A w-a-l-k in the park it was NOT!!

I had told myself I wasn't going to do it. Nope!  I couldn't handle it.  Well, by the fourth day the Catholic guilt had set in so deeply, that I decided I had to try to do it at least once.

Here I was in Dartmouth, house and dog sitting, while my daughter, son-in-law and baby granddaughter were visiting friends in Trinidad and Tobago.  I offered to take this gig, figuring a change was as good as a rest. (En français on dit "Ça change le mal de place!") Why not?  I was helping out my loved ones, getting in some precious time with Sophie before their departure, and kind of having a vacation myself. There is little SNOW here, compared to ten foot high snowbanks back home.  What's not to love?

So, I bite the bullet and decide to take ALL three dogs to the off- leash dog park. Well, Vimy is the walking wounded with his weeping puncture holes from a recent dog attack.  Piper is a black lab who runs up barking at E-V-E-R-Y single dog in the park, albeit with her tail wagging.  Freddy is a fourteen year old Springer Spaniel who is deaf, almost blind and needs help getting in an out of the car. Do I have my hands full?

What was I thinking?  I get to the dog park parking lot.  I make the mistake of getting Vimy and Piper out first, onto a two-in one leash.  There are other dogs in the parking area, so MY two proceed to bark and strain at the leashes, as I try to help poor Freddy jump down.  He lands awkwardly on his butt, but then takes off before I can put his separate leash on him.  He then promptly proceeds to poop in the middle of the parking lot.  There are two dogs across the way, waiting for their owner to put them in HIS car. The owner is looking at me in bewilderment, as if to say, "Are you crazy, lady?"  I wish he would just jump in his darn car and leave.  I don't like an audience, and his dogs are distracting Piper and Vimy. 

I am trying to open a bag to pick up Freddy's bomb, while restraining the other two dogs with their leash, hanging on to my mitts and Freddy's leash, which I still haven't managed to put on him. You CAN NOT open a poop bag with your mitts on!!   I am getting no where fast.  Freddy escapes but doesn't go far. He just proceeds to poop again, but in the vicinity of the two bystander dogs.  By this time I am totally annoyed and it must have shown on my face. I glare at the owner and comment, "I must be out of my mind today!" The owner finally stops gawking, puts his two dogs in the car and drives off.

I now have two poop bags in my hand, mitts, and three leashes,  (only two handles total, but still!), and three dogs straining to get to the off-leash part, fifty metres away. We are all tangled up of course.   I have to be constantly careful to not have the leash rub against Vimy's right side, where his ugly wound is.  Somehow we make it to where I can set Piper and Vimy free to run all over.  Freddy has to stay with me.

The beautiful weather, a warm sun, a mild -6 degrees Celsius temperature, the beauty of the park, and a forty-five minute stroll, soon put me in a better frame of mind. The pooches even got to amble on their own beach! 

All goes well until I return to the park and realize I have parked in really muddy puddles.  I don't want the pooches getting back into the car by the doors, with wet, dirty paws. My only option is through the trunk, but again I screwed up.  I parked too close to the trees, so I can only open the trunk half way. I CAN'T very well leave the three dogs sitting there outside the car, while I move it forward, OUT of the trees and OUT of the mud puddles, now can I?  It is no easy task getting those three dogs back in the car, through a half open trunk lid. Especially Freddy, as I have to lift his ass end up and into the trunk.  He isn't tiny.  Pauvre pitou!  It sucks to be old. 

Per usual, all is well that ends well! Am I about to do this again? IT will be a frosty day in H*E*L*L. 😈  From now on, Freddy and I will walk local, then I will take Piper and Vimy to walk global. 

PS:  While out in the neighbourhood, I was asked if I was a dog walker.  Yeah, right!