Brrr…doesn’t the park look ghostly? Of course my mom plays with the photoshop settings on these photos. Here I’m getting a nice butt rub from Lindsay, the unofficial mayor of the dog park.
A nice touch on a chilly night.
Ghostly dog park at night
Category: A Dog’s Life
Cold night in the dog park
Brr! It was cold last night. My mom took me to the park mostly because she likes connecting with the community of regulars. Sue was here with her dog, Jack.
Notice that both Sue and Jack are bundled up in nice warm winter coats. My mom was wearing her 15-year-old parka. “I wonder if Eddie Bauer will fix the zipper?” she mused. “It keeps getting snagged.”
You’ll notice me on the wall. I’m the one who’s naked.
Ophelia Digs Into The Catnip [Video]
Ophelia is a 15-pound, 11-year old cat. As you can see, she’s still pretty frisky, especially when my mom adds some catnip to her favorite toy. We were hoping for more gymnastics. I gotta admit it: Ophelia has some really cool moves.
Thank goodness dogs don’t do drugs. We canine princesses have to maintain our dignity.
Dog in the snow: not sure about this
Brr! It was cold out there. My mom took this photo as I took a moment to explore my surroundings…and see if there’s anything interesting to eat here.
Snow in Seattle for Thanksgiving
Here’s our neighborhood. Mom took this picture Tuesday afternoon, November 23, as we went for our walk. That sign read “23 degrees,” my mom says. It was mid-afternoon and usually the streets would be filled with cars. Today it was blissfully empty.
I wanted to keep going, but she reminded me, “Gracie, you’ve had your walk with your Aunt Sara. And it’s slippery. No pulling today!”
Last night I moved really fast for our final evening walk. I knew my mom absolutely did not want to walk in the cold and the sidewalks were getting icy.
“Thank you, Gracie,” my mom said. “You’ve almost made up for stealing two helpings of cat food. I hope we can walk to the Mud Bay store tomorrow.”
An “Only In Seattle” Moment
My mom was wandering around downtown without me, which means she’s liable to stumble across things she won’t notice when I’m there. I demand complete attention. Otherwise I nibble whatever’s on the sidewalk, jump on friendly people walking by and fulfill my mission to rid the world of motorcycles and skateboards.
My mom took a photo of this sign. She says she can relate as tourists are always getting lost. It’s an indie coffee shop called Monorail Espresso. So naturally tourists ask directions to Starbucks.
We’re not surprised. From my vantage point on my mom’s lap, I’ve watched tourists ask bus drivers for all sorts of things while we natives wait patiently to get where we’re going.
Friends Should Let Friends Ride Buses
My mom gets all knotted up around this time of year, which means I get to earn my keep as Official Stress Relief source. It’s not a role I chose when I got adopted.
Here’s what happens. My mom Cathy hates to drive. That’s why she moved to a city. She rents out her garage space.
Okay, she’s weird. She actually loves riding buses. She would rather ride buses than cabs. “The drivers gab on their cell phones,” she says,”or I have to talk to them and listen to their political views. On a bus I get to read or sleep. We help the environment. What’s not to like?”
I like buses in Seattle too. I get to sit on my mom’s lap and look out the window. The bus drivers like me. Other passengers fuss over me.
But then we go visit her friends. When it’s time to go home, my mom wants to take the bus. “It’s safe,” she says. “It’s free because I have a pass. It’s very comfortable and I can sleep or catch up on my email via cell phone. And it’s usually faster than driving because buses barrel through the lights and barge past the cars. What’s the problem?”
The problem is, her friends get upset. “It’s dark. It’s a holiday. We can’t let you take the bus.”
My mom won’t let them drive her. “If anything happened on a dark holiday night,” she says, “I’d never forgive myself. Anyway, why should they make a long car trip? The bus is 2 blocks away.”
So she ends up either refusing the invitation (even though she likes going and the friends enjoy having her over) or calling a cab that costs almost $40 (plus listening to the driver’s cell phone chatter and having to explain that “the dog is friendly and doesn’t shed much”) and resenting the whole thing.
Today she was discussing the problem with my Aunt Sara, the dogwalker, while I waited patiently to get going. Aunt Sara is usually on her side, but this time she said, “No way. I won’t let friends take a bus, especially on a holiday.”
Aargh. My mom hates it when she can’t change people’s minds. See, if I’d waited long enough, I’d have been adopted by a rich owner with a couple of Mercedes who really liked to drive…
Dog goes on vacation…sort of
My mom Cathy absolutely, positively hates to travel. But the other day she forced herself to pack and make a plane reservation to attend an Internet marketing conference, whatever that is.
While she’s off talking seriously about copywriting and marketing, I get to be a lucky dog. We used to go to the Downtown Dog Lounge on Bell Street, which we both loved. But the Dog Lounge closed so the mom took me to the Barking Lounge.
I was looking forward to a few days of vacation. Playing with the smaller dogs. Helping the receptionist greet visitors and administer temperament tests.
And of course I love getting away from my owner and having some fun. Mom is a good owner but she tends to be a little overzealous when it comes to my welfare. She eats right and exercises so she thinks I should too.
When we checked into the Barking Lounge, she told the desk person, “Gracie loves to chew. Don’t put anything in her crate that she could chew up. She chewed up a whole towel last week. And she’s an escape artist. Worse than a cat.”
Gee, thanks mom. There goes my fun. Fortunately the nice attendant came to escort me to my temporary den. I’m supposed to get a whole cot of my very own.
Anyway, my mom was starting to embarrass me. They gave us a list of stuff to bring (“just like summer camp,” mom said) and of course Cathy was taking it out of her bag. “See, this is her food, here are her treats, and her toy…” Then she realized they could figure this out for themselves.
“Do you think I brought enough food?” she asked.
“I think you’re good to go,” the guy at the desk said.
“Oh…as in I should go, right?” Mom said.
They didn’t disagree. Good thing Cathy never had human kids. It’s bad enough that I’m seen with her in public.
Naked Dog Ignores Doggie Fashion Show In Dog Park
Today we’re back to a cold rainy winter in Seattle. My mom took me here for a few minutes in hopes I’ll Do My Business fast so she can go off to the gym.
As you can see, I’m getting a little distracted. And I’m ignoring the dogs dressed in green raincoats that match their owner’s.
“Ooh, they are so adorable,” my mom gushed. “I just have to take their pictures.”
Who cares? While she’s busy with the camera phone, she doesn’t notice I’m jumping…something I am strictly forbidden to do.
Do you notice I’m naked? Will I get a cute raincoat?
“Gracie, you’ll notice I’ve been wearing this coat for years,” my mom says. “I know I’m fashion-challenged. I can’t have a dog that looks more glamorous than I do.”
Why not? I already steal the show.
Doing what I do best: dog seeks treats
My mom said, “Gracie, if you don’t want to play, we’re going home. Anyway, you look tired.”
Well, I should be. Yesterday I played with a charming miniature Schnauzer from New York. I enjoyed meeting a fellow urban dog while my mom got caught up with the schnauzer’s owner on what’s happening in New York, where she’s from originally. I ran all over the park.
“Stop fussing over her,” Lindsay said. “Can I give her a treat?”
Well, does it rain in Seattle? I’m ready. Someone snapped this photo and my mom immediately said, “Can you send it to me for Gracie’s blog?”
Shortly afterward we headed for home, where I zonked out immediately. I need to get rested for tomorrow’s jaunt to the big park with my Aunt Sara. A dog’s life, right?