We have a nature trail close to our house, McClane Creek Trail. I enjoy walking this trail, it's always changing. Today I went for the first time since 3 seasons ago, and I thought that the Department of Natural Resources certainly recreated all the trails. But of course they don't have the budget to do this, I just realized the swampy water was higher than I had every seen it, so it appeared the trails were recreated through the pond that I normally stroll next to. It's a very marshy area, and I always prepare myself to not be so startled when an alligator jumps out of it catching dinner. Of course this should never happen as we are on the other side of the continent as gators, but I always prepare myself for the worst.
Mr. Party has a hard time on these nature trails, because there are so many scents he turns into Mr. DADD (doggie-attention-deficit-disorder). The goal of tonights walk was to teach Mr. Party that it's ok to slow down and "stroll," especially when there are puddles of mudd that mom could easily slip and be drug through.
Mr. Party was getting the feel for strolling, mom got to spot salamanders, smell the skunk cabbage (ew) and admire the ducks swimming by....but then Mr. Party decided that he needed to train for the Iditarod, mushing along the trails as I'm digging my heels into the ground to slow him down. Finally, I regain control and he sits, wiggling about as if sitting is the most difficult thing he has ever had to do. Slowly, an older gentleman comes around the bend that was about 100 yards ahead of us, then his wife, and finally the whole reason for the uncontrollable wiggle, an elderly sheep-dog, so well behaved that the older couple didn't even need to use a leash. This made me a little jealous. Will my dog ever be that calm and well-mannered? *sigh* Of course the gentleman had to holler a chipper "hello!" Which I know really meant "look at how well my dog behaves! nothing like yours!"
The elderly couple continues down the path, Mr. Party soon forgetting that they existed as we stopped in the middle of the pond. Stopping long enough to let the wind whistling in our ears to cease, letting the sounds of nature surround us, thus freaking a dog out as if he's being bombed by nature in all directions. Mr. Party first focused on the birds cooeing in front of us, but then croaking frogs creeped up behind us, and quaking ducks from the side, oh my! Mr. Party began turning in circles, confused, ready to defend himself from mother nature's attackers.
At this point, I felt that it would be best to get Mr. DADD home. We ended our "strolling" lesson and I've never seen Mr. Party so excited to see his car.
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