Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Weather report..............

Yesterday Mother Nature gave us a taste of spring weather, and I spent a couple of hours raking leaves. Yes! I am well aware that it is the wrong season for one to be raking leaves, but this is the punishment for the crime of procrastination last October and November.

Anyway, I had such a great time out in the sunshine, I was almost glad that the yard never got cleaned up last fall. Most of the stuff I do in a day just needs to be re-done in a couple of hours or at least by the next day. It was refreshing to see the progress I was making in uncovering the flower beds, exposing the dirt to the sunshine and fresh air. Not only was it still looking good later in the evening, it still looks good this morning, and will continue to look good for a couple of weeks until the weeds start to sprout. I feel a great sense of accomplishment, and it feels good!

Yesterday was also a great day for a run. So good in fact that I found myself having to share the road with lots of other runners. I don't really mind this, in fact it is good for me and makes me run faster so "I don't look bad" in front of them, but I still found myself wanting to call them a wimp and ask them where they were when there was snow and ice on the ground? And I like to think I am not competitive. Who am I kidding?

My youngest and I have also been taking the dogs to the "dog park." Actually it is the enclosed baseball field, but they love to run without being on a leash. We are not the only ones that use the ball field for this purpose. Once, we even met other dogs there. Emma just happens to be afraid of other dogs, why I am not sure. Anyway, as soon as the dog approached her, she did her cowering thing, so I started to take her out. The dog's owner came over and started telling me what a bad mother I was for not socializing her better so that she would not be afraid of other dogs and how this was going to scare her for life if she didn't get over it. I get that "dogs are people too" but scared for life? If I thought I was going to get bitten at best and eaten at worst I would cower too, wouldn't you? She has her brother to play with, and like I told my kids, "If you aren't scared by this, you will be scared by something else, so deal with it and move on." I had many things I wanted to say to this woman, but instead just stood and protected Emma with my body as best I could and thankfully in a few minutes the other dog left the park. Anyway, Until we get busted and told it is forbidden, it is a great place for them to burn off their winter fat. As long as they are the only dogs in there that is.

Today, is grey and rainy, but yesterday's taste of nice weather reassures me that spring is just around the corner, and snow WILL be a thing of the past (or at least will be in another month or so), and before you know it everyone will be complaining about how hot they are. Can't wait!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

It was a beautiful day. I did two 15 minute fast walks on my breaks! It is not very nice to get all sweaty and have to go back in the office after break so I did my best with what I had.

Here's hoping that Spring is just around the corner 'cuz it sure was nice preview!

(ORA)

Patty said...

Get yourself some of those little fresh wipes and use them on your armpits after your power walks. It is more important to get moving. Hey! Don't you have a run next month? How is training going?

Okie said...

People can definitely be strange.

I have known dogs that have been "scarred for life", though it's usually to a different extent. I know a family who rescued a dog from death row at the pound. He had been taken away from an abusive family. The new owner noticed some 'strange' behavior at times. The most definable however was that the dog would cower and hide anytime my friend started undressing...taking off his belt.

This dog had a particular fear of belts and it was fairly evident that this dog had likely been beaten by a belt and had grown to fear the mere appearance of a belt.

It took some work with my friend and his family to get the dog to warm to people and he ended up being a very friendly and fun dog...but he was always afraid of belts.

Patty said...

Our dog Ben is a rescue dog and has an adversion to large men with facial hair, we guess because that is the type of person that was mean to him.

Emma, on the other hand, came to us at five weeks old. According to Dog Whisperer the dog's fears are actually a mirror for the owner's fears. Though I don't believe I have a fear of dogs per say, I will confess to being freaked when a strange dog rushes up to me ever since my grand-dog bit off the tip of my finger when I was breaking up a fight between him and Ben (not one of my brighter moments I know). Maybe this is why Emma reacts the way she does? If only I spoke dog, then we would all know why.

Random Musings said...

I would have left, thats like someone telling you to just throw you kid in the pool they will learn to swin sooner or later...
Its taking me FOREVER to solcialize Daisy shes scared, and especially of little kids when they come running at her its scary and I am scared too, because I am never sure what shes going to do so I scoop her up right away