Was Zum Teufel?!
Tues Feb 26 – During this week of Hillary claiming this and Obama denying that, today starts off on a quiet note with not much happening here on Wisconsin Avenue. When I asked Oslo and Mies if they had anything funny to report for my column, Oslo mentioned reading an article in the Hindustan Times about dogs upholding flights in India:
If your flight into Mumbai circles over the airport for a rather long while, you can perhaps blame it on the dogs. Stray mongrels on the runways are sending operations into a tizzy at the country’s busiest international and domestic terminals.
While there are about 25 people to chase away birds and cattle from the airport compound, there is nobody to take over the task after 8 pm. With almost 50 domestic flights landing between 6 pm and 10 pm, the evening peak period faces the dog menace.
The dog menace? Whoa. Can you imagine such a thing? I won’t even let Oslo and Mies cross the street without holding my hand, let alone run loose at the airport. Here in the land of dog worship where canines have wardrobes and designer beds and regular dental care, it’s almost unfathomable to think of dogs running around on the tarmac.
Mies, of course, was much more interested with the news of Fidel Castro retiring. He’s been reading up on rebel leaders lately. We think he’s planning a coup….
Wed Feb 27 – Speaking of dogs possessing material things, today’s news leads with German police dogs getting footwear. Yep, that’s right. These dogs have shoes. The entire canine unit in Duesseldorf, Germany is to be outfitted with blue, plastic fiber shoes. Apparently, drunk Germans have a a bad habit of smashing beer bottles on the cobblestone streets on their way home from the pubs, which lead to paw injuries for the dogs.
Well, good luck to the dogs as they get used to wearing shoes. And maybe those damn Germans should make like American frat boys and drink their beer out of red plastic cups instead of glass bottles.
Thurs Feb 28 – Nothing happened today, unless you count the 16-foot python in Australia who swallowed a family’s pet frou-frou dog whole, right in front of their two small children. Hot damn!!! The snake had been stalking the dog for days and apparently didn’t get the restraining order.
Anyway, just further vindication that big dogs are better than little ones. I mean, c’mon. Could you imagine that big ol’ mo-fo trying to swallow Oslo or Mies? I don’t think so….
Fri Feb 29 – Tonight the Weims were left home alone while Will and I went to see Pink Martini at the Kennedy Center. We wanted to bring the dogs, but Oslo was tired after his day of hunting in nearby Glover Archibald park:
Do any of you remember Oslo’s story about catching the pigeon in mid-air in downtown Seattle while waiting for the bus? Well, he’s at it again. Hunting in the city! This was such an amazing thing, to me anyway, that I illustrated part of the story:
There are lots of wonderful, huge greenspaces here in DC. We’re lucky to live within a 10 min walk of one of them, e.g., Glover Archibald Park. These areas are hardwood forested trail systems with creeks and streams running through land managed by the National Forest Service. Kind of like NYC’s Central Park, only bigger (I think) and more rural feeling. These parks run right through the middle of many parts of Washington. In our case, the northwest quadrant of the District of Columbia.
Anyway, people have told us about the deer that run through these parks, so I’m always on the lookout for them because of the dogs. I’ve seen herds of 4-6 of them at least two times before, but Oslo and Mies didn’t seem to notice them. Until yesterday.
Yesterday, I stop off at the area circled on the photo, a smallish green space between Cathedral and Massachusetts Ave. (our apt is to the right in the photo, near the National Cathedral). Both are very busy arterials, esp. Mass. Ave. But these parks are in valleys, densley populated with huge trees, making them pretty secluded from the road. When we were about 1/3 of the way down the trail, I saw a herd of about 4-5 white-tailed deer in the area circled and continued on our walk. Mies noticed them and just stood there, watching. Oslo didn’t see them, although he was starting to pick up their scent. We walked the entire length of the trail, from one arterial to the other; I just assumed the deer had left. By the time we turn around, both dogs have picked up the scent of the deer and are tracking them off-trail. Then they both spot them and take off. Mies, despite his mischievous nature, has always been extremely good at recall and came immediately when I called.
Oslo? Not so much. He kept running after the deer, despite my repeated commands and bribes of "Candy!!!!!" Then I hear his barking in the distance, echoing. I have Mies on-leash now, ready to go find Oslo, worried sick about him crossing either road in pursuit of the deer. At this point (thank God!!) here comes Oslo, barreling toward me through the woods, very excited and with a big stick stuck in the metal ring of his collar. Ironically, he looked like he had antlers! I don’t know if a deer stopped and confronted him or what, but something made him come running back as fast as he could. I quickly leashed him but he was extremely excited and still tracking both the trail and air as we left the park.
Anyway, now I’m wondering if I should have some sort of shock collar on Oslo when we’re out on the trails now? How do you teach a hunting dog "Whoa!"? In situations like that, I need him to stop immediately. He scared the crap out of me!
Sat Mar 01 – One thing that’s nice about being on the east coast is the close proximity of so many major cities. So today we packed up the dogs for the two-hour drive to Philadelphia. We left poor Oslo and Mies in the car while we went to see the Lee Miller exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. She was the hot little tramp who dated the famous Dadaist photographer, Man Ray and was, in her own right, a great photographer herself, despite her debaucherous, polyamorous lifestyle.
There’s also a small Weim connection there. William Wegman’s first Weimaraner, the one who made him famous, was named Man Ray.
Sun Mar 02 – Nothing happened today. Seriously. We were hella bored.
Mon Mar 03 – While domestic terrorists were busy setting mini-mansions on fire near Seattle, Oslo was busy nursing a toe injury he incurred while we were running down Wisconsin. The poor little Weimenscrammer got his nail caught in a sidewalk grate. Consequently, he’s been checking Zappos.com everyday ih hopes that they’ll start carrying canine police boots soon. He wants some!