As typical for my Saturdays, I had a lot of work to do: 1) work on project proposal, 2) work on autobiographical writing history, 3) read Intro-38, 4) log data, 5) write annotations to bibliographic references, 6) read 123-195, 7) read Preface-26, 8) read 1-44, 9) read 309-312, 10) read 114-160, 11) read articles on Inuit Media, 12) watch Atanarjuat, 13) work on Embodied Literacies idea, 14) email professor.
As much as I had to do, it was too beautiful to get most of this stuff done today. The temperature reached a scorching 42 degrees by the Amherst Coffee time & temperature marquee; it almost felt like Spring.
Me and Lemon went for a long run in the park.
After, covered with thawing snow and mud all along his paws and underbelly, it was necessary for me to give him a bath.
I always thought the responsibilities of owning a dog would be akin to a spiritual practice. Daily walks in the red dawn glow of morning, tossing a ball around the yard while he'd bring it back eager for another go, sauteing chick livers for special treats, snuggles on the couch while watching a DVD on the tele.
These things in and of themselves do involve a sort of monk like patience, but I have yet to feel the revelations of being awoken each morning at 6:00 am for Bud to release his bladder. Tossing the ball around the yard usually turns into a no holds barred tug-o-war. Chicken livers come back out nastier than when they went in. Snuggles on the couch conclude with Dog's adolescent humping.
Giving Lemon a bath is a chore fit for the humbling of Gods. He hates water, unless of course it comes in the form of chewable frozen snow drifts. To wash the mud off of him requires strength, forethought, trickery, and bribery I never imagined needing in the tempering of an 8 pound animal. Like a break from Shaw Shank, he will climb, scratch, attempt jumps of great heights, and literally try to dig himself out through the water drain.
Once finished he will run around the house drying himself on everything and everyone in sight. This includes couches, pillows, pant legs, patches of sunlight shining through the windows, curtains, even old muddy snow boots.
Despite the intricacies involved, when all is said and done, Dog is looking as fresh as a Spring day. I want to share some photos now because it is hard to keep him looking this good for long.
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