The Dog Goes for a Walk
I took my dog, Rhymer, for a walk in Castle Rock Park, where there are squirrels. On squirrel-less trails, he stays more or less nearby. On squirrel-ful trails, apparently, he turns into a ravenous beast and vanishes into the horizon. Hmm.
So, he went off on one such expedition, and I turned around and walked the other way. A while later, he came galloping gleefully back and sped ahead off me, off into that horizon. Hmm.
I turned around and walked the other way.
Repeat about 20 times.
The dog finally walked, beaten, at my side, panting as though he couldn't breathe. I walked a short loop with him maintaining a respectable distance and then took him to my parents' house. My dad took the other two dogs for a walk. Normally, this would be an occasion of Much Angst for Rhymer. As I am sitting here writing this, however, he has no energy for proper angst. He whines in a vague, breathless way, hauls himself to a standing position, walks about two feet, and thumps back to the ground, panting furiously. He recovers a little, then does the same thing again. Pant, pant, whine, stand, pace, thump. Repeat.
It is one of the more pathetic things I have had the privilege to witness.
So, he went off on one such expedition, and I turned around and walked the other way. A while later, he came galloping gleefully back and sped ahead off me, off into that horizon. Hmm.
I turned around and walked the other way.
Repeat about 20 times.
The dog finally walked, beaten, at my side, panting as though he couldn't breathe. I walked a short loop with him maintaining a respectable distance and then took him to my parents' house. My dad took the other two dogs for a walk. Normally, this would be an occasion of Much Angst for Rhymer. As I am sitting here writing this, however, he has no energy for proper angst. He whines in a vague, breathless way, hauls himself to a standing position, walks about two feet, and thumps back to the ground, panting furiously. He recovers a little, then does the same thing again. Pant, pant, whine, stand, pace, thump. Repeat.
It is one of the more pathetic things I have had the privilege to witness.