Notes From Grace: The Day's Event Highlights.....

Hi G-Fans!

Boy, what a day!

(Have I been writing that a lot lately? It seems like I have....)

Let's just start with the funny weather we've been having with thunder storms and sun and rain and sometimes all at the same time. It was hot and cool and cloudy and clear.

Today we walked to the bog and took a left when we normally take a right. We ran into walkers, a teenage couple, golden retrievers leashed and unleashed, and many small children and a couple of adults playing street hockey and playing on bicycles. The children and golden will be the focus tonight.

The first time we bumped into the golden he was leashed and with three adults by the water. We passed without incident aside from some rubber necking on our part.

Then we veered away from our usual route moments later because another dog and his/her walker would have not been very far ahead of us. So we adjusted.

We went down the gauntlet with the pond to our left and the sparkling clear stream to our right with a narrow strip of land to walk on in between. Bertie couldn't resist and he joined some of the small fish and did his scuba maneuvers of sticking his snout under, completely under, the water and sucking in big gulps of water. I chose to refrain. As did Riley. I wasn't paying attention to Tess or Raphael at this point so I don't know what they ended up doing.

So we enjoyed the walk and did so without incident. We went up to the dirt road to reconnect to the bog at another entry spot. As we made our entrance there was the golden. Unleashed now. But, his owner leashed him as we fairly calmly waited to pass. But then he moved. That was all we needed to act like idiots (concierge wording, I had other ideas... brave, boisterous, raucous... etc.). Riley was particularly aggressive and vocal and pulling hard on his leash as Bertie and I acted like crazy dogs (to the supreme irritation of the concierge). But since we were leased, whatever, it was just noise. Or were we leashed? Suddenly one of us broke rank and it wasn't me. It wasn't Bertie and it wasn't Riley. Raphael snapped out of his harness and flew to the golden. Postured. Got in his face. And then stopped. The concierge was working on getting Tess so someone else could grab Raphael. We watched like watching a train that might derail, but might not..... The golden, however, was wondering why there was no butt sniffing and what the hullabaloo was all about. Which confused Raphael. So, like a nice gentleman Raphael trotted back over to us and had his halter reattached and we continued on our way.

Who knew.

Then, at the last few hundred yards of our walk we had to pass by all these children playing in the cul-de-sac. And, we actually behaved quite nicely. Then, a red-haired 5 1/2 year old stopped her street hockey game and asked to pat us. Thank goodness the concierge handled it without missing a beat and the little girt with the red hair and red dress (she had been to a wedding earlier) retreated.

Then something changed.

After rounding the corner the concierge unleashed Raphael from the tandem leash with Tessa and hooked Riley with her and took Riley's single leash and hooked Raphael to that and then Raphael and the concierge walked back to the kids. Leaving us helplessly behind to watch on.

WHAT?

IS SHE CRAZY?

From what I could see Raphael enjoyed being patted and hugged by 3, 4 and 5 year olds and endured questions from both children and adults.

What kind of dog?

Spinone.

Is that like a Irish Wolfhound? (That was a new one!)

(Emphatically) NO.

Is this a dog walking service?

No, but they think it is.... (meaning us I suppose? The concierge can be so fresh at times)

How old is he?

5 1/2.

So am I!

ETCETERA.

From where I was I couldn't get it all, but I got enough.

The concierge was very pleased with Raphael's behavior, which made up for breaking free earlier and added to the gold star of not starting trouble with the golden and then coming right back to get leashed up after breaking free.

I say, "Whatever".

So.

May you accumulate all the gold stars you need to bedazzle those around you on a daily basis.

TTFN!

-G