Our Big not Big 4th

 We have safely passed through another big Holiday. Rich was not a 4th of July guy. He preferred to stay at home and let 'the rookies' get into trouble on the Holidays.

He actually would have trouble with fireworks, especially those being set off when he didn't expect them.

Loud noises, sirens, helicopters, low flying planes, fireworks, and gunshots. They were all triggers for his chronic and severe PTSD. So all of our Holidays over the years have been at home and very quiet.

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Hannah's incision was well enough for us to sign up for a 1 mile walk/run [there was also a 3 mile, 5 mile, and 10 mile event but the dogs wanted to go...and is was hot ... so...]

So I asked the 'kids' if they wanted to go to town and take a walk. This was their reaction.

[Charlie was yawning, but we can pretend he said YES!]

The start of the fun event was held at our CrossFit gym. One of my friends didn't want to do the 1 mile walk alone so she'd asked if I'd go. I felt it was a great opportunity to introduce the dogs to chaos.

Hannah was so happy and Charlie watched for any human that might want to pet him.

As it happened a young cross country runner and his father asked to pet them. We got to chatting and I said I loved cross country, it was the first woman's sport team I was ever on. Title IX allowed girls to be in sports.

I mused that the first X-C meet I was in at college, we wore Basketball uniforms inside out to run. The guys were entertained.

Nice little dogs make for good conversations and break the ice.

Hannah wore her Security shirt. I just thought we might need her for that, right???

Below...
the pups sat like this
through the 
Star Spangled Banner.

We headed off behind the big crowd of runners with my friend Charlene and her grandkids. The cool-ish morning turned very hot so I am very happy that I hadn't decided to do anything foolish like try and walk 3 miles with the dogs.

We finished the walk and when I went to the kiddy pool to pick up a little bottle of water for me, Hannah tried to jump in it. I did have water for them with their little foldable doggy water bowl.

Next stop was the Farmer's Market. I had told another girlfriend that I'd stop by. I took off the 'clothes' and we headed into a crowd of kids, dogs, and holiday goers. 

We ran into quite a few tourists who asked about what 'breed' Hannah and Charlie were and were they related? There were some very nice and friendly dogs at the Market too. 

The point of the excursion was to get Hannah used to crowds and socialization so she will be a good dog. Charlie mostly ignored people and other dogs as if he were above it all.

Except little kids.  He loves little kids. He stood quietly wagging his tail and panting as he was fawned over. 

Once in a while he'd look over at Hannah and I as if to say...

"You know who is the STAR here!"

The two of them were tired and worn out after the busy morning and spent most of the day napping while I read a book and relaxed. 

It was still too wet to mow and the yard still squished when I walked in the lower areas.

Charlie slept on his chair and Hannah? Well, our house and farm were as Secure as ever as she kept a watchful [ahem] eye on the place.

I bet no one makes off with her chew bone or ball.

Googly Eyes ~ By Charlie

She grabbed a bunch of things and then paused at the door. I heard the keys things jingle and knew she was going in the car thing.

She tried giving me a ride on the 4 Wheeler which rumbles and growls, I didn't like that at all.

If she walks to that Growly Thing, I run away a safe distance.
I will chase her though as she rides it.
I'm sure the Growler will one day eat her.
I may be small, but I feel it is my duty to watch over her.

Anyway, the keys jingled and I beat her to the door. I'm not always sure what the key jingles mean except I do know that she leaves for a while.

Sometimes I get in my new seat thing she built me and we go to the ridge and watch the sun come up or just hang out and watch the sky. Well, she watches the sky, I smell the scents in the ditch.

Today she stopped at the door and looked at me. I think she was thinking because she just stood there for a moment holding the jingles.
And she stood there...and stood there.
I gave her my big round googly eyes. They usually make her eyes soften and she can't yell at me.

The googly eyes worked.
She opened the door and I followed her to the Subaru. She set up my car seat and blabbered on about ... how it was time I learned to travel with her.
Fine.
What is traveling?

She then set me in and started the car. She said we were going to town to do some errands and I was going to get 'socialized'.
Ohhh that was a big word I didn't understand. But okay, I was game.
We went to a busy place where big trucks went by.
I got to meet a person she called John. She said he was a doctor of Chiropractic. I have no idea what a Chiro..practical is. But he was nice and I investigated the office and searched for cobwebs in the corners.

I was really worried at the next place. She left me in the car and ran into what she called the Credit Union. Pretty quickly she came running out and grabbed me. She said the girls wanted to meet me.

OH Boy!
She carried me into the building and I met a bunch of people! I wiggled and my tail just went crazy. Everyone had to pet me. I got put on a counter top and ladies all oohhed and ahhed and made nice noises. Then they gave me a dog cookie!
It was a big one too.

She broke it in half and set me on the carpet where I showed all the ladies that I could politely eat a dog treat.

Then I sat down and gave the ladies The Googly Eyes!

I think I melted hearts. I like this Socializing Stuff!

Finally we stopped at a place she called TSC. Tractor Supply Company and she took me through the dog treat section where my nose went crazy. The bone section was best but she said it was too pricey and we headed out.

The manager lady talked to us and said what a Cute dog I was.
I wagged and wiggled.
Then I remembered.

The Googly Eyes!
I looked up at the nice lady and made the eyes.

It works!

I got another treat!

Finally she said we were done in town and I had enough Socializing for one day.

I settled down in my seat and occasionally lifted my head to smell the world going by outside the car.

I was tired.
But I learned something.

I like Socializing.
I'm learning how to train people. And The Googly Eyes really work well for treats.

So I went to sleep on the couch when we got home.

And dreamt about Socializing and Googly Eyes.