Keeping a promise
Heading east for a short while!
Though he probably doesn’t remember it, I made Hobbs a promise. I promised that the next time that he visited, I would take him to the beach. Vera, Tony, and Hobbs are with me over the New Year’s weekend.
Yesterday morning, Hobbs and I decided to go to the beach. When we walked out of the door, we were greeted with an icy blast of wind and treated to a bit of art left on the grass and clover by Jack Frost, but we decided to go anyway.
During the ride to the beach, about 40 minutes, Hobbs was his usual, excited self. Hopping from front seat to back seat, staring out of the window, and barking at strangers when we were at a stoplight.
When we got to the beach, it was just about 8:30 AM. I paused to read the rules of the beach. Isle of Palms has an ordinance that says that dogs can only be off-leash from 5:00 AM – 8:00 AM. 3 hours. That’s it. I was not expecting to see many people, and I didn’t. As I said, it was 8:30 AM and it was cold, about 35 degrees F.
When we got to the beach, it was abandoned, save for a few stragglers, all with dogs off-leash, here and there. I turned the wild man loose! Of course, when he’s off leash, there is no such thing as a straight line. He zigged and he zagged, up a dune, down a dune, north, south, west … not east, though. That’s where the water is and Hobbs doesn’t do water, except for drinking!
Finally, he spotted the seagulls and with quick look back at me to see if it was OK, a confirming ‘Go!’ from me was all that he needed. I’m happy to say that no seagulls were harmed. All that they needed to do was fly out over the water for the briefest of flights and that was it.
During the 45 minutes or so that we stayed at the beach, he never got his paws wet, though he did ‘wet’ several plants! Hobbs just turned 10 years old in October of 2009. An all-out jaunt of 45 minutes is enough for him, then he was ready to return to the car.
On the trip back home, he lay on the front seat, head lolling, hanging over the edge of the seat, no longer interested in strangers, no longer interested in looking out of the window, no longer considering anything except for sleep. It was a quiet ride back. He was at peace. I was at peace. I was very glad that I had kept my promise to him. It was a great way to start the year!
Oh, BTW, I know that’s a crazy crooked horizon, but it just seemed to fit the atmosphere of the chase.
That is a truly wonderful story. Dogs. play and open country go together. Our black lab LOVES mud. Water, yes, certainly, but mud in particular. When Peg and I traveled to Gettysburg recently, Omega found a spring ( Spangler’s Spring, if you know the battle) and stepped into what looked like a puddle but he sank up to his chest! He was so happy, struggled out and was dripping of stinky mud! But when we took him to the beach, he just sat near me, we couldn’t coax him into the surf at all.
Great images. I bet it was a bit brisk on that beach! As Peg and I were driving to the airport this morning, it was NINE degrees. Yikes.
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Paul Reply:
January 3rd, 2010 at 9:08 am
Chris: I’ve heard lots of stories about labs and water. It would be fun to hang out with a lab. I’ve seen many of them swimming at the beach and fetching toys from the water. Hobbs, as I mentioned, is having none of that.
Nine degrees, eh? Cold! Here, it was a brisk 21 degrees this morning. It has since warmed up to a balmy 24 degrees with an expected high of about 40 today! So, sometimes, it does get a bit chilly here!
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This is off the hook outstanding!!!
The top photograph captures the soul of a living being, Hobbs, with joy in his little heart. I know this sounds odd but it’s not easy to capture the soul of an animal. This does exactly that perfectly!
Wonderful story to boot, your writing has grown 100x fold and it’s just SO cool to be a viewer with that.
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Good for you Paul – and a great new years gift to Hobbs.
Happy New Year.
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Dogs do remember promises, it’s just that they’re kind hearted enough to not keep nagging about them!
Sounds like a good time for all.
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Paul Reply:
January 3rd, 2010 at 1:27 pm
Earl, I think that you’re right!
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An absolutely adorable story and a true event. I too enjoy your writing as well as your images or philosophical thoughts. To me you have a graceful way to integrate all of these into your writings.
The story reminds me of the Brittany Spaniel I had a few years ago. I worked to train him as a bird dog but he was not born to be a bird dog. On a cold and snowy day in October while hunting, he jumped his first rabbit and off to the races they went. He completely ignored my calls or whistles while I watched both of them disappeared over the horizon. I felt I’d just lost a dog. But a few minutes later he returned panting, covered in mud, snow and ice. Hunting was over for the day so I loaded him in the car and headed home. Not sure about you but the smell to a wet dog sitting in the car seat next to me made for a long trip home. But that was one happy and contented dog. He sat there braking ice frozen to his paws with his teeth. He was ready for home and a meal.
I like the first image because it shows Hobbs airborne just as the seagulls. No wonder he doesn’t get his feet wet.
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Paul Reply:
January 3rd, 2010 at 3:59 pm
Thanks, Monte. Fortunately, for me, Hobbs doesn’t do water. I’ve smelled him when he was wet, and it’s not pleasant. I’m glad that I didn’t have to ride with him in that condition. Sometimes, on a hot day, he exudes a particular, shall we say, malodorous ‘fragrance’ that makes him difficult to be around.
Even if it is sprinkling outside, the tiniest little bit, he doesn’t want to go outside, opting instead to wait a while.
So, did you ever take the dog out hunting again?
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Monte Stevens Reply:
January 3rd, 2010 at 5:25 pm
Yes, one more time. A friend and I took him out one morning where we shot over him a a few times. We are not bad shooters but he decided the hunting was over and headed for the truck where he waited for us. That was the last time he or I went hunting. I now prefer to hunt with a camera. Makes less noise and wont kill anyone.
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Really cool story man. Told like the born storyteller that you are.
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