Hi all. Chip here.
It’s the dog days of summer, so what better time to get back to the blog?
Prue* and I have been pretty busy, beginning with my first dental cleaning; rotating our presence around a few of Metro Louisville’s excellent parks; making two trips to the country to visit family; and finally an excellent production of Romeo and Juliet in Central Park by Kentucky Shakespeare.
I don’t remember a lot about the dental cleaning, but boy did I have a great dream! I was in a field of the softest Kentucky bluegrass ever. Half was in the sun and the other half was in shade so all I had to do was just roll over to warm or cool myself, accordingly. There was a never-ending row of posts to water, and I could have all the grilled meats and gooey cheese I wanted.
I awoke sans one tooth and with breath that, according to Prue, smells like nothing, which she says is a monumental improvement. Prue and I give major props to our vets at Johnson Animal Clinic for taking great care of me. All the vets are great but my personal favorite is Dr. Brian who refers to me as “Big Pup,” despite my diminutive stature. (The fact that I share this term of endearment with other canine clients in no way diminishes my affection for the dude.)
Prue’s “country cousins” do not currently own pets but they seem to like me OK, and they love grilled meats so I’d love to visit more often. Sometimes I get to go off leash, but I got into trouble once when I chased a geriatric beagle from the yard, across the street and into someone else’s yard. What can I say? The dog had a shifty look. Prue was concerned that, with the hound’s advanced age, I might have given him/her a coronary.
She prefers that I remain polite but aloof regarding strange canines, mostly because nearly every dog we meet weighs approximately twice as much as I do. I, on the other hand, reserve my fear and trepidation for the Blue Viper.
Sinister, isn’t it?
Why Prue brought this menace into our lives is beyond me. It’s a cunning reptile, posing most of the time as a retractable leash, but let the demon jump from Prue’s hand as we are walking and it transforms into a relentless pursuer intent upon injecting its venom into my ankles or backside. I have to admit, the thing terrifies me. Twice it has attempted to overtake me as I fled from its demon fangs. Prue has been forced to give me daily sedatives, cleverly disguised as Milk Bones, to keep me from fraying at the edges.
Such is the life of a dog.
If my prose seems a bit more dramatic than usual, blame the Bard. Kentucky Shakespeare welcomes pets to its performances in the parks, so our friend, “Auntie Brenda,” invited us to accompany her a few weeks ago to see Romeo & Juliet. It was a wonderful and unique performance. During the first act the cast wore traditional period costume. At the beginning of the second act, actors wore sort of a combination of period and contemporary dress. By the end of the play, everyone had transitioned to contemporary wardrobe.
In addition to being dog friendly, performances are free! Readers with well behaved doggies should take the opportunity to add some culture to their canine’s lives. Romeo & Juliet ends soon but the summer season extends to Aug. 12. (As a plus, Central Park has some enormous trees to sprinkle during intermission!)
Later, Chip
*Person Responsible for Ultimately Everything
