What Will I Do?

The weather reports predict that this will be one of the best weeks all summer, which consider the summer we’ve had is either saying a lot or not saying much. I was looking forward to a week’s worth of dog walking in predictable summer weather knowing that it would include trips to the lake and perhaps even a trip to my friend Ben’s swimming pool.

What I didn’t foresee was that I would not really be working this week because Gretchen is in school from Tuesday through Saturday on her way to earning her small animal massage license. When she first told me, I cringed and my jaw dropped. Then I cocked my head and asked, “What will I do?” And then I thought of all the things that won’t happen: I will have all this time on my paws. I won’t be able to see all my friends (as in clients). I probably won’t go to the lake and even though there’s a slim chance I’ll go to Ben’s pool, I still won’t be pounding the pavement helping to earn my kibble (well, it’s actually homemade food with a bit of kibble thrown in).

And when will Gretchen and I hang out?

She tried to soothe my worried brow and she even took me away this weekend to the river where I got to play in cold water, hangout with my little kid friends, and go leash free for miles and miles.

But when she told me that today was going to be our only day of work for the rest of the week, a mournful moan came from my belly and filled the house with such sorrow I know I made Gretchen feel bad.

“I’m so sorry, buddy,” she said. “I think I shall go crazy, too. I have to be inside all week, on the best week of summer, and I won’t be able to go on long walks or play fetch with you or go swimming. I promise though that when I come home, I’ll take you out in the evenings and we can do whatever you want to do okay?”

I didn’t answer her. I was pouting. I think I’m still pouting even though I had work to do today. Still. I feel bad not only for myself, but for all our clients. I think they will miss us as much as we will miss them.

Gretchen says I should focus on today because, despite the outlook for the rest of the week, it was a good day.

It started with Rosie and Tyson and while I don’t walk with them, I love seeing their beautiful faces when the photos return…and the beautiful flowers popping out of their heads!

Then we walked Gemma with Oshi and Perrito. Ann came with us and I suppose now is the time to focus on what really matters — Happy Birthday, Ann! Of course, I think we gave her a bit of a headache — I rolled around…Oshi rolled around…nobody would sit where they were supposed to…and Perrito just wanted the ball out of Gretchen’s backpack.

Surprisingly, Gemma was the only dog who would cooperate!

Gemma played with me at the house for awhile, but mostly we just hung out in the shade. Then we picked up Saber and joy of joys we went to the off leash park where Saber dove right in, stole another dog’s toy, and then spent the rest of the afternoon stealing mine!

And we met a really sweet dog who posed beautifully for her photo!

After we were thoroughly wet, Saber and I walked with Alice and despite Alice’s nervousness about the “walrus” (Saber’s nickname) she seemed happy to see us today though she still wouldn’t sit too close. Of course, if you look closely, I was kind of rolling around again!

And I really shouldn’t complain because after we dropped Saber off, I got to go to Ben’s house and swim in his refreshing pool. It was kind of a surprising trip because Gretchen gave me a bath yesterday and then combed me out this morning and I didn’t think she’d want me to get messed up so soon, but she didn’t seem to mind.

Me either!

So normally I’d say, “Until Tomorrow” but that wouldn’t be the truth. The truth is “Until Next Week” and it pains me to write it…in fact, it pains me so much I think I’ll just say…

…Until Next Time,

Rubin

Wrong Impressions

You can’t judge a book by its cover nor can you judge a dog by its breed (or breeds). A picture may be worth a 1000 words, but sometimes those words don’t tell the whole story.

These are the lessons I’ve learned today and it started this morning when we went for a long walk with Oshi and Perrito. Oshi thinks he’s a cat and when we are out walking he is always lagging behind (hoping to turn around and go back home where he can lie in the sun) or pulling ahead once we’ve started our route back home. This has always been my assumption — Oshi doesn’t know he’s a dog — but then I started to notice that whenever we pass another dog or see another dog (especially one behind a fence) Oshi gets all huffy puffy and stands tall like a dog, not like a cat.

Man, did he have me fooled all these years. Here I thought he wasn’t really a dog because he never really wanted to go for a walk and he never really seemed to enjoy himself. (Whereas Perrito always thought being a dog was the best thing to be in the world!)

As for Rosie and Tyson, I’ve always thought they were big, tough dogs. I’ve seen so many photos of their strong, regal faces I thought for sure they were tough cookies. I mean, even their breed name (Boxer) sounds gnarly! But Gretchen tells me that while they may have some issues with fear and anxiety, they really are incredibly sweet. Another lesson learned.

I had to think twice today — did I learn anything from Gemma? Oh yeah, she’s really matured. I thought she’d stay a puppy forever and while she still has her moments…

…that she can stand in a stay position for photos and not race off after the squirrels is truly a picture worth a thousand words!

Of course, I can be good, too!

Alice’s pictures, though, do kind of tell a truthful story.

I know, I know, I know…she always looks like she’s going to crawl out of her skin with nervousness and while she’s nervous when we first pick her up — especially when we bring big, goofy Saber along — she really does settle into the walk and calms down quite a bit.

But still, she sits as far away from Saber whenever we pose for pictures because she’s not quite certain about his big, goofy energy.

And big and goofy he is! After we walked Alice, Saber came over to the house and we played towel games. Yep, he snagged a towel and I took it from him and then shoved it back in his face whereupon we play tug for awhile and then he barks at me.

It’s a lot more fun than it sounds especially when Saber barks to get it back. Now these photos is one where the picture doesn’t tell the whole story…

…he looks pretty mean, doesn’t he? There’s not a mean bone in this guy’s body! He’s a enormous clown and I, for one, love to joke with him. Goofball!

So those are my lessons for today. Thankfully it’s Friday so I can give myself a bit of a break in the lessons learned department. Hope you all have a great weekend.

Until Monday,

Rubin

Our Fair City

Seattle is known for many things — rain, coffee, and the Space Needle among them. While I experience the rain (though not a lot this summer, just gray skies) and I often smell the coffee, the Space Needle is a rarity on my walks. I mean to see the Space Needle requires that we drive to certain parts of the city or, if we wedge ourselves onto cornered hilltops or staircases, we might see the top of it floating in between all the tall buildings.

Yesterday, I got to walk on Queen Anne Hill and from there you can really see the Space Needle up close and personal, only you can’t see it on my website from yesterday because Gretchen climbed the great big hills without her camera.

That’s a pity.

Still, I marveled at the sight I rarely get to see and vowed that when the Space Needle next came into view and Gretchen had her camera, I’d make certain she got a photo of the odd shaped tourist attraction.

When I woke up this morning, I didn’t think I’d see the Space Needle for a long time. Especially since the first walk of the day took us in the opposite direction. I did get to walk around Seward Park with Ollie and while it’s one of my favorite places in the city, you can’t see the Space Needle at any point on the walk. Ollie didn’t seem to mind and since I never intended to really see it today, I didn’t mind either.

When Gretchen set off on her walk with Rosie I instructed her to take photos of the Space Needle if she saw it. She kind of laughed at me and said, “Oh Rubin, I doubt we’ll see it today.” Instead, she saw flowers and hummingbirds (look closely on the red Lucifers)…

…and of course, Ms. Rosie!

Next, Gretchen picked up Gemma who came by to get me at the house only I was I was in the middle of eating my brunch — yes, I’m back to eating brunch, but that’s beside the point. While we got to play some, our real intent was to walk over to Saber’s house so that he and Gemma could have a mini-romp if the tennis courts were open. They were, but since I’d just eaten, I was only allowed to sit on Monty’s bench (the one he loves to spend time on whenever we’re at the courts) and watch with intrigue as Saber fetched the ball and then lost it…

…how Gemma retrieved the ball and then played keep away…

…until finally Saber stole it back and all the while I sat patiently and watched.

Ironically, the Space Needle can be see from the tennis courts if you stand on your tippy-toes on the bench, but you can only see the top of it and since I was in a sit stay command, I wasn’t allowed to go up on my tippy-toes.

We dropped Gemma off at her house and then Saber and I got to go for a nice long walk down to the lake (though we weren’t allowed to go in) and then up over the hill where we posed for a photo on top of I-90 — and no, you can’t see the Space Needle from there either.

But remember, I never expected to see the tourist attraction today. Nope, I just kept hoping that soon we’d wander into a neighborhood that would allow for a photo opportunity of me with the Space Needle pointing up behind me. Even when we went to Paige’s house and headed out on a nice long walk, I never imagined that over the fences and ports, over the grassy knolls and ships the Space Needle was lurking.

Not until we got around the bend at Jack Block Park did I see it and then and only then I insisted that Gretchen take our picture with the Space Needle in the background. Paige was a bit confused as to why the Space Needle intrigued me so, but that’s because she gets a view of if far more often than I do. Still, it made for a great photo because 1) there was the Space Needle (however faintly) in the background and 2) I got hang out with Paige and have my photo taken with hers (big sigh!).

I’m not sure why I’m so intrigued by the Space Needle, but maybe it has something to do with how much I love our fair city. Yes, even when it’s gray and rainy, yes even when the mountains are hidden behind the clouds, and yes even when I can’t see all the tourist sights. Seattle is a great place to live. Seattle is a great place to be a dog. And more importantly, Seattle is a great place to be a dog walker!

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

Confidence

I’ve probably written about this before, but I suppose when there are issues in one’s life, they never really go away, they just keep returning so one can continue to work on them until eventually, hopefully they do go away.

I might look like a dog with lots of confidence, but deep down I have some basic fears that challenge my confidence from time to time. One of them is thunder. Another is fireworks. Another fear is that I’ll be left behind when I can see that the car is already packed for a trip. And I kind of have a fear of big, black dogs — Rottweiler’s usually — and big men who wear hats and speak with deep voices.

I’ve been working on these fears, trying to maintain my confidence when faced with a clap of thunder or a tall man in a hat, but sometimes those fears shake my confidence to the core and I find myself barking uncontrollably. That’s how I deal with my lack of confidence — I bark angrily hoping to chase the fear away. Others deal with their fears differently. Some dogs piddle on the spot. Some run away and hide behind an object or their owner’s legs. Some dogs chew things up and go kind of berserk with their frantic nervousness. Others get really quiet and turn their heads. Others dig holes. Some even bite.

There are many coping skills dogs can learn. I, for one, often get a massage when the fireworks start or a storm threatens our neighborhood. It calms me right down and in my relaxed state, I can call forth my inner confidence to stave off the onslaught of fear that sometimes overcomes me.

But today, Gretchen told me about Tyson and his fear of being left alone and I have to tell you, I felt for the guy. Tyson’s family (which includes his sister, Rosie) are amazing people. They’ll do anything for their dogs and when Tyson regressed into his fear of being left phase (he worked through it once before) they immediately took steps to help him. I won’t go into all the actions they took, but when I saw the photos from Gretchen’s walk with them today, I realized they’d purchased something Gretchen has always thought of purchasing for me — a thunder shirt.

The theory behind the shirt is that it swaddles fearful dogs like a blanket swaddles a human baby. Held secure, dogs are less likely to get wound up and go out of their heads with fear. When Gretchen told me about it, I scoffed. “I hate wearing my raincoat, why on earth would I want to wear that?” But then she told me about how it seemed to really help Tyson today. He was calmer, she said, and though he is as adverse to his raincoat as I am, he seemed comforted by the tight-fitting clothing.

Added bonus, he looks rather dapper in it, too!

We all have moments when our confidence wanes. Rosie has a number of triggers that make her bark (just like me) and Tyson, stoic and noble as he is, loses his confidence when he is left alone. Poor guy!

You might not think that Perrito or Gemma lose their confidence, but trust me, there are situations when both of them get a little nervous. For Gemma, it’s yard equipment like power mowers, weed eaters, and those crazy leaf blowers. She’ll tuck her untuckable tail in an instant if she sees one of those on the street.

Perrito doesn’t like big dogs coming at him (who can blame him) and sometimes even Ms. Gemma can cause him to lie flat on the pavement so as not to be seen. Though mostly, he just wants to chase her!

Oshi actually has far more confidence than his younger brother. What Oshi lacks is the knowledge that he is NOT a cat, but rather a dog who should go on regular walks and not just lie around in the sun all day!

Saber, since he’s the youngest, has many moments when his confidence gets the willies. I’ve talked about umbrellas before and sometimes large garbage bags will set him off. Today it was a garbage truck backing up, but the thing about Saber is that he overcomes his fears quickly and in a matter of moments, is whistling a confident tune.

In addition to walking all our clients today, I got to spend some time with Paige this weekend (sigh!) and even she has some moments when her confidence takes a vacation. Oddly, sometimes I make her lose her confidence because I tend to play kind of rough. Yes, I know she’s a Doberman and yes, I know everyone thinks they are big and tough and aggressive, but after spending time with Paige (sigh!) on a hike…

…and at the lake…

…I can tell you that she has doubts as well.

All this is a reminder to me that I am not alone in my moments of uncertainty. And not feeling alone makes me all the more confident that some day, when the thunder rumbles over head or the fireworks pop and boom outside or the when a Rottweiler approaches I’ll be able to hold my head up and move forward with great confidence.

I hope some day my friends can do the same!

Until tomorrow,

Rubin

Thankful for Fridays

My life is full, but even more so in the summers. People stop by often bringing their canine companions, guests come over for a meal, and we adventure to places with people and dogs we haven’t seen in a long time. On top of the “regular routine” of our lives, it’s no wonder that I have a strong urge to sleep in every morning. By Friday, I’m exhausted, though happily so.

Yesterday’s surprise was my play date with Paige (blush blush blush) and today my surprise was a visit with my puppy friend Alice — that is, we were both puppies together and played very hard at tender young ages. Now we’re grown up, but we still enjoy each other’s company. Monty enjoyed Alice, too as our walking business overlapped with our Alice visit.

Alice today…

Alice as a puppy (and me, too!)…

On our way back home from walking Alice, we ran into our friend Laurie and her sweet, sweet dog Olive. If Paige weren’t in my life, I’d fall for Olive. She’s really adorable! Both Monty and I think so!

Because it’s Friday and because Gretchen knows I’m tired, Monty and I hung out at the house to rest while she walked Oshi and Perrito with Olive. Oshi and Perrito aren’t tired on Fridays. In fact, I’d venture to say they aren’t tired most of the time — except maybe after a long walk with us. See how well Olive gets along with others? I told you she was sweet!

Gemma and Saber got to walk and play together as well today and they did their best to wear each other out. Saber wears out first because of his size and I’m yet to be convinced that Gemma ever wears out, but Gretchen says she crashes after our time together. Mostly both she and Saber just crash on me while Monty watches and chuckles!

I was kind of happy when Gretchen went off to work at the pool tonight because I knew I’d get to sleep. Unfortunately, little did I know that she’d see Paige and I wouldn’t be with her! Darn it!

Though I didn’t get to walk with Paige, I did get to see her this evening when we picked Gretchen up from work. It was delightful and I will carry her scent and ears into my dreams!

Yes, it was a short day in terms of work, but it’s been a long week and I, for one, am thankful it’s Friday! Hope you’ve had a good day, too.

Have a great weekend,

Rubin

Field Trip

I’m a pretty adventurous guy. My job takes me to lots of great places in the city and when I look at how far my range of service extends, I guess it makes a lot of sense that on a day like this one, I’m pretty tired by the end of it. What made this day so special? Well, lots of things.

First, I got to go to the lake with my buddy Ollie. We didn’t go for long and though Ollie got in for a few minutes, I waded in for a long time (check out the skinny legs) and was a wee bit disappointed when we had to leave.

Ollie wasn’t disappointed because he got some treats and that always makes him happy!

Though I didn’t get to go with Rosie on her walk, I did get to see the lovely photos of Rosie smiling in front of the beautiful flowers. I know exactly where that spot is since we pass it in our travels all the time. I’m so glad she got to enjoy it, too!

"Aren't they pretty flowers?"

I did get to walk with Gemma and Woobie as we made our way around a very big loop (from Gemma’s to Woobie’s) and posed in the sun while completing the circle.

And to top it all off, Woobie, Saber, and I had a pool party in the backyard though Saber just wanted me to play with him and Woobie just wanted to rest in the shade of the table on the porch.

But that wasn’t the end of the day. Nope, I got to take my new friend (and a special friend at that!) on a field trip to one of my favorite spots in the whole wide world! Yep, Paige came over to my house and we walked down to the lake, swam and fetched balls, walked back home and then hung out in our backyard.

What made this field trip so special is that I had no idea it was planned. Nope, Gretchen just drove off and the next thing I know, she returned with the lively (and beautiful, I might add) Paige in the back seat. My heart leapt, my tail started to wag uncontrollably, and when Paige bounced out of the car and went immediately into a play bow, I thought I was going to faint with joy!

Off we went, down through the park, down through the tunnel, down the big stairs, under the noisy bridge, and within a matter of moments, we were standing at the edge of the lake where I stood pointing the sights out to Paige. “That’s Mt. Rainier,” I said, “And over there are the nutria nests — stay away because they are nasty and ugly.” I pointed out the nests and though we never saw a nutria, I showed Paige an ugly photo of one when we got back home. She immediately wanted to go back and hunt them!

But I digress. As I was saying to Paige while at the lake, “And if you hop off this ledge, you land smack dab in the best water in Washington. Give it a try. Go for a swim. Gretchen will take you!”

Yep, that’s them out there in the water! You can even see Gretchen’s gray hair and Paige’s long ears if you click on the photo and take a closer look!

Usually I don’t like to let Gretchen leave me behind, but this afternoon, on this unexpected and glorious field trip, I was proud to share all my joys with Paige. She sure seemed to appreciate everything I showed her. (I just didn’t understand why I had to wear the life vest and she didn’t!)

And then we walked back up the hill, back under the noisy bridge, up those long and many stairs, through the cool tunnel, back through the park (only I showed Paige the shortcut) and to our house where we hung out in the backyard in the shade of the old cherry tree. I rolled around, Paige watched, we both got lots of loving, and the smiles were permanently plastered onto our faces.

What a glorious day. The tiredness I feel now was well worth the effort. Work and play — sometimes in my life it’s hard to distinguish between the two and I must say, that makes me very happy!

Until tomorrow,

Rubin

Chiaroscuro

In my studies, I’ve been fascinating of late by the use and term of Chiaroscuro. It’s Italian and means the interplay between light and dark. For example, painters use strong contrasts between lightness and darkness to make images stand out or to highlight certain aspects of their paintings. I was thinking a lot about Chiaroscuro today as we walked amid the shadows and light of a beautiful summer day.

Yesterday Gretchen took this photo of a hydrangea in our backyard.

We both liked the way the shade of the old cherry tree cast mottled shadows over the variegated purple blossoms of the hydrangea. So today, as we walked, I looked for similar contrasts in everything we passed.

Our first walk of the day was with Monty who is, if I do say so myself, a contrast in black and white, a walking example of Chiaroscuro. Passersby often stop us and remark on Monty’s interesting markings wondering what kind of dog he might be. His cheerful personality and interesting coat make him quite a conversation piece and since I’m shy about strangers, it’s kind of nice to have Monty there to block the unwanted attention.

Though I didn’t get to go on a walk with Oshi and Perrito, they also saw examples of light and dark on their walk. As the sun rises up over the hill in the east, the trees that line our many parks over interesting interplays between black and white. Of course, Gretchen often finds it difficult to get just the right photo — who’s in the shade, who’s in the light? — sometimes the beauty of the contrasts makes for their own unique photographs.

There are contrasts in energy, too. Monty’s is always light and mine can sometimes be dark and moody. Zoe, on the other hand, is beaming with lighthearted cheerfulness and her ebullience is enough to make me forgo my shadowed disposition and bounce gaily along beside her. I think that’s why Monty is so attracted to her — she shines so brightly!

Gemma and Saber pay no attention to the pondering of art and Italian vocabulary, though today they were filled with light that they got to not only play with each other, but with Monty and me as well in the light and shadows of the backyard.

My life is filled with Chiaroscuro I’ve decided — somedays it illuminates the bright spots of joy in my life and other days it brings me the calm of shadowed happiness. I am a lucky dog!

Until tomorrow,

Rubin

Blogged Paws

I was comparing my paws to Ollie’s today. We are both Labradoodles and though he is a smaller version, I wanted to see if being a blogger has changed my paws significantly. While they look very much the same, Ollie had to agree that my paws are a bit stronger.

“All that typing,” Ollie said in awe, “How do you do it?”

I’ve never really thought about how much I type, but lately, I’ve reviewed all the postings not only on this blog, but also on my Rubinations blog in addition to my help with Gretchen’s new blog for her work — Front Paige News. I type a lot! I’m not complaining. I really like to tell stories (or Tails as I like to say), but it certainly has developed my digits!

And then there’s the walking. We walk a lot as many of you know and well, my digits get a workout there as well. So I’ve concluded, I am a dog with mighty paws or what I like to call, Blogged Paws!

There was quite a bit of walking today and though it started out cloudy, the sun finally made a wonderful appearance in the afternoon. Our morning started with Ollie (as I mentioned) and Ann came with us so we decided to tour the flowers of Seward Park.

Of course, Ollie’s interest wasn’t so much on the flowers as on the treats he gets for sitting and waiting (only he’s not very good about the waiting part — well, not as good as me!).

Ann and I then rested at home while Gretchen walked Rosie. While Rosie doesn’t keep a blog (though she should), she has very strong paws and while they played “Fetch the Treat” in the park today, Rosie started to get a little demanding about the treat coming out of the hand a bit quicker.

But then she saw a crow and she turned her attention to the possibility of chasing it.

Luckily for the crow (and for Gretchen) Rosie never got the chance!

Instead, she got another treat for showing some amazing restraint!

Gemma got to walk with Zoe today and when I uploaded the pictures from Gretchen’s camera, I was shocked to see that they walked to a pet store where the owner gave them free samples!

Sure wish I’d gone with them, but my blog paws were still resting.

Of course, they woke right up when Saber came over for a game of wrestling…

…then of chase…

…followed by tug…

…a splash in the pool (though not photos of that)…and finally a rest in the shade (notice who won the game of tug!).

My blog paws are in fine form after today’s exercise and though I might be a bit tired, I heard “tails” that I might be playing fetch with Monty at the park tonight. Better stop typing now so I can have enough digit power to steal Monty’s ball!

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