Mississippi Moments

Thursday, April 12, 2007

A Snicklefritz by any other name.... or "Cedar meet Ocean, Ocean meet Cedar"
It has been a lovely few days.
Second growth forest, duff so springy that you can bounce on the trails, nurselogs so loaded with the next generation it makes the Star Trek spinoffs look wimpy...salal, salmonberry in bloom, hemlocks so thick that you only know it's raining because you can hear it...hummingbirds, eagles, crows, ravens, and other friend-birds that I know by sound but not yet by name. Iron Springs Resort is a special place. In a nutshell, Cedar and I enjoyed walks (and infernal bouncing due to the condition known as "Oooooh, oooohh! this is new to me and very cool, can I eat it?) on the nature trails and the beach.
One of my fears came true but turned out well. After we watched the sun come up over the ocean waves from our cabin, we headed out to the beach for the first time. I figured we would be alone...not so...as soon as we had had our first romp on the thing we call sand, out of nowhere come three huge black mastiff/lab dogs with no adult in sight and two kids..and we are surrounded. My dog on leash, these dogs not. Curious, some posturing, and I began to talk in a clear, what I hope was reassuring voice while we are circled. I call to kids to get their dogs. They don't move-just stare. I keep talking, not wigging out although my heart was in my nasal passages at that point. Then here comes an adult still way off and calls dogs. One responds, two do not. I begin to walk with my boy off down the beach and hope all will be well. It was. It pissed me off. The lack of consideration that others have...I am glad it ended the way it did. I had only a very small walking stick. I continue to walk the walk without fear walk...and carry the memory of a pitbull hanging off of Fiona's throat when she was young in San Diego...and the pitbull's people just laughing at how their dog was just playing and it took Joe smacking the thing on the head several times to get it to let go..and the puncture holes in my darling's throat. I am not making this up or dramatizing. It was horrible and I will not let my dogs be attacked again if I can help it...but I also don't want to be a fearful neuron either.
And I learned at puppy manners class that what I drew the line on in previous puppy play group sessions as bad, not having it behaviors from other dogs that targeted my dog were dead-on balls accurate and I had a right to step in and remove Cedar. Yay, me! He plays well with other dogs and we will go again or find another group.
We ate good food (thanks Barb for the delicious quiche), drank organic beer, indulged in long, hot baths, went swimming, watched Singing in the Rain (Cedar does not like Donald O'Connor and growled everytime he came onto the screen alone...ask Mary J. I am not making this up.) (He also growled a lot at the dog in the sliding glass door, too,), took naps, walked in the rain, and watched the waves roll in. They leave you alone at this place and I had forgotten that our cabin actually sleeps eight. We had a lot of room to enjoy plus a full kitchen and bedroom suite. Mary could've really spread out if she had wanted to.
We enjoyed ourselves at Pine Lake. Cedar took his first canoe trip and had his first swimming at the lake all at the same time. I ended up in the drink, too, and the fam-damily on the porch said it was worthy of America's Funniest Home Video. I'll take their word for it. All I know is that it was a fun day and my boy played nice with all the other boys (and girls) and it was good.
It was a ball visiting with cousins and friends.
Easter Brunch was an enjoyable time, too. Why was it that no sons showed up at the lake on Saturday? And no sons showed up at Rowan's birthday? Interesting....Sistahs rock! And show up to partee....
Had a massage today. I hurt...in a good way. We "graduated" from Puppy Manners class tonight. We enjoyed a chat with Mike and the Star Sisters tonight. Cedar hurt his back foot playing ball this morning and is still limping. If he's not better by tomorrow, I'll take him in. It's not good to slam yourself into a concrete block when playing sheltie ball. I would move it but it's holding up part of the woodpile. I must remember to not kick the ball over there until he learns where the brake pedal is. I'm sorry he is hurt. We had a nap on the couch today...his idea not mine. But it turned out to be the best idea of all. I even got a little school work done.
I walked the labyrinth on Easter Sunday up on Capitol Hill. It was quite the journey. In candlelight. with jazz and then live harp music. in synch with others, and each one in his/her own path/meditative movement. It was an amazing prayerful time.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home