TheBanyanTree: Wonder Dog Goes for a Walk

[Margaret R. Kramer]

Our leaves have a sullen color.  They’re not brilliant or striking.  They’re
muted golds and reds and yellows.  Even the sumac, which can usually be
counted on to provide eye popping color displays, blushed only a faint red
this year.

The lack of color is probably due to the drought we had this summer and it
still continues.  We’re not getting the rain we need.

We’ve already had our first killing freeze.  My tomato plants are gone.  My
pepper plants are gone.  Some of the impatiens are gone, too.

But no matter how dull the colors are or even if there is a stiff chilly
breeze blowing greenish leaves off the trees into messy piles, it’s always a
good time to go for a walk in the off-leash dog park.

My four year grandson called me from his mom’s cell phone.  He was at the
dog park.  Her plans were to take the boys for a walk in the beautiful,
woodsy park, but Boogie insisted that they needed a dog to do this.  So, he
called me and asked if I could bring CoCo.

I was just sitting on my butt reading the paper while the beautiful fall day
was rushing by outside.  “Sure,” I said, “I’ll bring CoCo.”

CoCo’s ears perked up and ran downstairs to wait for me to put on his choke
chain and leash.

CoCo is a rottweiler/Chesapeake Bay retriever mix.  He’s HUGE.  He weighs
126 pounds.  He’s golden with lighter golden markings similar to what a
rottweiler has.  CoCo is a gentle giant.  He gets along with kids, cats,
other dogs, and weird people.

But CoCo has one problem.  He’s old.  He’s nine years old.  And his joints
are sore.  I give him glucosamine every day and that seems to help, but he’
ll never be a young dog again.  Ray and I have been taking him and our other
dog, Saydi, on short walks, but since it’s been cooler, we stopped.

My intention is to walk CoCo and Saydi every day.  But when I get home from
work, the couch finds my butt and I sit there like a statue.  My grandson’s
request might have just gave me a the jump start I needed to get back out
there walking again.

The off-leash dog park is only a mile away.  I haven’t taken CoCo there
since this spring, because he gets stiff and sore, and can barely make it
out of there.  I thought I would give this a try and see if the glucosamine
is working.

We met up with Susan and the boys in the parking lot.  There was a lot of
excitement, because two cars in the parking lot had their windows smashed
out and were broken into.  An owner of one of the vehicles had her trusty
cell phone with her and was calling the police.

These cars were being damaged and broken into in broad daylight with people
were coming and going.  It’s amazing how brazen some people are.  Although,
not to blame the victims, but some people do leave a lot of valuable stuff
in plain sight that can be tempting to fast moving vandals.

We finally got going on our walk.  The dirt path winds through a large
meadow, and then into the woods.  We go up steep hills and twist and turn
around tall, going bald trees.  CoCo moves slower and slower while my
grandsons race ahead.

There is a large pond we call the dog lake.  Dogs love to go swimming there.
Our goal was to get to the dog lake, about a half mile from the parking lot.
But CoCo just couldn’t make it.  We decided to stop at the top of a hill
overlooking the lake.

The boys had a sandwich with them and they sat down in the grass to eat it.
And CoCo plopped down, too, trying to nuzzle them into sharing while he
rested.

Some dogs and people passed by, and CoCo would pull himself up to greet
them.

Then we began the slow, painful walk back to our cars.  We rested with CoCo
every 20 feet or so.  The boys didn’t care.  They ran ahead and disappeared
from our sight and then ran back.  They found caterpillars and we looked at
deer paths and marveled at the leaves changing color.

Even two year old Poochie, who used to trip over his own feet, doesn’t have
too much trouble keeping up with his older brother now.  And being terrible
two, he loves to hit and punch his brother all the time.  Boogie just
ignores him.

We finally got back to the parking lot.  The police were there looking at
the damaged cars.  I managed to stuff CoCo back into my little Golf.  The
boys watched the police officer from inside their mother’s car.

I left and drove home with CoCo drooling out the back window.  That was a
good sign, because normally he would just collapse on the back seat.  When
we got home, he slowly got out of the car and walked like his legs were made
out of sticks into the house.

Well, no more dog park for CoCo.  His body just can’t handle it.  I can’t
take Saydi, because she has a very dominant personality and is sassy towards
other dogs.  My grandson will just have to realize we can still take walks
in the dog park without a dog.  (Actually, I would love to get another dog –
a small dog – to go with my big dogs.  I haven’t said anything to Ray about
it, however.  It’s my secret desire).

CoCo was stiff last night.  But he was able to get up and down the stairs
OK.  He ate a good dinner.  He wagged his tail like he always does when he’s
happy.  And he’s happy all the time.

Margaret R. Kramer
margaretkramer at earthlink.net

http://www.polarispublications.com
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