Lambiedog

My Independence Day

The poodle seen marching in the parade above is not me.

Instead, I was the guy on the sidelines watching the festivities unfold.

It was the Fourth of July and, as is my wont, I took an understated approach.

Instead of the traditional tri-color red, white, and blue, I went with a simpler white and blue. I like to leave something for the onlooker's eye to fill in.

Oliver and Winnie and I attended the parade together. 

We saw lots of bands....

 

    and received some fashion inspiration.

In the end, though, it was really about relationships. 

It was a chance to enjoy the day with individuals who were all happy to share in the celebration of our magnificent albeit flawed democracy.

Sleepover

I went on a sleepover at the Ons' house.

We packed my valise, loaded it into the car, and drove over to Sherman Oaks.

 

 

I've been there many times.  I know Teresa.  I know Roger.  I know their cat, Pumpy.  Also, Kevin was home from college for spring break.  We've spent some good times in the past carousing together. 

 So I ran right in and made myself at home, while Teresa and my owner reviewed my daily routine.

 

Then my owner left.

         

After I got over my shock, it turned out that life was pretty good at the Ons'.

I had affection, exercise, and, to keep things interesting, an adversary.

    In fact, I was treated like a king, and I responded in kind.  Roger and Teresa were a bit surprised when I insisted on joining them under the covers.

I did wonder when my owner would be coming back. 

Of course, I knew that, like the song says, she always comes back -- she never would forget me.

Up Westridge

For our most recent outing with Teresa, we took a break from stair walks and instead went up Westridge in Mandeville Canyon.
Although I resisted walking in the heat, and tried to hide in the shade, when we got up high I had to admit that the view was spectacular.  
 

I fancied myself in the Himalayas

Visit to the country cousins

We went to Ojai to see the country cousins -- Leo, Ella, and Annie. I won't name names, but some of them are less friendly than others.  Overall, I felt a bit intimidated.

Aunt Margie put them outside while she took me inside and prepared a delicious meal of ground raw meat to tempt me out of my anorexia.

So thoughtful!

 

Then we went outside again for awhile.  I felt more relaxed in the open space.

When we came in, we stood around together hoping for more food. I wouldn't go so far as to call it a bonding moment, but at least it was an instant of common purpose.   It was a start.

 

Bright lights, big city

 I had an anxious moment alone in the car when we went out to Brentwood to return library books.

The restless, seething city disoriented me and put me on edge.  I felt like a dog in headlights.

 

But now I'm home, and feeling more centered.

Summiting the peak

My trip to the top of the world went well for awhile...

Until I put my foot down. 

I do that when I feel I am due a water break.

Just so there's no confusion about why I'm striking, I lick my lips delicately.

After my demands were met, we continued....

     

....culminating in a successful summit.

Yard sale aficionado

I attended a yard sale last weekend.  It was al fresco, as these things tend to be.

    The day was quite warm.  Even the ocean breeze did not cut the heat much.

 

I identified a bench I might like to own, and stationed myself in a shady area underneath it, asserting first dibs so no one else would try to buy it. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The bench turned out not to be for sale, but I stayed there, out of concern for the landowner's tort liability if a yard sale invitee were to collapse of heat stroke.

Adventures abroad

   On Secret Stairs Walk # 38, in Universal City, we enjoyed a new approach to the humble house number.

 

 We also encountered a dog named Cutie Pie -- a young thing, not yet housebroken, and desperate to interact with me.

I will admit I recoiled from her a bit, accustomed as I am to more subtle dogs.

                              I suppose Cutie Pie just needs to mature.              

Later, we passed the putative home of Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch.  It was in a group of like homes, all cantilevered over the hillside. You could tell that Harry Bosch was a tough guy, because anyone else would be unable to sleep at night worrying that his home might fall down.

After that came a  Moorish house with a lot of tilework.  Even the garage was tiled. 

  By this point, however, the words that were running through my mind there were not, "Amazing tilework!" but "Can we go home yet?"

    Exploring the city's all well and good, but as a famous dog owner once said, "There's no place like home."

 

 

Visitors from the exotic east

         Avery and Catherine came to visit from Maryland. 

    Although their visit was not solely for the purpose of spending time with me, they were gratifyingly attentive.

    On an evening hike to Inspiration Point, they were alert to species inequity -- I got water; everyone else got water and dinner -- and combatted it by dropping food to me. 

    Making it a much better picnic, from my standpoint.