Meeting with Poochie

Today is supposed to be the nicest day this week. The days preceding and following have been/will be rainy or stormy.

So, Raven and I were eager to begin our walk. If Raven were a bit more friendly (actually he is very friendly, just very noisy), I'm sure I could get acquainted with a lot of pet owners. We swerved around two dog-walkers as Raven pulled on the leash--almost to the point of choking--and barked and barked.

Finally we encountered Poochie's owner. These are good friends of ours--their son is a close friend to our son Luke. Their second son is graduating tonight from high school--hopefully it will be outside, since the gym is so stuffy and more people can attend an outdoor ceremony.

Poochie always lays down the moment she sees Raven. Raven starts in with his barking chant, sniffing around Poochie. Since we know Poochie's owners, they tolerate this barking, and usually Raven stops after a minute or two. This was the case today, so Barb and I had a nice conversation.

Cocoa came by with her older lady walker. Cocoa is rather aloof, so I try to steer Raven from her when I can. Her owner is nice enough, but we don't really have time for greetings as I struggle to avoid Cocoa each time we meet.

Another lady came walking by as Barb and I continued to chat. She greeted us, then gave this warning: "The killer cat is out!" "Sam?" I asked. "The same," was the reply.

Sam is a fearless cat. It doesn't matter that Raven is four times bigger than Sam, he approaches anyone with back arched. Raven's barking doesn't even seem to phase him--so I just try to steer him away when we go by his house. Today I didn't see Sam, so we escaped a potentially unpleasant encounter.

I love living in a neighborhood where I can chat or wave to other walkers. Though Raven is noisy, I know I have at least one dog-walking friend whom I can greet. And even Sam the cat gives fellow walkers a sense of camaraderie.

Till next time,


Suzi