pool in his backyard, going to their house reminds me of summer. This year we didn’t get to swim in the pool (it never got warm enough), but just being at their house and around their pool, made me feel all summery again.

And the flowers, of course…still hanging onto blooming…

And I love me some Steven and Doris…

And love always feels like a perfect summer!

I didn’t really get to see Woobie — well not close up. Gretchen gave her a massage this week as Woobie is still restricted with a cast on her broken foot. While Woobie got her massage, I waited patiently in the car trying to catch a glimpse of my sunshiny friend, Woobster! She did hobble out to say hello, but we didn’t take any photos. Get well soon, Woobie. I miss you!

I also got to see the “regulars” — Rosie, Tyson, and Monty — and had a special visit with Duke and Roux. Of course, with the latter, we didn’t get very good photographs because both Roux and Duke are more interested in the treats Gretchen has in her pockets than in posing for the photograph.

Still, the comedy of photographing always reminds me of summer!

And we even got a visit from Jessica and Quillette. Just like old times, when they lived on our block, we went for a big long walk together — three pals together again and that is certainly worth a lot of summer smiles!

Rosie, Tyson, and Monty all agreed that summertime is wonderful and the transition to Autumn requires patience and appreciation, so all through the week we did our best at both — patience and appreciation.

I imagine the transitions will continue for the coming weeks and I’ll do my best to look in every corner for a little warmth and the last of the sunshine both in the beauty around me and in the wags of my friends’ tails.

Have a good weekend everyone!

Rubin

Double Trouble

I looked up and it was June 1.

How did that happen?

I mean, I’d started this blog on May 23 and then BAM! it’s already June. So much has happened and I’ve been very very lax in telling you all about it. While I tend to be thoughtful and introspective in my blogs, this one is going to have to be a bit quicker because I’m covering 10 days instead of 5…so I figured the best way to do it was sing it. Yes, sing. Me. On a blog. That is written. Without sound.

Bear with me…

Somewhere over the rainbow…

Okay, so maybe singing isn’t a great idea 1) because I can’t really carry a tune and 2) because the only song I know well is Over the Rainbow and I don’t have any shots of a rainbow. What I have are photos of the view at my Uncle’s house, which is where we spent the long Memorial Day weekend. But if I tell you about that then I’d be kind starting in the middle or the end of the middle and that might throw you all off.

Hey Rubin?

Yes, Gretchen?

I think you are throwing them off by not trying to throw them off. You should just start where you want to start and then tell a story.

But there are so many stories to tell about these past 10 days.

I know, but close your eyes.

Okay.

Take a deep breath…

Okay.

And tell me the first thing you remember about the past 10 days…

Micah!

Good! Start there.

Micah is our neighbor. He’s 11 months old. He’s very cute and he smells yummy. He came to visit us when our friend Jessica and her dog Quillette were visiting. Jessica is a nanny and she LOVES her some babies. I think they’re pretty cute, but once Micah stole my yellow ball with the feet, I wasn’t so sure Micah was cute anymore. I had to practice some serious patience.

Well done! Now close your eyes again…take a deep breath…and what pops into your memory now?

Roux!

Good. Go ahead. Tell us about Roux.

Roux is kind of a new client. We met her a year ago and have walked her twice before. Her mom doesn’t need us very often, but when she has long days at work, she gives us a call and we give Roux a break. And boy, is she ever appreciative…Roux, that is, and perhaps her mom.

Anyway, Roux loves to play chase, which makes it kind of hard because I love to be chased as much as she does so while I’m trying to get her to chase me she’s trying to get me to chase her and we get awfully confused.

Then we get tired and all is right in the world.

Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and…

Paige! Monty! Rain!

I remember that day.

Yes, well the only thing that made it tolerable was that I didn’t have to wear a raincoat (Paige did) and we got to go on a walk we rarely go on — a hike through Camp Long…in the pouring down rain! It would have been miserable, but I was surrounded by my two best friends so no misery was found!

Good. Try again. Close your eyes…

Squirrels!!!!

This is a much longer story…

Okay, I’ll be quick. We went to Uncle Paul and Aunt Patti’s house in Oregon this past weekend. We did lots of stuff. We got eggs from the neighbor’s chicken coop…

…we ate lots of really good food (most of which required eggs…how convenient!)…

…we celebrated Grand-paw’s 83rd birthday (Happy Birthday Grand-paw!)…

…we went on hikes through the amazing countryside where we romped through really tall fields of wheat…(look closely at the second photo…that’s me leaping in the distance!)

We searched for Poison Oak…and found it!

We took in the breath-taking views…

We gave the neighbor’s dog, Karma, a bath so she could visit her human dad in the center where he’s recovering from a broken hip…

Karma is famous, by the way…a cover girl!

…and when we hiked through walnut groves, a squirrel raced by my cousin Ringo and me…

…and went straight up a tree. I may not be a country dog, but my time in the city has taught me that squirrels don’t just go up trees…they go across them, scampering across the branches and then leaping fearlessly to another branch on another tree. So, while Ringo was barking at the tree the squirrel went up, I was following following the pesky guy across the branches with my eyes and when he made the leap, I kept following only he didn’t make it. Nope, he fell and he fell right on top of my head!

Oh happy day. All those hunting lessons from my friend Paige came in handy. I grabbed the squirrel’s tail with my chompers, but the little bugger wiggled away and then the pursuit was on. He went one way and I followed. He spun on a dime and I did the same. Back and forth, back and forth — he was just inches from my lips. Then he turned one last time and dove into the thicket.

Now, this is where Paige wouldn’t be very proud of me. I did not dive in after the squirrel. Paige wouldn’t have hesitated. She would have sacrificed her body to go after that squirrel. I did not.

Still I had fun and I think that was one of my best memories of the past 10 days….even though NO ONE GOT A PHOTOGRAPH OF THIS AMAZING EVENT!

Sorry…it all happened so fast! But there were other memories, too, yes?

Oh yeah. (I’m closing my eyes…) like hanging with Rosie and Tyson.

They’re good friends, aren’t they?

Yep. Who would have guessed. They used to bark at me when I first saw them way across the park.

No buddy, they didn’t bark. You did.

I did?

Yes, they were definitely agitated, but you were the one who barked.

Well it doesn’t matter because now when we see each other our tails wag.

That’s a good thing.

Yes, a very good thing.

You want to close your eyes again?

Nope, I don’t need to. I remember clear as day my time with Woobie at the lake.

That’s a fun walk, isn’t it?

Really fun, but I sure wish Woobie wanted to play with me more. I race around her again and again, but she just keeps moving forward.

Well, for Woobie the walk is about the walk and not about playing.

She likes to swim, though.

Yep, and so do you!

Oh and I remember when we went to visit Dr. Geisler and you took me by that really weird sculpture…

And then when you cleaned the house and Monty got all worried while I laid out in the sunshine and relaxed…

Is that it?

I don’t know. Close your eyes. What do you see?

I see that it’s June 1 and it’s a Wednesday. That means there’s still more dog walking ahead of us.

Well, we don’t have to cover that day. We can talk about that later.

Thanks for your help!

Any time, buddy.

Stay tuned,

Rubin

Raingear Games

April Fool’s Day started early this week, like Monday-early and all the foolery started around my raincoat. For those of you who read my blog often, you know that I have a love/hate relationship with my red raincoat. Okay, so it’s mostly a hate relationship and the only smidge of love that I feel is when I am out in the snow racing around and playing, completely ignoring the raincoat. You get to see me in said raincoat through photographs and while I might look a bit miffed, you don’t really see how awful I find it. So, I dug around our photo album and found this shot:

We have a video of me on this day, but it’s not worth watching because I don’t move. Nope, I just stand their frozen wearing not only my raincoat, but those awful booties. Of course, we went out in the snow and I forgot all about them, but for the torturous 15 minutes before we headed out while everyone was gearing up for snow, I stood in this one spot and didn’t move. Wait, that’s not true…I shook. That’s moving I suppose.

You get the idea. The red raincoat is my albatross. It’s my nemesis. It’s what I live to avoid. So when Monday rolled around and the weather looked iffy and uncertain, I found myself cringing every time Gretchen passed by the hallway closet where the raincoat lives. Luckily on Monday, she just passed by the closet, pausing only long enough to give me a bit of a fright, but in the end, no raincoat!

Rosie and Tyson didn’t have to wear theirs either. Tyson is kind of like me — he’d rather wear his birthday suit than don the coat and while Rosie puts up a bit of a fit when the raincoat comes her way, she submits pretty easily. But whew, no coats and luckily no rain.

Of course, we had a hard time getting Rosie to behave for the photograph…

…but since I didn’t have to wear a raincoat, I didn’t mind Rosie’s naughtiness!

Tuesday raised my hackles. The closet opened this time and I watched Gretchen rummage through the basket and when she pulled out her rain pants, I ran upstairs to hide. I don’t know why I do that because upstairs is kind of a trap — there’s no where to run once I’m there and if the raincoat has to go on, then I’m easy pickins for Gretchen. But when I’m really, really worried I race upstairs and make every attempt to hide behind the bed. (As a puppy, I could fit under the bed so maybe those old instincts are at play only now I can’t fit under the bed and must find solace in trying to hide behind it!)

But despite the fact that Gretchen was all geared up – raincoat, rain pants, and waterproof boots — I didn’t have to wear the red nemesis. Whew! Rosie was relieved, too! We walked around looking for signs of spring hoping to ward off the evil spirits of rain. We found a few … trees and flowers and the interesting array of waterfowl at the lake.

I stuck out my tongue at the thought of wearing my raincoat!

Wednesday the wind whipped around and for that I was thankful. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, a stiff breeze in the Pacific Northwest is exactly what is needed to keep the rain away. Lucky for me, the stiff breeze stuck around for our entire work day and only diminished later in the day bringing in some showers on occasion. Once again, no rain gear for any of us.

Double whew!

Monty and Rosie were just as relieved as I was!

You know what’s coming, right? You know that that raincoat found it’s way out of the closet, right? You realize that the wind blew in a wet front that lasted all Wednesday night and when I heard the news on Thursday morning, I was certain my fate was sealed. Flood warnings were broadcast across the airwaves and despite the gusty winds, nothing was strong enough to blow the red coat back into the closet. Argh!

But…and this is big…I didn’t have to wear it! Instead, Gretchen tucked it into her backpack and there it stayed THE ENTIRE DAY! More wind, but no rain. I was feeling pretty darn lucky!

On top of which, Rosie and I got to go on a interesting walk (Genessee Park…somewhere Rosie’s never been and she liked it very much, thank you!) and I was able to block the uncomfortable memory of the rain coat from my curly brain for awhile.

Rosie didn’t have a clue that the raincoat was anywhere around…nope, she was solely focused on the lake and this “really big bird” flying by.

I had to inform her that it was a kayak (and I also threw in that I’d been kayaking before), which made her laugh.

And later, when Quillette showed up for a long weekend, I warned her about the need for raincoats. She just smiled and said, “Rubin, you need fur like mine! I never have to wear a raincoat!”

Lucky Q!

I was worried on Friday when the raincoat from Thursday was stuffed back into Gretchen’s backpack early in the morning and then, when I looked outside I cringed

Rain…not just any kind of rain, but the kind of rain that lasts all day and, though it doesn’t come down hard, it’s so constant that you can’t help but getting wet.

“Oh no!” I moaned quietly, “This doesn’t look good.”

And out the door we went…Quillette (in her built in rain suit), Gretchen (dressed head to toe in rain gear), and me. What was I wearing? Well, the title of this blog is the Rain Gear Games, so I don’t think I should tell you…

…but because I’m such a great guy, and because it all worked out for me in the end (sort of), the raincoat stayed in the backpack even though we eventually left the backpack at home, took no outside photos since the rain was crazy bad (sorry Rosie and Tyson!), and I was very happy especially when we all came back from our walks and took nice, warm naps…Q on the couch dreaming of treats!

And Monty found the bed in the kitchen were he crashed with his head of curls…

Where did I sleep? On the other couch, curled up with the down blanket until…yes, this is when the sort of comes in…Gretchen took me to the basement for A BATH! “Aren’t I wet enough?” I protested, but she insisted and only later did I find out why…I got to go SWIMMING at the pool!

Okay, I can hear you saying, “But you were wet all day. What made this water more enjoyable?”

Warmth, fetch, and massage…three simple reasons and a great way to end a dreary, dismal wet-weather day!

Have a great (and dry) weekend!

Rubin

Winter’s Last Blast?

All week long we’ve heard the threat of snow. Sunday, when we headed up to the beach to spend time with our friends, Jessica and Quillette, we saw the snow in the Olympics and wondered if possibly we would see any at home.

When Monday rolled around, the news joints were all warning us of a big one, but still no snow. I’m not sure Rosie and Tyson like the snow — since they really have thin hair — but they didn’t mind the threat of snow since said snow never really appeared.

What did appear was their reflections and Gretchen and I did our best to get them to look at the camera, but to no avail. They were both captivated by the “other dogs” in the window.

Eventually though, I offered them a treat if they behaved and that finally worked!

On Tuesday, the mumblings about snow dissipated somewhat and I think the blue sky sort of helped squelch the worries. Gretchen did her best to get a photo of the blue sky, the pea patch windmill, Rosie, and me and despite a few distractions…

…she got it!

Wednesday was all “It’s gonna snow, it’s gonna snow…” and while the temperatures dropped, we waited and waited and waited for the white stuff first on our walk with Monty at Volunteer Park where I planted myself in the middle of the donut sculpture (notice not a flake of the white stuff)…

And then on our second walk with Rosie and Monty where we they decided to test the threat of snow with their tongues (and I wondered what they were doing…)…

…and then when Monty and I went to the big, big field to play fetch…nary a drop of snow though weird sand-like pellets stung our faces.

When I went to bed Wednesday night, I was really sad because even though I know everyone struggles getting around in the snow, I LOVE IT! So when I woke up in the morning and the back door was opened to let me out…wasn’t I amazed!

The surprise was not lost on the crocuses who had poked their heads up over the past two weeks fake spring. But the forecasters all sighed a big sigh of relief because they’d been warning us and warning us that a MIGHTY BIG SNOW STORM was on the way. And yes, while some spots got clobbered (36″!!!!), we got minimal amounts that, by the end of Thursday, we all but gone.

Still, it was enough to play in and Woobie and I took full advantage of the white stuff! Woobie REALLY went overboard!

As you can see, Woobie loves the snow in a much different way than I do. We kept trying to get her to run around and while she’d run for a bit, she mostly just stood proudly in the chilly wind or rolled around in the couple of inches of snow that graced us.

And when she got up from rolling around, I did everything I could not to laugh. She looked like an abominable snow dog!

By the time I picked up Rosie for our next walk on Thursday, the snow was almost gone. Still, Rosie wore her super warm coat just in case…

They (as in the unpredictable forecasters) said there would be more snow on Thursday night, but guess what? Only blue skies and frigid temps. Oh well, we still got a great walk down by the lake with Monty, Rosie, and Tyson.

And yes, that’s all four of us together. Ann’s on vacation this week and she agreed to help us take out our charges for the day. There was a bit of worry about  how Tyson would do with Monty since Tyson feels threatened by big males, but I explained to him that Monty’s size has nothing to do with his personality.

“He’s a big goof,” I told Tyson.

And Tyson, kind of a big goof himself, was relieved.

Still, the photos took some doing. Thanks to Ann, we got it all to work!

And now it’s Friday and there is snow on some rooftops and shady spots, but mostly, I think that was a pretty wimpy last gasp of winter.

Have a great weekend!

Rubin

Change of Winds or Winds of Change?

I am always amazed at the puzzle of human language. Today we were walking and I commented on the wind. “Gee, those are certainly winds of change!”

“How so?” Gretchen asked.

“Well, they usually blow from the north, but today’s wind is from the south,” I explained.

“Interesting way to express it,” she said.

“What? Did I say something wrong?” I asked.

“Oh no, it’s just that people would usually say, there’s a change of wind not a wind of change,” she told me.

“What’s the difference?” I asked.

Then she went on to tell me how “Winds of Change” has a bigger connotation, like something dramatic is about to happen that has nothing to do with the weather whereas the Change of Winds is all about the weather and only means that rain is coming or going (at least around these parts). See what I mean? The same words in a different order can carry much more weight and purpose when they’re flipped around.

Dogs don’t have that in our language. We mean what we say and we say what we mean. Of course, humans are always looking for the subtle nuances and in doing so, often miss our clear and direct communications, but after studying human language for awhile, it’s no wonder they struggle with our style.

But I do not want to talk about the Winds of Change. I only wanted to mention that the weather changed today and before the change actually occurred (rain in this instance) there was a change in the wind. Not only did it blow from a different direction (came from the south and not the north or west today), it blew harder and harder as the day progressed.

Sure, there was sun and the temperature wasn’t too cold, but the more we walked, the more we could feel the clouds swiftly move in and the mild temperatures chill up a bit. The days of Gretchen wearing shorts and not carrying a raincoat in her backpack, I fear, are over.

But that’s the future and I don’t like to dwell there because I’m a dog and we live in the now. So let me tell you what our now was like.

First, I got a big surprise this morning when who should show up just as we were about to head out on our day of walking? JESSICA and QUILLETTE! They decided to join us as we headed south to pick up Ollie and go for a nice walk down by the (windy) lake. Jessica helped us pose for our photos by the lake with the Canada Geese in the background…

…it took some wrangling, let me tell you, because Ollie wanted to eat the tall grass, Quillette wanted the cookies in Gretchen’s pocket, and I was feeling a bit tired…

…but eventually, we behaved and snap, snap (though that’s not the sound the camera makes) we were posed perfectly!

But notice that breeze in our hair? Yep, it was definitely winding up (hey, wind/winding what’s with that?). We hoped Jessica could stay with us for the whole day, but she had to get back to her work and we had to pick up Woobie so she could join us on a walk with Gertie.

The cool thing about Woobie (and let me tell you there are many cool things about Woobie) is that she’s really good about meeting other new dogs. She never freaks out, she never overreacts, and she always has a friendly word or two when greeting a new dog. Then (and this is the really cool part) she ignores them.

Gertie appreciated it because, as we’re learning, she’s a tad bit nervous in new situations.

I, on the other hand, am a tad bit nervous about walking out to the end of a very long dock and being asked to sit close to the edge. Yikes!

Woobie and Gertie instantly laid down and I was most impressed.

I was also most impressed with how the wind played in the long hair and curls. Yep, the winds were getting stronger!

After Gertie went home, Woobie helped me entertain Saber whose hair neither blows with the wind nor waves at all. Of course, it’s kind of hard to tell because Saber rarely sits in one spot for very long. He’d much rather eat grass.

Woobie would rather look off in the distance, her long locks lifting as the breeze turns chilly and stiff.

My favorite moment though was when it looked like the wind blew Woobie’s nose sideways!

Yep, things are changing around here (in terms of the weather), but I best watch out because who knows what changes might blow our way when it comes to human language!

Until tomorrow,

Rubin

Not a good start…

Gretchen woke up grumpy. She had yucky dreams then woke too early. I tried to ignore her, but then weird things started happening. She dropped stuff a lot. She forgot things. She was in a hurry. She forgot to eat breakfast. She forgot to take her blood pressure meds.

You get the picture.

The day improved once we started walking. Good thing because she was starting to make me grumpy. When I realized she had to go to the dentist, I worried that the improvements in her mood that I was sensing, would be about to end when she showed up at the dentist, but luckily Gretchen really likes her dentist so I was relieved that the appointment lifted her spirits a bit.

And then we walked around Queen Anne. Actually, we walked up Queen Anne and Gretchen’s mood shifted from grumpy because she forgot her camera and there were all sorts of great photo opportunities and happy because the sun was coming out, the view was incredible, and she was with me AND with Monty.

But the appointment made the day kind of packed and while she got a stellar report from her favorite dentist, she felt rushed most of the day. Good thing Monty and I stayed back while she ventured off to walk Oshi and Perrito. Luckily, they lifted her spirits a bit as well because the brothers were very laid back and happy to go on a walk. They even complied for the photos, which is something that’s often hard to get them to do!

Since Monty had just eaten lunch, he hung back at the house with Ann, while Gretchen and I picked up Saber and headed to Zoe’s house. Saber was excited to see us — since we arrived earlier than usual — and even more excited to meet Zoe who was, in turn, thrilled to meet Saber! Luckily their liveliness subsided on the walk and we all complied in the shade for our photos.

And then Saber got to come to our house and this is when Gretchen’s dark cloud of a mood lifted, though at first she was really worried. She opened the back of the car, told us to wait, and like a good boy I obeyed. Saber usually obeys, too, but today he leapt out of the car, jumped over the parking strip, and barreled his walrus body down the sidewalk. “Oh no!” I barked, worried that Saber would take off, which he did, but right to the gate of our house where he pushed the gate open wide and raced to the back gate to the backyard. Once there, he woofed and woofed and woofed waiting for Gretchen to “open up the gate!” so he could barrel into the backyard for fun and frolicking.

Oh my. I guess he likes hanging out with us. I like it and even though Monty has to stay relaxed and not get into the fray, Monty likes it, too!

The day ended with a surprise. Quillette and her mom, Jessica, joined us for dinner and while they dined on salmon, asparagus, potatoes, and frozen custard for dessert, Monty, Quillette, and I ate dinner and chewed on marrow bones on the lawn. Yum, yum, yum!

It was nice hanging out with my two best friends. It felt like the perfect ending to a rather grumpy start.

And you know what? Gretchen’s bad mood was no where to be found! Whew.

Until tomorrow,

Rubin

Mostly Cloudy

Most mornings when we get up, we turn on the radio to listen to the news. Lately, though, we’ve listened to music. Gretchen says we need a break from all the negativity and that music gives us time to reflect and relax before we begin work. But this morning, the radio was turned on long enough for me to hear the announcer say, “Mostly cloudy all day.”

You might think that this would make me depressed, but in actuality, it made me dance a bit. It’s been hot. Not as hot as where my Aunt lives (in Virginia) where the temperatures have been over 100 degrees of late, but hot enough to make me want to just lie around on the cool bamboo floor right in front of the fan. But last night, when we went to bed, the fan wasn’t turned on, the windows weren’t open as wide, and a cool, brisk breeze blew the curtains around.

It was heaven.

And this morning, evidence of rain tickled my toes as I went out in the yard to take my first constitutional stroll. Blissful (the tickling mostly, but also the constitutional). I knew today was going to be a relaxing day even though it was the beginning of our work week. But I was ready after my nice weekend for something less hot than last week.

The weekend was active with visitors. First, Quillette came to stay with us for part of the weekend. It’s always nice to hang out with her. She teaches me how to make sad faces so I can get more treats!

Then the girls came over and we practiced dancing in the backyard. Well, they practiced and I watched on the lawn. Even then the weather was starting to change!

When our work started this morning with Rosie and Tyson, they were happy to see the change in weather, too because neither of them are big fans of the heat. They were hoping to go to the tennis courts for a romp, but the cooler weather didn’t stop the tennis players. So they posed in front of beautiful flowers…well, they posed pretty well until Tyson saw a large plane fly overhead! Then they looked longingly at Gretchen for their reward!

Gemma had to be told that it was colder. Nothing fazes her, though I did notice her desire to lie in my pool was mighty strong last week. This week she was bouncy and full of her typical terrier energy — much to Oshi’s dismay. Since Ann is off for the summer, she decided to help us out with Gemma, Oshi, and Perrito.

All of us went on our bouncy, tangled-leash stroll and headed to the tennis courts to see if they were free. Lo and behold they were and Perrito was particularly joyful about it all!

Oshi was his typical Eeyore self — slightly complaining that it was too cold to be away from his house, his family, and the new baby in their lives.

I was happy and Gemma, never one to let a little rain or a grumpy friend (Oshi) get her down, nosed us all into action.

The final walk of the day was with Alice who, despite her nervous barking when we first arrived, was happy to see us. She loved the cooler temperatures, too and we took off on a nice, long walk through the amazingly-gardened neighborhoods around her house.

Alice has two poses…the “What is that?” pose and the “I don’t see you taking my picture” pose. One day we’ll get a photo of her running. I have a feeling then she’d look a bit more relaxed!

I barely had time to say goodbye to Gretchen before she was out the door to her job at the pool. I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening with Ann and we completed some chores around the house including taking a nap in the living room — one of our favorite things to do together.

Hope you all enjoyed the cooler temperatures. We’ll see what tomorrow brings!

Until then,

Rubin