The Big Dogs Play, Play, Play while it Rains, Rains, Rains

Emme, Chewie and Gromit up north at the big yard - Fall 2008

We have Emme and Joe tonight. It was my day to exercise the dogs. After work I came home and it was raining - not pouring, not drizzling, just raining. Lightly but enough so that it was cold, bone chilling cold. It wasn't raining so much that I could justify not going out with the dogs. As for the cold, well it is also hard to say it is ever too cold when you elected to live in MN. So I took the big dogs to the dog park. I can't say I regret it - it was miserable as weather goes but the dogs were in rare form. The three dogs raced out of the car to the field. I threw the ball for Chewie and he broke free from Gromit to race after the ball. Emme took off to greet a dog way up on the hill at the horizon of the airstrip and Gromit raced around warming up his muscles. Chewie continued chasing his ball and Emme and Gromit took off greeting the other dogs at the park - which probably added to a total of 10 dogs - all big and all energetic. This means Gromit was in luck - he had dogs that would play with him.

Emme is the slowest of the three dogs and even so she watched and cut off Gromit who was racing circles around her - big loping galloping circles weaving in and out of trees as Emme would watch his arc and then take off full force to cut him off and nudge him with her head. She may not be the fastest but she was having a great time and was the one dog that I had to call several times to get out of the dog park. Emme is the most well mannered dog in the world - so I can't think of a time other than the dog park that I have had to call her twice to get her to return to my side - it was just one of those happy dog nights.

Chewie continued retrieving his ball and dropping it for me to throw. He was the first one to lay down and rest. Suddenly without warning and at the same time - Emme and Gromit have had enough of this ball stuff - Gromit steals the ball and takes off with Chewie in tow. Emme cuts off Chewie and Gromit skids as he turns sliding low to the ground. It was wet and slippery and cold - great weather to wear some puppies out. He comes back and drops the ball in front of Chewie and scoops it back up teasing poor Chewie. A lot of mumbling between the three dogs as they play this game of keep away.

When I got home I was freezing but I took a look at that little Joe and asked if he wanted to go for a walk and he came racing towards me. How could I resist? So for the second time I went out in this silly weather. It was pretty hard to feel sorry for myself watching this sweet boy trot along sniffing and wagging his tail. As we crossed Lake Street and walked in front of Dunn Bros, Longfellow Grill and the Corazon Gift Store - Joe kept his prance. The Pappa Murphys though - he tried to drag me in to order a pepperoni pizza.

Here is what the big dogs look like now -