Realizing you have an inner Ninja!  If I am being honest, I am quite a clutz, walking through a door way without slamming my shoulder into it the frame is usually a challenge for me on a good day!  There is something to be said though for being accident prone, I find my reflexes are pretty awesome, I have made an art form of ricocheting.   Today I was out walking one of my charges when two ladies with their dogs approached from the opposite direction, I strategically placed my friend to my side as we got closer.  Despite my efforts to avoid a kerfuffle, the Bull Dog decided he wanted to rumble, he lunged and growled, which surprised my friend.  The next thing I knew I was falling.  As I was going down I somehow had the presence of mind to tuck my head and do a somersault?  This isn’t to say it was a graceful gymnastic worthy  display.   I went down, did some kind of awkward roll and I was back up in an instance asserting that all was good and tried to hide my  embarrassment.  Way to go me, years of tripping and falling worked in my favour, it has made me rather stealth in the face of calamity.  (If I am being honest I probably looked way more Carole Burnett than Ninja Warrior, I banged my head on the asphalt and my elbow got a right good smack along with my hip).  The interesting thing,  when we continued our walk, my canine friend kept looking up at me every few moments, and he licked my hand a few times.  I think he felt bad…and yes I know, Caesar Milan would say we project human emotions on our pets, but I sincerely believe he felt awful.   As he and I continued our trek home I found myself chuckling for a few moments…those ladies, what I sight I must have made…   Never a dull moment in the world of dog walking!

Sometimes being well behaved and following the rules is just one continuous “hit the snooze” button kind of life!  There are times that the allure of taking a walk on the wild side calls so loudly you just can’t drown it out!  My little friend next door has a difficulty sometimes towing the line, chewing on Mom’s slipper or ripping apart the treasures in the recycle box is way too much fun!  Recently he became a big brother, there is an incredibly cute snugly baby that he has to share his parents affections with!   For the most part he has been completely enamoured with the babe.   Perhaps he thought that this tiny being was only coming for a visit?  Maybe this little child needed a place to crash as her regular spot she use to reside at was no longer available?   Whatever the case, I think he has finally figured out that this kid is making itself very comfortable….and she is showing no signs of vacating the premises.   It is also sinking in that he is no longer an only child! He has come to realize that his Mom and Pop don’t have the same amount of time to lavish on him and he is expected to be a bit more accommodating to this small human, that smells so good and makes such fascinating noises!   In fact, even though he knows he is an incredibly handsome boy and loved, he is feeling a wee bit jealous…just a tad!  So when the munchkin made a nasty mess in her brand new sleeper and had to be taken to the bath, the four legged super hero of the family swooped in and grabbed that messy garment and dragged it off to another room and he meticulously cleaned it!  Talk about taking one for the team! Then the dog walker lady showed up for an afternoon stroll,  it was a bit nippy but the sun was shining and the sky was so beautiful and blue that he couldn’t help but stop, drop and roll every now and then in the muck and grass, getting messy is so much fun!  As he neared home the realization hit him that he would soon be back inside, leaving nature behind for the day, with this in mind he couldn’t help but flop down one more time!  He stretched and rubbed his back vigorously in complete bliss, rather unwilling to get up, he had found a perfect place to revel in!   What a shame that the dog walker lady bent down to scratch his belly and realized that he was thrashing about in bunny bits!  What a find,  the remnants of a dead rabbit, what a perfectly mischievous afternoon!   Some days you just got to misbehave!

 

 

One of my little charges is a petite unassuming  gal!  I believe we often think of small dogs as being containable, non threatening and easy to control!   The two of us were out walking on the park trail on Monday, it was a rather blustery, frigid day.   I was impressed by how hearty my gal pal is, she has a wiry coat, not really designed for -20 days, and yet she seemed unfazed!   I had made the decision to walk in the slightly wooded area as a means of protection from the brisk winds, figuring we wouldn’t encounter others because it was rather nasty and inclement.  Much to my surprise,  I spotted a young couple out walking their pooch, he was untethered  but when they saw me stoop over and pick up Mattie, they put a leash on their pooch.  They assumed I was worried that their bigger dog might hurt my smaller dog.  I smiled and as we passed I said, it wasn’t your four legged friend I was worried about, this little sweetie is feisty!  I have decided she needs a T-shirt that says “I may look like a Toy, but I have the energy of a Lab,  the stamina of a St. Bernard and the tenacity of a Terrier…don’t underestimate me!”

Life is full of comedic moments!  I myself realize that I am inexplicably incapable of getting through mine without sound effects!  This morning my buddy Marcus and I had the luck of clear skies and sunshine, it’s amazing when you put a little light on the subject how uplifted one can feel!  We headed off on our walk with a spring in our step, I had also shared with my canine friend that one of his pals was at the park.   We made our way to the entry path and Marcus thought he had spied something in the snow, he pounced right where I was about to step, which meant I had to quickly move to the side.  My reaction might have worked had it not been for the fact that my buddy changed his mind and decided to dart to where I was about to plant my feet.  I would like to say that I have lightening fast reflexes, but I am nearing fifty and I am going to be honest,  I am no longer cat like in my ability to land on my feet!  With the first maneuver I let out a squawk, followed immediately be a squeal when my feet didn’t succeed in planting themselves on terra firma.  I ended up going over Marcus’ torso and splayed out over top of him, which resulted in my laughing hysterically, my giggles continued as we approached his friend Maggie.   I was very sad to learn that my neighbour Gail had missed the excitement, I am sure she would have been rather amused by the sight of me on all fours.    We had a quick visit and then continued on with our morning trek, I was mindful of the ice, I paid attention to other people and their pooches out walking, and as we meandered I contemplated why it is that whenever I slip I make a sound effect?  I just don’t seem capable of loosing my balance without a tirade of noise escaping from mouth.   Marcus and I were in the home stretch, we headed up a path to the main road when I saw a lady and her doberman’s from our neighbourhood out for a stroll.  I waved a hello, my four legged friend and I were going in the opposite direction.  As I was praising Marcus and discussing what a good walk we were having I looked up and realized I was eye to eye with a person (whom I  see every day when I am out) she was to my left passing me, I literally let out a loud “WAAAAAAA” in her face.  She was ever so polite and apologized for startling me, I was amused and appreciative of her kind reaction!  It was I who must have startled her by uncharacteristically screaming in her face (instead of my customary greeting which is usually a commentary on the current weather). Perhaps I need to have a sign on my forehead and back that warns people of my loud outbursts,  “Caution:  I scream when startled!”  I am sure there is a whole host of disclaimers I could strategically place on my person to warn others about my propensity to yelp and make a sudden release of strong emotion when I am worried I am not in control!   It is undeniable, I am just not capable of getting through life’s surprises without articulating in some dramatic explosion of sound!

There are days when going to work just seems so hard!  I have been very lucky and managed to go through the winter without one cold, and then two weeks ago I got my first sore throat and stuffy nose, not a big deal, everyone succumbs to the germs floating about at some point!  After four days of feeling rather crappy, I had the impression I was getting better, and I was feeling thrilled that the bug that got me was so short lived.  I realized when I woke up this past Saturday morning that I wasn’t that lucky!  Those nasty microorganisms had faked me out, they were laying low, rallying, just waiting to manifest themselves in a way that would make a true impression!  Five days have gone by since the second wave and I am feeling pretty dang dreadful….the skin on my nose is red and angry, I could swear I have a sack of cement on my chest and my head might implode with all the pressure.   I was out walking with my canine compatriots and was having a hard time keeping my composure!  The jeans I had chosen were giving me a wedgie that was beyond tolerable, my doggie do do bags were blowing off, I kept dropping my mitts so I had to bend over to retrieve them (which was exacerbating the situation with my tighty whities).   We are experiencing strong winds today with southwesterly gusts of 60 km/h, which on top of everything, was zapping my energy, the notion of curling up in a ball behind someone’s blue spruce seemed oddly appealing.  As my little friend Sunny and her bigger brawnier housemate Marcus, made strides into the wind to head for home I had this funny thought cross my mind, I felt like a zombie!   Today I could be a walk on for my favourite show, no make up required!  It’s all good, I will be fine, I just hope no one driving by me when I go out for the afternoon walks think that the walking dead have become a real life phenomena!

 

Most accidents happen close to home!  This is due to the fact that people feel a sense of relaxation by the repetition of driving through their own neighborhood, this factor likely plays a role in people being less attentive.  Today I was heading over to do an afternoon walk with a client, I haven’t been feeling awesome due to a head cold I succumbed to on the weekend so I was feeling like I had cobwebs in my brain!   I live in a quiet neighbourhood, school buses were just starting to appear dropping children off. I meandered down the street, stopped and looked for traffic and then began crossing at the corner, when much to my horror I came dangerously close to becoming a hood ornament for someone’s car.  Thankfully, I was paying attention, I have to say that was a good thing, had I not been I would have been mowed down.  One minute I was strolling, the next I was making an inaudible screeching sound and leaping through the air out of the way of a car the was careening around the corner.   The person driving wasn’t looking at a phone, much to my surprise!   She was guilty of cutting the corner, driving in the opposing lane, she was a few doors away from home and she was in auto pilot.   Startled, I tried to regain my balance and embarrassingly,  I burst into tears, she truly scared me.   When the driver realized what had almost transpired she stopped her car, rolled down the window and apologized.  Anyone who knows me, will attest to the fact that I have the gift of gab, but in this instance I have to say I had no words!  I am always the person to apologize when someone hits me with a door or bangs into me in a busy mall, but today I was at a loss for words!   What do you say to the person who didn’t maim you?  “That’s okay…?   No worries ?”   I stared at her wide eyed and speechless.  It took awhile for me to collect myself and gather my thoughts, and the thing that was at the forefront of my thoughts was one of my clients.   Maggie is a sweet old girl, deaf and practically blind whose home is right on that corner, she ambles across that same trajectory every day for her walks.  Had that been her in that very spot, the outcome would have been drastically different!  An accident,  is an unfortunate incident that happens unexpectedly and unintentionally, it’s an event that happens by chance or that is without apparent or deliberate cause and yet  in most cases, avoidable!  We all are guilty of being on auto pilot as we near home, but today I was made very aware of how quickly circumstances can change for the good or for the bad!  As I write I hope the driver of that car recognizes the gravity of what almost transpired and will be mindful and more careful as she takes the turn towards her place of residence, and I myself am struck with a sense of gratitude that I am in one piece, comfortably seated in my office chair listening to Ed Sheeran!

Loosing your furry friend is not easy!  Each of us has our own way of honouring the memories of our pets!  Some of us keep their ashes on the mantle, others adorn our walls with a pictorial montage, there are so many ways we can remember our four legged family members!  In our household we have a tradition of buying a flowering shrub or tree and planting it in the yard so when we look out we have a constant reminder of something living.  The one down side to this, we have moved many times, in Nanaimo we planted a Golden Leaf for Amber, in Thunder Bay Potentilla and Hostas for our two cats and two dogs, but leaving those plants behind was hard for our children.  We came up with another idea to mark their passing, we made garden stones with our pets name on it and the girls decorated them.  Whenever we moved, we dug them up and brought them along with us.  We have donated money in memory of a lost friend to the Guelph Animal Hospital, other times,  the Humane Society. My Mother bought my youngest a figurine with an angel holding a cat, when we lost one of cats tragically before he time, staring at that figurine every night gave our  daughter solace. I have said it before, and I will say it again, loosing a pet is heart wrenching and it is perfectly normal and acceptable to cry, mourn and feel sad.   I think the important thing to remember is that choosing to find a way to remember the loss of a family member is important in helping everyone with the grieving process!

Spring is in the air, a time of rebirth and renewal! I saw white crocus flowers peaking up through the ground and our grape hyacinths were also pushing through the soil. What a visual delight this weekend to see evidence that the seasons are changing!  With the milder temps comes the muck and rain, it is hard to know what to wear when getting ready to head outdoors…do I need a hat, do I need mitts, what weight of coat will be just right?  It’s exciting to be able to shed the layers of clothing, that the need for my winter boots is decreasing and I can bring my ipod with me as I don’t have to worry about battery drain!  It’s such an invigorating and inspiring time and my four legged friends echoed my sentiment the other day.  I have a cute little client that came for doggie daycare, it’s been a little while since he has hung out with us.  He and our cat Romeo have a good relationship, they often share the same corner on my bed when he has a sleep over.  Yesterday as he came into the house my kitty gave him a little nuzzle on the nose and the next thing I knew the humpty hump dance was in full swing! Never before have I seen these two be so amorous with one another.  This continued sporadically throughout the course of the day…the two would give each other an appreciative glance and the ritual would commence once again!    With the signs of warmer weather, with the concept of being cooped up inside nearing a close,  we are all feeling a little more hopeful and energetic!  As there is a break in winter,  the signs of Spring are rather intoxicating to all creatures!  I felt like I needed to put on a little Barry White or some Marvin Gaye to help celebrate, love is in the air!

Be careful what you put out in the universe!  The other day I was in the car with my spouse and daughter and the two were making a comment I hadn’t blogged in awhile.  I replied that I only write when I feel something funny has happened or I gain a new insight.    The very next day I went and got my little friend Diesel for his daily morning constitutional, I put on his collar and off we went for our walk.  We were about five minutes into our stroll when he saw a cat at the very end of the cul de sac we traverse along on our regular Sunday route.  Diesel is overtly interested in anything feline, he finds them fascinating!  He was utterly  transfixed, even though the cat was no longer in his line of sight and had disappeared.  As we neared the bottom of the street and were going to cross over to the other side, my dear friend kept looking left, and basically planted himself in the middle of the road and refused to move, staring in the direction that he remembered the cat had gone.   I gave him a little tug and asked him to follow me, he stood firm, like a sack of cement.   I turned to go right and gave another pull as we were standing in the middle of the street and much to my dismay I realized I had a leash in my hand, but no dog at the other end.  Every once in awhile that dang pinch collar releases with absolutely no rhyme or reason as to why it does that?   I think it just presses on Diesel’s neck in just the right way and his muscles pop it out, I have no clue, it’s a mystery that baffles me!  What I do know, is that in the instance that I realized we were no longer tethered together, so did Diesel and that dang cat was sauntering across the road in plain sight taunting him.  Opportunity was knocking and Diesel was ready to answer, he took off like a shot, boy can that dog move when he is motivated!  My husband was walking our dog, and was a little bit ahead of us, he turned to see me, running down the middle of the road in a winter coat and Bogs (which let me tell you are not ergonomically designed for speed) trying to close a five house gap between me and Diesel.  I was giving it my all trying to sprint, I remember yelling as I ran, “Run Kitty, run kitty….”   A car had just turned onto the road and was coming towards us and I was worried it might strike the cat or Diesel, thankfully it went right.  I worried that the cat might head towards the end of the street and lead my little buddy onto a road which is a major artery for traffic, there were many scenarios bouncing around in my head as I tore after the two animals.   Thankfully, some higher power was watching out over us, as Diesel ran into a yard that just happened to have a picket fence around a portion of it, trapping him and allowing me to catch up.  Neither the dog or I had any clue where the cat had gotten off to, and frankly as long as it wasn’t interfering with me getting a hold of my charge, I didn’t care!  A few moments later my husband and our dog caught up to us.  We got Diesel’s collar back on, tried to regain our composure and we resumed our walk.  My spouse and I were short of breath, he has asthma and I haven’t run in over a year so my lungs were burning, the cold air didn’t help matters.  As we progressed we both became very aware of our foot issues, he has gout and I have plantar fasciitis and I realized I had pulled something in my buttock region…heck, neither of us had really warmed up our muscles yet, and the current temperature was a balmy -11 that morning, not the best weather for sprinting when one is not prepared.  I spent the remainder of the walk trying to come up with a fool proof system that would prevent collar and leash malfunctions, which seem to be happening a lot as of late with Diesel, I swear we have a mischievous Boggart (think Harry Potter) that is having some fun at my expense and wants to test my mental and physical agility, so far I have passed with flying colours with each scenario.  It was an exciting morning…great blog fodder!!  I will say though,  I don’t require thrills, some mundane walks would suit me just fine!  I think I am becoming known as the crazy dog walking lady that runs down the middle of the street chasing her charges! As for the cat, we were about 150 yards away when Diesel stopped dead in his tracks and looked back, there was that kitty again, sauntering across the road like he didn’t have a care in the world, completely unphased by the fact that he had just alluded a potential altercation with a dog.  My take away that morning was all’s well that ends well!   (For my sanity, Diesel, now has a collar as well as his pinch one, a double leash system connected to both and a carabiner as a safeguard keeping everything together, I have my fingers crossed I have all scenarios covered now).

Walking in winter can sometimes be a hazard to ones health, and yet staying indoors isn’t a palatable alternative either!   I find as I try and traverse the streets  in my neigbhourhood I am faced with a dilemma, I do not live in a perfect world!  This lovely woman stopped to chat to me when she spied me carrying Miss Mattie, her little paws had been a “salted”.  I remarked that I had chosen her street as the complex she lives in has a contractor that comes around and salts the sidewalks, which is great for me, I am wearing boots. It’s a toss up, if I pick an area where I won’t get “iced out” and fall on my kiester, that can be counter intuitive to my canine friends!  Some people are very fastidious and clean their sidewalks religiously, pre salt when we are due to get an ice storm, they make traversing safe for those of us who walk!  Not everyone operates the same way!  Two doors down from the conscientious family you will get a house that isn’t in to shoveling, they don’t seem to make it out to clear the snow, regardless of how light a dusting.  Mother Nature delivers a little rain and the next thing you know, you have an eight foot skating track.   The house next to that, you may get heavy salters, whether it be rock salt or the stuff that is supposed to be paw friendly, the front of their house is a plethora of white rocks, which wreaks havoc on a pooches feet.  If I wear ice picks on my boots, I flatten them on the cement and have a false sense of security.  When I happen upon an icy patch, the next thing I know I am going sideways, my feet flailing because the metal picks have become worn down nubs.   If only we lived in a perfect world, where one’s only worry was whether you have a warm enough coat and mitts on!  Where you can keep your eyes up and not peeled on the ground trying to figure out where you can get the appropriate footing!   There are a lot worse problems to have though, so I not only put on a warm coat, I wear a smile!