Coastal Yarns-- walking friends

My Mum used to say---'join something. It's a way of making friends.'
I guess she had in mind some sort of club or church group---it's hard to say. She didn't distinguish between the formal and informal.
I know one thing for sure; taking that little bundle of trouble-seeking fur for a walk every day has certainly expanded my circle of friends.

If I miss a day now, I feel I am missing something. Well, I know that I am lessening the chance of an evening of attacks from Perdy-----demands to play, chewing the impossible, and those acusing looks. If she hasn't had a walk, she takes it out on the furniture the next day. We have given up on the idea of buying a new lounge suite, until she has eaten the one we have provided---sort of like, 'if you don't eat your vegetables, you don't get your desert.' Mmmmm----who's the boss around here?

So you can see why I like to take her to the Onehunga Lagoon (I think that's what they call it). During the weekend, Perdy gets to go there several times, but after work we have this lovely group of ladies meeting usw, along with their dogs, sometimes even with their famillie's dogs. Perdy has become friends with them. This reminds me of how Mum used to say that she made many friends through the parents of the kids at my younger brother's Kindergarten, way back in the 60's.

It was these ladies who first encouraged me to let Perdy go. Believe me, that was really hard for me, after hearing poeople say that you don't readilly do that with Jack Russell puppies.I shall nver foregt that day when I slipped her free. She took off after the other dogs, lookd around with a glint in her eyes, tail wagging as she introduced herself to other dogs. My heart was in my mouth a few times when she approached rather large dogs, sniffed (in all possible places) and then implored them to play. Most did and to my horror, Perdy took on the personality of a huge dog; fearless to the point that I wanted to capture her and keep her on her leash.

I learnt that she is a pretty good judge of the wicked and dangerous. Quite franklly, the park seems to be predominantly visited by dogs and owners who have nice pets. Sometimes she pushes boundaries and uses techniques that bring about sharp reprimands, but so far has avoided anything other than a growl or snap. There are a few dogs that take delight in sitting on her, but even that fails to quell her enthusiasm to test new friends.

The friendship with some of the ladies has extended to them supporting me at my reading last Friday at the Onehunga Library, to suppport the appeal for Christchurch. We have also had an evening at the park with nibbles and drinks.

If you see us down there, say Hi--- we won't bite, but you may get licked------ not by me of course.