Sunday, September 13, 2009

Walking My Master ... A Post By Bear

WOOF MORNING!
This is Bear ... surprise!
FC is busy outside rinsing the mud off his feet after our walk (does he not have a tongue?) so I'm doing this morning's post. He walks me every morning, usually before dawn, but it being the weekend and all, I let him sleep til about 7ish.

I told him no photos of me doing my business and for once he obeyed me.
Soooo, our second stop was the clump of tall palmettos near the driveway, a place of delicious scents ... armadillo, snake, wood rat, cottontail ... it's a nose buffet.
Well, maybe not if you're human. I keep forgetting your sense of smell is so puny ... no offense.

The bunny was here ... trust me.

FC took this picture of his feet (What the Sirius was he thinking?) Wait, ... he was checking out the rainwater diversion he digs each year at hurricane time. It rained all day yesterday, I think he was curious about how it was working.
Also in that picture is the 20 foot long lead he puts on me when we walk.
It helps me to focus ... sometimes I lose my concentration when I see a chicken (tremble,slobber) or a cat (slobber,slobber) or Lady, the pretty white lab girl from next door (tremble, slobber, tremble, slobber ad infinitum... )
FC talks of something called an invisible fence ... huh? I just smile and lick his hand when he brings this up ... his fences are in such bad shape they are mostly invisible anyway.


I did a little driveway excavating too, but FC tugged on the leash so off we went.


I stopped to listen to the resurrection fern. They said they were pretty happy about all the rain. They felt good to be all green and plumped up again. I figured if they liked water so much, I'd give them a little more ... hope they like yellow.



I didn't do the water above ... last night's rain was still hanging around.




At the pond, I led FC out onto the dock to survey the "pond". I've only been on Earth for a year and a half, so I've never seen the pond full, but FC swears to me that this dock was underwater in 2004.
Sigh ...

After the dock, I pulled FC into the shallow wetland he calls a pond. He was barefoot so there was none of that annoying, "No Bear, No Bear, stop, stop, STOP!" stuff he yells when he's wearing shoes.
There were amazing smells here. The deer had been lying in the dog fennels and they dripped with ungulate odor.
I chuffed and breathed deep.
Intoxicating.


We waded a bit and then I led FC up the pond slope on the trail we and the deer always use. I didn't run him since he was barefoot and there is some smilax over the crest.
Wuss ...


The grasses around the pond are rich and lush after a wet summer. I feel quite Serengetish up here in the tall grass.


FC's post-pond feet. He seems preoccupied with them today doesn't he? If he had better fur, none of that mud would have touched his skin.
Naked apes... can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em.
You dogs know what I'm talking about.

It wasn't long before FC was limping with a smilax thorn in his heel. Honestly, how can you expect to have tough pads if you wear shoes to work?
Ridiculous expectation in my canine opinion.


FC's not much for the bricks and mortar church scene, but it being Sunday, we stopped at a REAL crystal cathedral to give thanks for being on such a quirky, yet liveable planet ... and for time with each other.


After church, we found this deer jawbone which scared me at first. (AFTER FC MADE IT JUMP AT ME! HE'S BAD, LET ME TELL YA')
After he quit cutting the fool, I picked it up and carried it for awhile, but honestly, all the flavor was gone, so I dropped it somewhere on the way back to the house.


Along the trail back to the house, a fungus was celebrating yet another GATOR victory yesterday.


Home sweet home.
This is where I picked up the pace. Every morning walk ends with a treat. He keeps them in the closet under the stairs ... in case you are ever visiting and want to get me one.

Almost there. I can smell the chewie calling my name.


Turn the knob, turn the knob! I get kind of excited at this point in the walk. The chewies are only a few feet down the hall behind this door.
FC said to apologize for the grimey door. He's almost ready to stain and paint the house and he's gonna clean it thoroughly before he does.
Excuses, excuses ...



YES! My favorite part of the walk! I love me some chewies!
Hope you enjoyed coming along while I walked FC.
He may be a bit wacky sometimes, but he IS trainable.
Wishing you good smells and wagging tails,

BEAR













29 comments:

cinbad122 said...

Hi...It's Ben-a-Fat! I just wanted to tell Bear about my day yesterday. ZZZZZZZ. Then I got up and had a little lunch. ZZZZZZZZZ. Then I got a little dinner. ZZZZZZZZ. Then I followed Mom to the bedroom. ZZZZZZZZ. Then I insisted on waking her by scratching the tissue box and pulling her hair! Then she got my breakfast. What great life!

Anonymous said...

Really, Bear? FC is trainable?

That's not what we hear from the rest of the family. You must have the magic paw.

Caroline said...

Bear,
Jack Sparrow, schnauzer kid from South Dakota here...you might really enjoy a "dogblog" from Alaska. Zuma the Husky writes one all about the Iditarod, during the race, and through out the year. Your human's middle school kids might like it, too.
www.iditarodblogs.com/zuma/

Meems said...

Bear,
It's good for the reader to hear from you -- you have the same humor as FC. Hearing about your morning walk reminded of days gone by when we switched from walks with our Golden Retriever to letting him pull me on my bicycle. It was the only way to get all that male dog energy out of him.

You've got a great life up there in the woods, Bear.
Meems @ For the Love of Florida

h said...

Excellent post, bear. Great detail. And you show yourself to be the bigger mammal by not bringing up the Dry Ice incident. And not exacting revenge for that.

Or....have you?

Pablo said...

You almost had me fooled until I saw the word "ungulate." I'm pretty sure that's not in Bear's lexicon.

Sharon said...

Love ya, Bear :) Zeke the Jack Russell said to tell you be SOOOO grateful for your human and where you live - Zeke lives in the suburbs and all he ever gets to smell is cat, raccoon and armadillo. :)

Anonymous said...

Hey Bear,

Thanks for the walk-a-long. Pretty soon FC won't be able to keep up with you! Be patient with him.

Patti

cinbad122 said...

ZZZZZZZZ. Tried to get Mom to let me outside. ZZZZZZZZZ. Lunch! ZZZZZZZZZZ. Mom took me outside. Slept on Mom's lap....ZZZZZZZZZZ.

Deb said...

Bear- We used to have a female lab named Lady. She would have been quite a catch, although now there is Sally, and she is pretty sweet...:) Thanks for sharing your point of view!

R.Powers said...

Ben-A-Fat,
I know you are a cat and all, but I feel a strange connection with you. Your workday sounds very caninish.

Wren,
Well, not EASILY trainable, but trainable nonetheless. FC responds well to chicken wings as a reinforcer reward.

Jack,
Thanks for that tip. I've never seen snow you know.

Meems,
Oh that sounds like fun! I am loaded with male dog energy ... sometimes it gets me in trouble.


Troll,
Why thank you. It seems revenge is strictly a human (and deity)trait ... so FC is safe, even though he was very, very bad that day.


Pablo,
Ungulate? From the Latin ... oh, you don't speak Latin do you? Go as Q.

Zeke,
Hey bro! I know what you mean. When I go to visit my Grandma in St. Aug, the critter smells are mostly squirrel and the pug next door.


Patti,
LOL! You actually made the hairs rise on the back of FC's neck. I love it when he gets wrankled. Here's a little secret ... he can't keep up with me now ... not even Jr! Hence the leash.

Ben,
Slow down dude, you are working to hard.

Deb,
FC has shown me your pictures of Sally and YOWZA, WHAT A HOTTIE!
There I go, drooling on the keyboard again.

Sincerely y'all,
BEAR

Florida Native Mom said...

Now that the dog I was fostering has been adopted (Yeah me! I got a home for Misty in less than 2 weeks!), I'm considering how I might use the Plain Brown Dog blog to promote pet issues, adoptions, etc. Perhaps Bear can be a special correspondent.

Scott & Liz said...

They say it's a dogs life

Unknown said...

I love a good Bearapalooza blog! Love you! Got A's on my first two anatomy exams!

LauraHinNJ said...

Sweet!

Ericka said...

why, bear, what nimble little toes you must have! thanks for sharing your day - any day you can squish your toes in the mud is a good day.

Dani said...

I would love to have a big, beautiful lab as a working dog. So much better than lifeless canes and walkers.

amarkonmywall said...

Bear, you put up a wonderful post! This has been a treat. Perhaps if you took over PF blog a day or two a week, FC could get his novel finished. Thanks for the smiles.

Sayre said...

Don't be fooled by the invisible fence stuff, Bear. If you want to get out bad enough, you will. The problem is getting back in. I can't tell you how many times I came home to find my dogs Niki and Beryl sitting on the wrong side of the fence waiting to be let back into the yard (removing the collars). Whatever it was that excited them so much that they ignored the shock to get out must have been much more exciting that going back home.

Thunder said...

Catching up again:

Glad the Bamboo is doing well!

Go JR! I love to watch mantis ambushes!

Bear's writing style is more professional than I would have figured after hearing him speak!

kathy a. said...

Buddy and Cora are very jealous of your yard, Bear. They have to take the Dog Guy on walks up the hill or over at the regional park to really get some good sniffin' and mud.

They also have a complaint about the Dog Guy bringing another dog home yesterday -- lost, he said -- and they did not even get to properly meet Milo the English Bulldog before Milo's family insisted he go home. Humans are so antisocial.

threecollie said...

Bear, you could do your own blog you know....that was a great post. And interestingly we worship at the same church.

jean said...

Bear,
You are very patient with your human. And your language skills are fantastic.
jean

R.Powers said...

Native Mom,
What a fine thing you did!

Liz, It is for this doggy!

Emma,
Wooof! You rock anatomist!

Laura,
Thanks! Give my regards to Luka!

Ericka,
We Labs are known for our dexterity and good spelling.

Dani,
Oh, I wish you had one too.

Vicki,
Maybe once a month ... FC is kinda territorial about his blog ... I don't mean he marks it ala doggy, but still, he likes to be the driver here.

Sayre,
Thank for that insight, I will tell FC. It is something he has wondered about aloud from time to time.

Dave,
Like most canine writers, I am chattier in text than in person.


Kathy A,
Humans can be confusing. Glad Milo made it home.


3Collie,
May I say I have always liked your name.
Glad you liked the post and the pew view!


Jean,
Patience is a virtue and we Labs are come preloaded with virtue out the wazzooo. The language skills we pick up from watching beer commercials.

FC says he wants his blog back y'all. He thinks 2 days is enough for a dogblogpost.
I think he's just a weeeee bit jealous of my puppy prose.

BEAR

Unknown said...

Bear, you are wise beyond your "dog" years.

kathy a. said...

this one is for FC: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object/article?f=/g/a/2009/09/14/dip.DTL&object=%2Fc%2Fpictures%2F2009%2F09%2F14%2Fba-pythons_found_0500584031.jpg

Freste said...

Bear, keep up the good work. He's gettin there...

Miz S said...

Hey. Just wanted to let you know I am lurking here now and then to keep up with things, even though I am MUCH TOO BUSY for the internetz. Glad all is well with you, Bear, and the whole gang.

R.Powers said...

Robert,
I study FC.

Kathy A,
He said thanks!

Freste,
He's such a hard head tho.

Miz S,
FC said to tell you he misses your wit on the net.

BEAR