Doggie Paddle
Two weeks ago, in Bergen, Norway, we noticed that all of the dogs being walked by people were especially well-mannered. On our way to the airport to fly to Helsinki, we commented on this to our taxi driver. He said that dog owners were required by law to to get their dogs training, and that this was the reason that all of the dogs are well-behaved. This kind of blew my mind. I don’t know whether this rule was constrained to Bergen, or whether it is something they do throughout Norway, but the end result is wonderful.
When I saw this report from The Reporting Project on Granville’s recently-passed ordinance requiring that all dogs in the village be leashed, it reminded me of what we observed in Bergen. (There is one smart exception to this new rule in Granville - dogs may be off-leash when playing in the front lawn of the Bryn Du Mansion.) No doubt we are all better off when the dogs in our community are well-controlled. Come to think of it, I don’t recall seeing any dog off-leash in Bergen…
It’s been a little more than two months since our dog Nova passed away - the only stretch of time that our household has been dog-free, ever. The day Lori and I moved in to our first home was the same day that we picked up our first dog, a beautiful Yellow Lab named Ella. Soon after, we added a Black Lab mix named Coltrane. Since then, we always had two dogs. So when one passed away, we still had one remaining. When our Chocolate Lab mix Margot passed away July 10, 2019, Nova remained, but we didn’t get her a canine companion.
The day that Nova passed was a whirlwind. I had a number of meetings that day. Doug Wagner’s office was kind enough to get us in first thing that morning. We humanely said goodbye to our girl, and then I went on through my busy day, returning home exhausted that evening. When I got home that night, Lori shared that she found a drop of Nova’s blood on her foot when she returned home from the clinic that day (she had been wearing sandals). Just yesterday she memorialized that little drop by having a small, subtle tattoo inked onto her foot in the place where that drop of blood landed.
So here we are, dogless. Not the normal state of things for us. With the trip to Europe behind us, I’m ready to start meeting dogs that need a home. I’m not sure of the exact traits that we will land on for our new family member. Lori has been lobbying for a smaller animal, but I’m not ready for that yet. We loved the fact that Nova didn’t shed her fur - a trait that we didn’t realize she had when we adopted her. We tend to prefer females, but I’ve met a lot of fun, dopey boys over the years that I know I could love. There are so many dogs that need homes, it kind of cuts both ways. On one hand, with a little patience we should be able to adopt a dog that matches whatever criteria we have, within reason. On the other, there are good, sweet creatures ready to come home with me today.
I’m sure it won’t take long. Soon, we’ll have another dog in our family. I’ll make sure to have a leash, and to schedule some obedience training sessions.
Sunday Supper
We might as well stick with the dog theme this week. These Mexican Hot Dogs, with fresh Pico de Gallo look fun. (The tomatoes at the farmer’s market are really peaking right now - and the sweet corn is starting to come in.). You can never go wrong with a good Chicago Dog. I bet you’ve never had Salchipapa, Peru’s version of tube steak glory, served over French fries. With peaches now in season, finish the meal with a classic Peach Cobbler.
Sunday Music
Let’s start this Sunday with a live performance by Canada’s greatest gift to rock-and-roll - here is Rush performing “Ghost Of A Chance” in Atlanta back in 2008. And here is Khatia Buniatishvili performing Rhapsody in Blue with the National Orchestra of Lyon. Lastly, this performance by Chris Stapleton at the NPR Tiny Desk is wonderful. Enjoy!
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Have a great week ahead! You can do anything you set your mind to. Let me know how I can help.
Peace & Love,