What goes on in a dog's mind?

Sadie and I took advantage of the beautiful weather after breakfast this morning and sat out on the patio for about an hour.  I, reading a book and Sadie experimenting with the best lounging location in the back yard.  I was also trying to mitigate the continued ridiculousness of the farmer's tan I cultivated in San Diego at the beginning of the month by reading sans shirt.  Yesterday's yard work was shirtless too, but with the added aesthetic bonus of a bandanna headband to keep the sweat out of my eyes.  I doubt the farmer's tan will ever disappear this season, but I figure I should try to make it a little less offensive.

I had the Spanish-English dictionary out too while I was reading because Cormac McCarthy writes a fair amount of the dialogue in Spanish.  It's frustrating because I usually understand the entire passage except for one or two words.  The problem is that those one or two words are the hinge points behind the meaning of the whole thing. As I read, and defined, Sadie napped.

Saturday Afternoon: Yardwork and a Bath

After watching the USA-Ghana World Cup game today, I cleaned up the backyard.  Picked up dog turds, cut the grass, cleaned up the leaves and grass clippings, trimmed plants, and planted the Japanese maple that Ed thought was a marijuana plant into a larger planter.  I also planted some red clover that Patti gave me when I was in Grass Valley a couple weeks ago.  After a little watering, it looked pretty nice out there again.

After that, I figured I should give Sadie a bath since we're going to the park with Mike, Tisha, and Peyton tomorrow.  A clean dog is always better than a stinky dog.  So I brushed a LOT of hair off of her and then bathed her.  I got her belly pretty clean using the fingernail brush.  Then she did her little post-shower dance.

I couldn't catch her on camera before she finished spinning in her bed.  But then she went and hid behind the couches.  Then she jumped back in her bed.  (Note your yellow t-shirt in the foreground.)

Now she's barking at something in the backyard.  I'm going to go make some dinner and have a drink.  I think we'll be having an FNL date shortly.

Thursday Morning

On our walk this morning, as we were going down the hill, Big Sadie and her owner were coming up the hill. Little Sadie fell in line behind me in some futile attempt to go unnoticed. Meanwhile, Big Sadie was walking on her hind legs while her owner struggled to hold her. They sniffed around with each other when we met and it was no big deal.

Going up the hill at the end of the walk, Wyatt was on his walk and he broke free of his owner's grip about 30 yards ahead of us and came running. Little Sadie seemed concerned, but not as much as before. Wyatt slowed down when he got to us and they did the asshole-sniff tango. I think their owner has resigned herself to the fact that she can only walk them one at a time. They are just too big for her.

Also, it was very STOOORMYY WEAAATHHuuuhhhh! this morning. I sang it to Sadie as we walked down Milan. It was very soulful, if I do say so myself. I know I probably don't do it as well as you, but who does? Lena Horne... maybe.

The first summer concert in the park is this Sunday. I'm going to see if anyone wants to join me. If not, I'll be happy to sit on the blanket with Sadie and a few beers.