Despite my intentions to sit on my butt and eat croissants and chocolate as the marathoners passed by our home this morning, I found myself out with The Pug, cheering on the runners in their mad dash to the finish line (which was a long way off for them when they passed by Casa Lola).
I mean, what could be better for morale than seeing a PUG come out to cheer you on?
Ah. Yeah. Maybe not this pug.
She *did* bark at a few runners on our walk back home, so I take that as showing support. …although if I spoke fluent Pug, I would likely have heard something more along the lines of, “What! Are you people INSANE? Go back home and GO BACK TO BED!”
Many lifetimes ago, when I lived out on the East Coast, I learned not to get too excited about the official arrival of Spring. Sure, the longer hours of daylight are something to celebrate (in a BIG way), but there was always some sort of sneak attack by Old Man Winter that you had to be on guard for. The last snowstorm in June was usually the point where you could really let your guard down.
This doesn’t, of course, mean that I appreciate the snow and sleet and general grey that’s happening outside right now, though.
The Pug knows what’s up out there, and she won’t even get out of bed anymore….
Getting her harness on when she’s in this mood pretty much involves magic and slight of hand…
…but somehow, it happens.
And thank dog she’s only 14 pounds, because – yes – I do have to carry her limp, passively resistant self outside.
Okay.
Time to pick up The Great Resisto and head outside.
Wish us luck!
UPDATE:
Lola’s passive protest reached new levels of limp today, and when we got outside, I could see why. It was crappier than I had even guessed. But, with some encouragement, the pees and poops were quick and efficient, and I think that I’m going to change Lola’s name to Gandhi. …but no hunger strikes, of course. She IS a pug, after all.
“The Pineapple Express” sounds pretty great, doesn’t it? It sounds tasty. Sweet. Warm.
Well, it’s NOTHING like it sounds. It’s simply wet. Wetwetwet.
It’s been quite a while since we saw our West Coast pug friends, so we jumped at the chance to go to a pug gathering, despite the weather warnings.
Lucky for us, the Express held off for a bit, so we were able to see our buddies again, and have a rollicking, puggie time.
We met old friends…
…new friends…
…and even our buddy, Dickens, who has just celebrated his 11th birthday….
Being a public park, it wasn’t ALL pugs, of course. I’m a *total* sucker for Basset Hounds, so it was a real treat to meet this tennis ball obsessed girl…sweet lord, I mean LOOK AT HER BAGGY LEGS!
We were really looking forward to seeing Lola’s friend, Winston, again, but the weather wasn’t appropriate for a man of his nature, so he ended up staying at home in his cozy, warm bed.
We were very excited to meet Winston’s new brother, though. Here he comes…
The Pug and I are doing our darndest to try run away from Old Man Winter this year, and although we have chosen some *usually* reliable spots to escape to, we still haven’t really seen the sun very much.
But all is not lost. At least Lola Pug still gets to experience the thrill of having sand, not snow, in between her tootsies…
…and she loves having a non-arctic, ocean wind in her ears…
…not to mention the smells and the new pee spots and the new buddies that she meets whenever we travel.
But this sunny day was one of only a couple that we seem to have been granted on this particular escape.
As for the eternal rain that we’re now looking at … we’ll find a way around it. Or we’ll just hunker down and become couch potatoes. Again.
From cccccold weather to warmer weather is always a bit of a pleasant shock to the system, but leaving behind the hustle and bustle also seems to bring on the need to nap a lot, and The Pug and I have certainly not been denying ourselves the nappage.
We might get up every now and then to eat, then we might have a wander around the yard, looking for little geckos or (gah!) centipedes…
Oh! Hai, pug!
But that’s been pretty much the full extent of our adventures so far.
Maybe something a bit more ambitious tomorrow.
Or not.
I don’t think Lola Pug minds all that much, to be honest. The more pug-like I become, the more naps she can squeeze in, so we all win – in the short run, at least.
It’s been a pretty green winter for us so far this year, and that’s suited Her Royal Pugness just fine, but we got a big old dump of snow the other day, and I simply couldn’t resist going for a walk in all of the wintery gorgeousness.
Alas, when one has two pugs who pretty much have opposite personalities, the term “walk” takes on an entirely new meaning.
Camera One…
…Camera Two….
Thank goodness they’re small beasts, ’cause I was not in the mood (nor will I ever be) to be drawn and quartered, thank you very much.
Roxy had no issues diving through snowbanks, exploring buried smells and generally romping in the gorgeous winter wonderland.
Lola Pug, however, had slightly different feelings….
I guess, for some creatures, no amount of fashionable cold weather gear can make up for the fact that it is … you know … winter.
