Showing posts with label rain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rain. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

A Family of Weenies

We went to the Symphony Under the Stars event at Raymond James Stadium on Saturday night.  It was hosted by Raymond James Financial (Thank You Very Much!!!) and there were lots of puppy raisers there who were enjoying the presymphony tailgating party that we set-up! We got there at 4:30 and had lots of fun!  

The actual symphony started with kids singing, etc. at 6, so our tailgate ended at about a quarter to 6 and we started in toward to the stadium and found great seats at the back.  We had most of the back of the stadium to ourselves!  Since it was an overcast day, it was wonderful.

Coach and Bo chew on the pirate mascot's sword.

The Bucs mascot came by and played with Coach and Bo.  He mistakenly laid down his stuffed sword and Coach and Bo immediately tried to take it away from him.  Fortunately, he wasn't much of a fierce pirate.  He was kind of a cuddly pirate. They weren't afraid of his costume at all.

Around 7:30 when the real orchestra started playing Nancy came by and said that there was a huge storm on the radar and that they were packing up their chairs and just sitting on their towels.  FYI.

I looked at Fred.  "We should pack up our chairs too."  Fred kind of rolled his eyes at me.  I'm easily motivated into action. "No, seriously.  I'm not sitting in a rainstorm."

"It's not raining." Then a raindrop fell.  I looked at him and raised an eyebrow a la Scarlett O'Hara.  

"It is now."

I turned to Melisa and Ed.  There were a few more raindrops.  "Are you coming?" I asked?  Melisa looked at Ed.  Ed, who is a big sailor, said he didn't think it would last.  So, Melisa said no.

Fred and I packed up in less than 30 seconds and were on our way. 

A crowd leaves the stadium, dark clouds in the background.
 As we were walking out, I took a photo of the rain clouds and caught Coach nervously looking back over his shoulder.
Coach, stopped and looking over his shoulder back at the rain clouds behind him.

I think he was glad to have left as well.

Did the rain last?  Were we weenies to have left so readily? How rude of you to suggest such of thing!  I'm ending this post with photos of dark rain clouds!!

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Rainy Day Weenie

The other day last week we had a big rainy day.  Now, Coach is a big boy.  He can be pretty macho.  Well, actually no.  He isn't.  He's sweet.  He's gentle.  He is not macho.  
Coach got very wet.  Here he is in the car with his muzzle covered in raindrops.
So he wasn't pleased to be walking to the car in the rain, but one of the things that we are supposed to do is give our Southeastern Guide Dog puppies different experiences.  So, walking in the rain is a good thing to do.  Walking through puddles is also a good thing to do.



When we arrived home, it was still raining and I opened the door for Coach to get out.  One of the things that Coach does really well is stay in the car until you tell him car out.  However, you can tell by the look on his face that he is giving that puddle the stink eye.

Photo of a puddle with raindrops hitting it.
But he did jump out into the puddle on command.  I suppose that is tiny bit macho. 8-)

Friday, June 8, 2012

It's Right Snakey Out There

Fred's mother, when looking into dark, mysterious undergrowth, would say, "Looks right snakey in there."  Meaning in essence, she wasn't setting foot in that space as it was a possible snake pit.

Lately, we have begun to suspect that Jam has actually seen a snake. Or seen something that looked "right snakey" and doesn't want to step foot out in the side yard again.

At first he wouldn't step off the porch.  He would go to the edge, peer out into the distance and you could hear him say it.

"No Ma'am.  I will not step off this porch!  It is right snakey out there!"  

But gradually, after a bit, he would step off the porch and down to the side of the yard.


"No! I will not step off the stones! It looks right snakey out there!"

This attitude of course will not stand.  He must be able to walk around and go whenever and wherever we need him to go.  Wet or dry, he needs to do his business.

This morning, Fred and Jam had a small battle of wills.  Jam had determined that the edge of the deck was as far as he would go and he was unwilling to do his business at all.  This was after a full evening's sleep and breakfast, Jam was chock full of "business" so to speak.

Fred brought him inside.  After about half an hour, Fred tried again, only this time, he got the leash and tried to take him through the gate and into the front yard for some busy work.

Nothing doing.  Those orifices were closed for business.  Fred waited an hour and they went out again.

Nothing.

"It's snakey out there."  Jam hopped back onto the deck and looked longingly at the door inside.


A little later, I decided to try and walk him around the block.  We went out the gate and through the yard and over to the neighbor's yard.  It was now about 9:30 am.  Jam was bursting at the seams with poo.

We got to the tall, wet grass and Jam stepped out onto it delicately.  He stopped and stared off intently.  

"It's right snakey out there! No grass for me!" and he hopped onto the sidewalk.  Seriously?  There was no snake.  None.  Just wet grass.  I, however, had an evil plan.  On the other side of the sidewalk is more grass.  It was the neighbor's actual green, green lawn.  And there was a green lawn space between two oak trees that are bordered with oyster plants.  Jam immediately tried to jump into the oyster plants.  

I positioned myself firmly in the center of the lawn.  Equidistant from each bed.  The leash just reached the beginning of each bed, but it wouldn't allow Jam poo access to the planting beds.

Jam ran from side to side trying to contain his poo, all the while trying to figure out a way to poo on the oyster plants and not on the snakey grass.  Finally, it was too much.  The poo would not be contained and he had to let it out.  He did 5, count them 5, twirls and then a big poo.

I think I heard a sigh.


But later, when we got back out on the porch, it still seemed a bit snakey to him.

So, we will continue this desensitization plan until he is completely over this strange sensitivity to wet grass.

Or snakes.

It just might be right snakey out there. ;-)

Thursday, May 17, 2012

A Frog's World

By Fred

Yes, the water falls from the sky in big drops. It soaks through the patio stones. The bushes droop under its weight, and the frogs have a new-found confidence because a wet back yard is a frog's favorite world. It is not Jam's world.

Jam prefers to stay inside when it rains. He will reluctantly go out to sit on the porch, but he will not venture beyond on his own, not without a leash, and then with a leash he will only walk along sadly and sigh. He will not pee or poop, not in the backyard when it is raining.

Then at bedtime he is given one more chance. Cheryl and I take turns with an umbrella, giving him all the various encouragements, lies, threats, reassurances, feigned indifference, etc. that we can imagine, because we know that he really needs to go and that the next opportunity will be early the next morning, or rather when he wakes us in the middle of the night, or worse.

And then we remember that our front yard is in a completely different universe for Jam. In the front yard, which is just as rainy and wet, he has no problem at all. Jam is keen to walk along and sniff at every soaking thing, as long as it's not in the back yard.

At the garage door I hold his leash in one hand and the umbrella in the other, and he is thrilled with the idea of walking out into the pouring rain, walking down the sidewalk and into the black night. Within 30 seconds he pees and poops.

Surely we have done something wrong...

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Rain, Rain, Go Away

Thursday night we gathered at the River Congo miniture golf for our puppy meeting. When we first arrived it was a bit grey and overcast, but it soon turned into this:



Our fearless leader tried to lead us through a round of stay/recall obedience exercises, but it must have been the storm that had us all a bit agitated and not able to concentrate. Or maybe it was the lingering fear the perhaps those gators in the front weren't so well penned up and perhaps we should get further away from the front entrance. Or it might have been that the thought of playing in the rain held more appeal than staying and paying attention. Whatever the reason, wet and huddled and in the entrance, we tried to stay, sit, and pay attention.

Donna has to be the most devoted area coordinator SEGD has. She was soaking wet and never once lost her air of enthusiasm. She really is remarkable.