What Just Happened?

We decided to take Jenny for a walk this evening. It's the first sunny day this week, and Sandy's weekly Bible study wasn't meeting. It proved to be a memorable adventure.

The walk started out fine. We've learned which fences to avoid (that have the barking dogs behind them) and the route that gives us the best exercise. Usually, I hold Jenny's leash on the walk and do my best to keep up; my knees aren't what they used to be. We reached a section with an empty lot and Jenny decided it was time for a bathroom break. So Sandy took the leash while I picked up "the package" Jenny had bestowed on the grass. They walked ahead while I did my duty.

I caught up to them but had not yet taken the leash when we spotted a rabbit in the next yard. Both Forrest and Jenny love to chase rabbits. Forrest had no chance with the missing foot. He might take two or three steps, but he was easily reined in. Jenny, however, is 55 lbs of muscle and quickness. The leash was perhaps too long. Perhaps Sandy wasn't fully braced for Jenny's reaction.

Jenny saw the rabbit, paused a moment, and then bolted. Sandy's arm yanked forward. I thought she had tripped. Before I knew it, she was off her feet and landed with a thwack. It's not a sound I ever want my wife's body to make again. In the abrupt motion, the leash fell to the ground and was dragged as Jenny continued to chase the rabbit to the fence.

A few scrapes

As sanity slowly returned to the scene, I grabbed the leash and corralled Jenny. I kept asking Sandy if she was ok. She said she was, and she seemed motivated to keep walking. I didn't know then, but her body was flooded with adrenalin, pushing her to keep walking rather than take a break. Her elbow and arm were scratched, and other extremities were sore. We finished the walk without major incident, and no other rabbits chose to show themselves. We cleaned Sandy up and covered the one spot where the skin had peeled back.

Jenny, we love you! The next time you see a rabbit, we're letting the leash go.

Adventures in Weatherford

"We're going to Clark Gardens!" That was the pronouncement made, letting me know that if the weather cooperated, we were making a trip to Clark Gardens—Jenny's first experience at this wonderful location. Today was gorgeous, so we loaded up the car and headed West.

For those not familiar with Clark Gardens, let me tell you about this place. It's a large expanse of land dedicated to Texas native plants. It's a few miles west of Weatherford, TX, and we highly recommend those in the DFW metroplex to check it out. There's a modest entry fee, but it is well worth it. Forrest enjoyed many trips, and we knew that Jenny would as well.

Jenny considering a swim

There are several lakes, fountains and waterfalls sprinkled throughout the grounds. You often find fish, turtles and snakes in the water, and there are flocks of geese and ducks that tend to congregate at a couple lakes. Several times, Jenny looked longingly at various bodies of water. She didn't go in, but was considering it. One particular water feature gave her access to a clear, cool pool. Before I knew what happened, both front legs were in the water! When she came out, she had a lily pad in her mouth. Our best guess is she saw a fish and went for it, not realizing how deep the water was. It gave us a great laugh for several minutes as we brought it back to mind.

View from behind the waterfall

Sandy and I have several favorite spots in the gardens. The White Garden has a waterfall that you can actually get under and look out through the water. It is very LOUD! But it has become a "must stop" for us each time we go. I must pause here and say that the gardens attract photographers, weddings and other special events. We were under the waterfall enjoying a peaceful moment when a large, deep bark emanated from Jenny. A photographer had moved close enough and fast enough that it scared her, and she responded with a minute or two of barking. It gave us both a jolt, and the photographer decided to go the other way.

After about three hours of wandering around the gardens, we made the long drive home. After stopping for dinner at Dwell, we came home. Now I thought for sure after all that adventuring Jenny would be low key and relaxed. Ha! No sooner was she out of the car than she was running around the yard. Into the house and straight to the back door. This"tired" girl" was ready to play fetch! While we didn't achieve the usual reps, there were several spirited runs to the ball and returning the ball to do it again.

I love you, Jenny. Can we take a nap now?

Playing Ball in the House

Jenny and her many balls

It rained tonight. Hard. Which means muddy wet paws coming back inside and getting the tile floor even dirtier. Unless. . . Unless we keep Jenny inside and play ball in the house.

Many of you likely had parents tell you, "Don't play ball in the house." It may have been mentioned calmly at the dinner table; it may have been shouted as the sound of breaking glass or ceramic echoed down the hall.

The start of it was quite accidental. I was tired from throwing the ball outside for Jenny and needed to rest. The only way I could get to the couch and activate the recliner was to roll the ball away from the couch. Watching her slip and slide to get the ball was worth trying again. And again. Rolling turned to tossing. Tossing turned to throwing.

So tonight, rather than letting her run free in the wet, muddy yard, we toss the ball. She has improved to the point that if I toss it just right, she catches it in the air. But there are also plenty of perfect circles on the walls where the ball bounced off, leaving behind some dirt and/or moisture. Sandy says we will have to paint the walls much sooner than we planned. I think they are little badges of a life lived and should remain. You can't really notice them unless the light catches it just right anyway.

I love you, Jenny. Thank you for being a dog that plays fetch and enjoys it so much you don't mind us laughing when you slide past where the ball was a moment ago.

Towels everywhere

Ok, maybe no one has shared this with you before. I didn't fully understand it until we had Jenny for about 30 minutes. Golden Retrievers are messy.

When she takes a drink, you can see little drips on the floor all around her bowl. Apparently Goldens don't feel a need to finish swallowing once they raise up from the bowl. We have a towel right next to her bowl. That catches some drips, but there are always more, as if she hastily retreats from drinking and needs a trail to find her bowl again. So there is a secondary towel, on Ready 5, to clean up the drips.

It's against her innermost being to stay inside when it's raining or recently rained. And she is compelled to run and fetch and slide in the mud that is now everywhere. So there are towels outside. One is always on the back porch, along the path to the doggie door, in hopes she will get at least one paw dry from walking on it. But there is another towel on Ready 5 we use to wipe her feet and legs as thoroughly as possible. Sometimes she is patient and allows us to clean/dry her legs before going in the house. Other times she pulls away and resists all efforts to clean the mud out of her fur. Perhaps there should be another towel inside the house to catch more water or mud. Something to consider for the future.

I love you, Jenny! One day we will teach you to wipe your paws before going inside. Or you'll teach us to put down more towels.

And there was much rejoicing

From the first day we had Jenny, she loved to play fetch. There is something that lights up in a man's soul when he throws a ball for a dog that loves to fetch. She ran. She slid. The first few were not graceful as more ruts were carved into the lawn as she desperately fought to get the ball in her mouth. It was wonderful.
We started with a racquet ball, which worried my wife to no end. "What if it chokes her?" So far that has not happened. But this . . . concern led to one of our first purchases: a large red ball. A Kong ball that had the reputation of being indestructible. We liked that thought. And for weeks we would toss, roll and throw the red ball. In the yard. In the house. We took it on a road trip. That red ball was her constant companion.
Then one day, the red ball could not be found. I was fairly certain she had brought it in after our latest round of fetch. I looked under couches. I checked her favorite places in case she had taken it there to be a source of comfort. No luck. No red ball. We waited a week to see if she would come out one day, triumphantly carrying the ball in her mouth. Didn't happen. Last week we went on a road trip to see blue bonnets. After several moments, we realized we had forgotten her leash. So a quick purchase was made at the next pet store. Smaller, cheaper balls were also purchased, and they have been a great distraction.

Jenny enjoying the blue bonnets.

After losing hope, another Kong ball was purchased; this time we got a black one. We've had it two days. What did I find tonight? The red ball! I was looking for the black ball, as it wasn't where I had last seen it. I was compelled to look under the couch near its last coordinates. No black ball. But what was smiling back at me? That's right! The red ball! I hadn't thought to look under that part of the couch before. I didn't think it would have rolled under there.
So now we have both, and there is much merriment. I love you, Jenny! Thanks for being a dog who plays fetch!