Sunday Thoughts Part VIII- Recalcitrant Animals

Saturday's weather here was perfect. Warm enough to take a dog for a walk without heavy layers of clothing on, but not warm enough to make one sweat when one is forced to physically restrain one's own animal, and/or correct its shameful behavior. Of course, I never have this problem. (Just try to imagine my innocent expression. Gave up already, eh?)

First off, let me explain something. My labradoodle occasional takes little jaunts through our neighborhood. She's extremely friendly looking, though obnoxious. (She adores strangers.) Unfortunately, she also likes cats. Her attitude towards them is one of her weaknesses.Not an I'm-going-to-hunt-you-down-and-when-I-find-you-I-will-eat-you attitude, more like a I-will-act-like-a-crazed-maniac-and-chase-you-till-I-get-distracted kind. (Does that make sense?)

One lady who lives down the street despises my dog more than you can imagine, because Lucy runs through her yard every once in a while. I can understand threatening to call the animal control office. After all, we are not keeping our property.....on our own property. But I cannot understand why she threatened this afternoon to kill our dog if it ventures in her yard again.


Later that day I decided to take Lucy on a walk. I generally hate doing this. Let me rephrase that- I generally don't do that. (You can throw things at me now.)

But since the sun decided to make an appearance yesterday, I decided to go. I wanted to shoot the grassy park area at the top of the hill. Knowing that my dog, like the Gadarene swine, would probably dive off the side of the hill if I didn't properly restrain her- I knew I only had two options. I could:

a)Tie the dog to a nearby pine tree and continue my photographic exploration, or...
b) tie the dog to my waist.

I chose the second option since the aforementioned pine tree had sap oozing out of it, and it is a truth universally acknowledged that a girl in possession of a dog must be in want of a PINE TREE THAT DOES NOT OOZE SAP. Stupid pine trees.

So, the leash went around my waist. It was a remarkably uncomfortable situation, but I managed to take a few pictures I liked. Even though the dog was lunging in every direction desperate for squirrels...or cats.

After this outing Lucy lounged around the house for the rest of the afternoon. No more death-threats. No more pine trees.

And definitely no more "let's stop in the road to pee" moments.

And the lack of those makes me so very, very happy.