A Walking Spectacle

This weekend is the annual Springfest in my little village. It's a weekend full of activities that started yesterday and ends on Monday afternoon. This afternoon was the antique car show, they close off half a mile of the road through town - which is a major annoyance to those who are using the state highway to travel north or south through town! - and park the cars along the closed road. I took Ten with me last year, he'd been with me a month and I figured he was ready for his big debut. (He'd been timid, never been off the farm, when I got him, but after a month he trusted me enough to believe that I wouldn't take him anywhere he'd be hurt or scared.) He had a blast, and was very well-behaved.

I took him back again today. And I took Lacey Jane with me, too. She's such a polite little girl, walks along nicely and doesn't yaw all over the place, so I put her on a thin braided leash and tied it through my beltloop so I'd have both hands for managing Ten. A baggie of chicken in my pocket, and we were off. OMG, you'd think I never took him anywhere! He was so excited. All the people! All the other dogs! The ponies at the pony ride! The dropped food on the street! All the children! He had a blast. But he was not very well-behaved. He wasn't horrible, he just was too distracted to "listen". And I had the wrong leash; I thought my 1"-wide leather leash was in the car but it wasn't, so I had to take him on a 1/2" leash. Not nearly as easy to control him with the thinner leash, and it hurt my hands. (Now I know never to take him on anything other than the 1" leash. I can easily control anyone else on the thinner lead, but not Ten. Gad, he's strong!)

People got a big kick out of seeing the huge white dog on my left and the tiny black dog on my right, so both of them got all the attention they wanted. They were both in seventh heaven. Lacy is such a social little thing, and she loves people of all ages and sizes. She was just as happy to meet toddlers as she was to meet adults, and she was very patient with their awkward petting. One little boy, maybe 5-6, spent 10 minutes on his knees petting her, stroking her under the chin, and letting her give him kisses on the nose, while his parents did the same with Ten. Lacy was in love with that little boy, she probably would have followed him home if she could have. Ten gave out lots of kisses, too, and got lots of the hearty petting he really enjoys. He enjoyed the attention of one man so much he sat on the guy's foot, leaned against him, and was groaning in almost-orgasmic pleasure at having his head, neck, chest, and shoulders rubbed and thumped. People watching were all laughing at him.

But the outing did me in. My hands ache, my back aches, and I'm worn out with the physical effort of keeping him under control with that thin leash. I'm probably going to be one sore pup tomorrow, but I bet I sleep well tonight!

I really hate to even suggest this, but I think tonight might be the night for Irenie. Her belly is taut and lumpy, the babies are kicking hard, and she's been digging in the nest box quite a bit. And I think she's as tired of waiting for them to be ready to come into the world as I am.