Lambiedog

Dicey situation

  I was busy at the bluffs when a determined young man approached me.

 

As he got closer, I desperately semaphored my owner to request an immediate airlift out.

It takes a village to photograph a sunset

        I like to enjoy the sunset at the bluffs every evening from my favorite perch:  my owner's arms.

    My owner likes to snap photos as she, too, enjoys the sunset.

However, she has difficulty getting her shots while my head is in the way.

Luckily, friends are around to make sure I do not have to suffer any indignities during the picture-taking process.

 

Here's Scott, owner of Jinny, gallantly* holding me:

                    And that enables my owner to photograph to her heart's content:

  

*It is particularly gallant of Scott since he is a longtime disliker of poodles, although I think I may be bringing him around.

Evening ritual

 

    I look forward all day to my bedtime wrestling game with Thomas.  First he chases me, then he throws my rawhide and I run after it for awhile, and then we growl at each other for a bit.  As an evening ritual, it's second only to my nighttime pee in terms of importance.

 

    I'm going to be bereft when he leaves.

Third-grade dog whisperer

    You don't often find a young person who is sensitive enough to relate to a dog, smart enough to know how to pick him up securely, and strong enough to carry him.  But Hannah, the owner of my friend Charlie, embodies all of these qualities.   She hefted me with grace and confidence, and then proved she could do the same with Charlie.

 

                                                            This girl will go far.

With my team

    I went for a hike with my old and new trainers.  Though I had been concerned that there might be some friction between them, they worked together as if they had known one another all their lives.

    

    Later, we had a weigh-in. I came in at 18 pounds exactly. They were quite congratulatory.

Intergenerational group meeting

At our Intergenerational Group meetings, we typically go around in a circle and everyone shares what's been going on with them and what's on their mind.

As a typical male, it is not easy for me to share my feelings.

But I appreciate the support that I receive from my friends in the group.  I feel like they are there for me always.  Often in interacting with them I realize that they 'get' me in a way that I myself sometimes don't.

I am trying to learn to be equally supportive of them. 

New trainer; fresh start

   My last brush with formal exercise did not go well.  My trainer quickly became exasperated and refused to work with me further.

    Now, however, an upbeat new trainer has taken me on and resolved to get me into shape.  His plan involves regular hikes, as well as some attitudinal shifts to toughen me up.  For his philosophy, he quotes from a movie called 'Green Street Hooligans': 

Once you've taken a few punches and realize you're not made of glass, you don't feel alive unless you're pushing yourself as far as you can go.

How that translates for me is: (1) no coddling, (2) no being carried, and (3) no stopping and refusing to move. But my trainer strives to put a positive spin on this regime.  For example, rather than knocking my frequent sofa-sitting, he pointed out that my regular jumps up onto the sofa have given me skill in traversing vertical inclines.

  On our first hike together, to Inspiration Point in Will Rogers State Park, I acquitted myself well.

The atmosphere when we returned home was congratulatory.  I rested and basked in the good will. 

What I didn't realize was that my good performance had fed a monster:  The next day my trainer scheduled us for a hike up the top of Capri Drive.

    
I was not terribly enthusiastic, but I cooperated, for a while.  And then we got to go home again.

Will I keep this up? 

I wouldn't have initiated the hikes on my own, but I knew they had been good for me.

   And, although I have not been the most enthusiastic client, this trainer is willing to stick with me.  I appreciate his devotion, and will try to improve my attitude to be worthy of him.

   

Mourning a senseless death

 

 

A young man died last week in an inexplicable car accident.

His friends came to the bluff at dusk to remember him.

It was heartbreaking to watch these young people coping with mortality and loss.

    I hoped that the bluffs provided them some quiet comfort.

Sam's birthday

I was excited to help Sam celebrate his birthday.

The present-opening was enthralling.  I watched carefully to learn appropriate etiquette.

    The celebration culminated in cake and candles.  Formidable!

Misty, moody afternoon with my mates

My BFFs and I went out to the bluff to hang out.
 
 

We tried to give Genny a modicum of privacy when she got a phone call.

   

 
        She scarcely knew we were there.