I’m not sure I’ve blogged about the obesity of our two golden retrievers- but on their last visit to the vet, the scale went SPROING! when they climbed aboard it. To my admittedly biased and amateur eye they look absolutely beautiful as they are, but the vet insists that Ellie is about 8 pounds overweight and Bobbi is at least 12 pounds overweight – positively rolly-polly. So that means a little less food in their dish, far fewer treats, and much more exercise.
That last part is the tough part for me, which is odd for me to say since I remain fully enamored with the treadmill and have been putting in my time quite cheerfully. But walking the dog is a different matter altogether because I don’t get to read while I do it- not without risking life and limb to myself and the dogs. (It’s a good thing my wife is more into dog walking than I am, or I’m afraid it would never happen.) It’s just one of those things you do because you need to do it- something akin to attending your child’s 4th grade orchestra concert and grinning / grimacing through their earnest approximation of “Three Blind Mice.”
Today’s walk was quite painless compared to that – We took the girls on a walk through the campus of Carthage, starting at the north end and making our way to the south end of the campus, with a lengthy stopover on the beach below the student union. I am embarrassed to admit that I have been on that Carthage beach exactly once in all these years – and most days I’m on campus I scarcely give Lake Michigan a glance. How stupid is that, to take something so glorious so completely for granted?!?! It sort of makes me wonder how I managed to graduate magna cum laude. (Must have been a typo.)
At first, our dogs did not quite know what to make of this loud, crashing beast that was just a few feet away- plus they were rather precariously perched on a jumble of jagged rocks rather than a smooth simple expanse of sand – but it didn’t take long for them to begin enjoying themselves, as though they were a couple of seasoned Beach Bums. They even inched their way down to the water’s edge and didn’t seem the least bit spooked as the occasional wave came roaring over them. And as they had more and more fun with Lake Michigan, so did their delighted owners.
On our way out of Kenosha, we took a few minutes to stop at a well-known landmark, Big Star . . . one of those old- fashioned drive-ins with car hops and the little trays that hang on your car window. We ordered three hamburgers- one for me, one for Kathy, and one for the girls to split.
And it’s funny how much we felt like a family, sitting in the car and enjoying our snack . . . and feeling so blessed to have each other.
pictured: Bobbi and Ellie enjoying Lake Michigan this afternoon. It was a gorgeous day to be there!