How was the W?

I sometimes think I should call this blog "How was the W?" That's because it seems like every day when I take Ozma out for her walk, there's a story.

Kathy asks, "So, how was the W?" Sometimes it is just a walk. Sometimes it is just taking the dog out to pee. Sometimes it is freaking raining and not much fun at all.

But most of the time, there's a story. I feel like I'm walking through a children's book—like the animals are the active characters in the neighborhood, and the humans are just a supporting cast. There's drama, there's suspense, and there's always change. The W started as a kind of awkward duty—I had been a cat person before Kathy, and only took the dog out because she needed to go—but they developed into events.

Take yesterday, for example. We had a standard schedule—three short W's, of about 10 minutes each, so Oz can do her business, and one longer, for fun and stretching her legs. #1, at around dawn, was just business, but #2, at noon, was a bit of an adventure. We went over to see her pack (an area in a nearby cul de sac where several dogs and Sammy live). We didn't have much luck. It was a blowy day, and no one was outside. We were starting to head home, and Emma got let out to pee.

Emma is many things. One of them is a young black lab. Another is obsessively fond of Oz. That means that she was let out in her own yard to pee, saw Oz, and sprinted the block to leap on Oz's head. Oz is just as fond of Emma, so we went from standing still, looking forlornly at the dogless yard to sprinting towards a loose dog.

Emma is always a crapshoot, because if she's excited, she hits hard, and bits other dogs on the snout (purely out of enthusiasm). So there's this loving black rocket of a dog sprinting towards us, and in the background her owner is yelling, "Emma! No! Come here! Em…Oh well. Don't hurt anybody. Play nice. Kisses!"

"Kisses" or "Just Kisses" is Julie's mantra for trying to get Emma to lick other dogs rather than bite them. It's a great idea, but as a shouted command, it is surreal.

Since Oz had an operation on her leg a few months ago—more on that later—she can't take hard impact. That means that Emma's fiercely loving charge has to be met like I’m tackling her. I take the impact, slow her down, and then let them play, to the background music of "Kisses! Kisses!"

Greg