Wednesday, March 28, 2007

 

Just the Boys

Now here's a novel concept: just Oreo and me spending the weekend together. It wasn't my plan but that's just the way things are going to work out.

Cheryl is driving Sarah to Brampton for a dance competition this weekend. That means a weekend by myself at home. It also means someone has to take care of the dog.

That someone would be me. The question then becomes how happy will Oreo be to see Cheryl and Sarah on their return. That all depends on the nature of the care he receives from yours truly.

A dog used to getting two walks a day with one usually being an extended, off-leash frolic at the local dog run may have to adjust to two brief walks in the immediate neighborhood. Unless I'm prepared to transport Oreo to the dog run in my car and hope that he doesn't get so muddy that my back seat upholstery ends up looking like a mud bath.

If Oreo's lucky, the coming days of sunny, dry weather will make a trip to the dog run more probable and his daily routine will not be unduly disrupted. Heaven forbid that the family dog should have to make some adjustments.

Stay tuned to see if Oreo and I are still on speaking/barking terms by Sunday night.

Sunday, March 25, 2007

 

Oreo's Birthday

Friday was my birthday but the celebration was deferred until yesterday since Sarah was at a friend's for a sleepover. And guess whose birthday was yesterday? That's right; Oreo the wonder dog turned two.

All that meant was that Oreo and I shared the festivities. Luckily, I came out on top with some great presents. But it looks like Oreo was just as happy with his one gift - a chew toy from the dollar store that he made short work of in a manner of minutes.

I'm glad to see that my standing in the family hiearchy is more secure than I thought. At least for a day I came in a strong third ahead of Oreo. But I think the look he gave me Saturday night means I better watch my back.


And here's another photo from last week's NYC trip, a shot of Sarah with two St. Patrick's Day revellers.



Tuesday, March 20, 2007

 

Oreo's Back

Oreo had another stay at his rural doggie resort. This time, it was a six-day visit while his owners (i.e. - us) went on a four-day bus tour to New York City. Here's Sarah at Times Square on a cold mid-March day.









When we dropped off Oreo last Wednesday evening, he was excited to be at the resort. But when we left, he was mournfully standing in the farmhouse window looking none too happy. Nevertheless, he had a good time playing with the other dogs and lounging about on the bed and sofas while we braved the cold in the Big Apple to watch the St. Patrick's Day Parade.
















Cheryl picked him up yesterday morning and he was eager to get home. Yesterday he spent most of the time sleeping since he was exhausted from his vacation. We, too, were tired from our trip with its Big Apple sensory overload. Today, we're all pretty much back to normal, including Oreo.

Sunday, March 04, 2007

 

It's The Pit - Conroy Pit

After spending half of today trying to figure out how to buy and download songs on-line for Sarah's MP3 player using gift cards she got for Christmas, it's time for a change of pace. Much as I thought I didn't enjoy yesterday morning's expedition, it was actually more fun than today's frustrating venture into the world of computer technology.

Yesterday was one of those rare occasions when I accompanied Cheryl and Oreo to Conroy Pit, the local dog run that consists of miles of wooded paths where dog owners can let their pets run free off leash. In fact, it was a full-family outing as Sarah came along, too.

It started off as a nice walk on a mild, sunny late winter day. But within minutes, it started snowing and we soon found ourselves slogging through a mini-blizzard. Luckily, it only lasted about fifteen minutes. But then we spent the rest of the time slogging through soft snow that made the walk more drudgery than fun (at least for me).

Despite all that, there were some interesting moments. It was fun to watch Oreo meet up with various dogs and play and roughhouse with them. It was also fun to see the wide variety of dogs (everything from a Shitzu to a St. Bernard) and owners (of all sizes and descriptions) and to hear their (the owners') tales of dog ownership.

One couple made me realize how lucky I am to have Oreo as our pet. Their dog
Riley is a lovely animal but it had one odd and ultimately expensive habit: it ate socks whole. That necessitated three separate operations to remove a sock from the dog's intestines for a grand total of $7,000 in vet bills. Luckily, the couple had pet insurance so that most of the cost was covered. The husband noted that after the first operation, the insurance company sent a cheque and a note enquiring after Riley's health. After the second operation, they just got a cheque and for the third operation, they got a cheque and a letter saying that this would be the last time they'd be footing the bill for a sock removal (pun intended). Thankfully, Riley has outgrown his obsession and the days of sock ingestion appear to be over.

The walk lasted an hour which is typical for Cheryl and Oreo who both enjoy these outings on a regular basis. For Sarah and me, an hour was about fifty minutes too long. Luckily, we took a separate car and made our own pit stop on the way home - Tim Horton's - where we recovered from our outing over a hot chocolate, a decaf and a box of Timbits. Now that's an outing worth repeating.

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