Ember goes for a car ride... and a park walk

 

Red winged blackbirds are a feature of our local ecosystem, and this one was preening himself on the edge of Holmes Lake Monday morning.  I am working at introducing Ember to new places to "go for a walk", and this is a pretty busy park, along the walking / running / biking trail.  So we took it slow and easy.  Out of the car, into the shade under the trees.  Sit beside the path and watch people go by.  Cross the path and find the goose and duck poo along the shore.

Be greeted by a few passersby, including a family with a toddling child who wanted to "pet the puppy".  Said toddler's mommy and Ember's mommy were careful about the introduction, keeping things well under control, and the toddler was thrilled that the puppy licked her.

We kept walking, now on the trail, now slightly off it, on the grass, to the parking lot that some years had been the transition area for the CSG triathlon, my first, 12 years ago.  Happy memories, now shared with a puppy, as we walked up what would have been where the finish chute was.

My goal that year was to finish in under two hours this "sprint distance" triathlon (500 meter swim, 12 mile bike, 5K run), and I made it.  

Not quite the last swimmer out, but almost.

Made up some time on the bike (Brenda Starr Trek).

Fell on run, got up shaking finger at the photographer and told him if he caught it, I'd buy it... and I did!  The sequence that illustrates "fall seven times, get up eight".

Ember was a happy puppy after our outing.  She napped again in her crate.  She did business when she got up, then we went for a 3:30 p.m. walk around the block in the warmth.  Then she didn't seem to want to eat her supper. I hand-fed her part of the kibble, she took it.  I started to giggle at the image of myself as "a Jewish mother" to a puppy, the stereotype of running after a child, crying "eat, eat!"

The actual conversation was between Ember's eyes and posture, and my voice.  Her eyes go to the purple "treat bag", from whence come her chews and wraps and so on.  I said, "You've already had one of every treat that's in there today!  You have had enough treats... you need your supper!"  Ember's eyes plead, "I'm starving, and that kibble is boring!"  Still, she ate it when I put it in my hand under her chin.

Life is good!  Spark on!