New Friends and Old Enemies

September 12, 2007. Boy, has it ever been a long time since I wrote anything. Well, I am back and reporting again about my latest adventures. I’m not sure where I left off, but, since that date, Tom, Renee and I have gone several times to Burnaby Lake.

We started off just going to the second boardwalk, and then the next time we went to the road where the horses go and finally we went all the way to the dam where I met a nice little puppy.

It sure has been hot lately, better weather than we had all summer except for that one stint at the lake. Oh well, enjoy it while I can. There has been a lot of whining in the newspaper and on the news about how the strike may cancel soccer seasons because the grass isn’t cut. There have even been cases where parents have gone out and mowed the grass.

We aren’t sure what they are talking about though. The grass on our park has been mowed three times since we returned from the lake and there have been several soccer schools too. The garbage has been picked up twice a week from the park, and the pigs in the neighbourhood keep dropping their garbage all around the can.

As soon as we got out to the park this morning and Tom gave me my freedom command I took off around the park chasing away crows. It was really fun because they were scattered all over the park and I ran full speed from one corner to the next. I was almost tired out before Tom started throwing the ball for me.

Once I had chased all the crows off so that I would have a clear playing field, I turned around, looked at Tom and then sat down. I sat there giving Tom my cutest look from the distance and waited with great anticipation for him to throw the ball. He did, and I retrieved it quickly. We got in just a few throws before I got a surprise.

This morning marked a meeting of a new friend for me. Her name is Skyler and she is a Labrador/Border Collie cross. Her owner Tara was on the way to school and was very happy to have another dog to run with. We get much more exercise running together than we do chasing the ball. It was a great deal of fun and we ran together for a full fifteen minutes of all out running.

When Skyler went over to the pool area to get a drink from the fountain, I knew it was out of bounds for me and stopped short. Sure enough, Tom quickly called and squeaked for me and I turned around and returned to him. When Skyler came back we continued running.

Today also marked the return of an old enemy. I’m speaking of “Garbage Mouth the Garbage Man”. Who would have thought that this guy could be in management with his attitude? Although, maybe he’s just a strike breaker, who knows?

It wasn’t two minutes after he left that an old lady came walking up the street carrying a big bag of garbage. Tom wanted to say something to her, but we were too far away. She at least had the decency to drop her garbage in the can rather than beside it.

While this was going on, an old fellow came up behind us to watch me run. I went up to the fence and sat down and he spoke to me, just saying hello. I sat there for a couple of minutes and just listened. I didn’t bark or anything. I sure have matured, because there was a time I would have barked at him or tried to go around the fence to say hello.

Then it was time to head for home, but my adventures were not over yet. We were walking home off leash because there was nobody around. After we made a deposit in the garbage can ourselves, I was sitting at the corner waiting for my release command when what should appear and stop right in front of me at the stop sign? It was a little motor scooter. Every instinct in every fiber of my being was telling me to chase that thing.

Instead I sat there and watched him drive away. I’m not sure why I didn’t chase it, but, just maybe all my training is starting to pay off. Or, maybe it was because I am just so darn tired and didn’t have the energy left to chase it. I’d like to think it is just because I have matured and know that good dogs don’t chase things they aren’t told to chase.