Dog Day Afternoon

So, I get home from work late yesterday afternoon and I decide that I'll do some grocery shopping. Rudy, my Lab/Retriever mix, loves to go anywhere with me, even if she has to stay in the car when we get there. So, I took her with me.

I decided to stop at a local school where Rudy can run around on the field and get some exercise. (And yes, I always clean up her poop.) She loves this particular school because there are usually birds on the field that she can chase around. As usual, she raced after them for several minutes. Once all the birds had been run off the field, she looked for something else to do. And then she found it . . .

A huge puddle on the south side of the field. Not really a puddle so much as a mud bath. Usually she just runs through puddles but this time she stopped to dig and then ROLL AROUND IN IT! I felt like the helpless guy in movies who watches as his girlfriend is kidnapped or gunned down and he can't get to her in time. All I could do is scream, "Noooooooooooooo!"

Not that it stopped her, of course. She got up out of the mud, just as I got to her and (you guessed it) she began to shake off all the mud and water that her coat had accumulated. I've never seen her look dirtier!

And did I have a towel in my car? Of course not! So, when we got to the car I got her to jump in the back. Of course, she immediately jumped over the seat and got into the front street.

As I started to drive away I was in no mood to go to the store any more. I was in no mood to be a dog owner any more! So, we headed to a local "dog wash" that thankfully was still open. I gave her the bath of her life.

By the time we were done I had pretty much forgiven her for radically changing my original plans. And then we got to the car, where all the mud had dried and, holy crap, it was everywhere. I lectured Rudy about her hygiene and respecting the property of others. She pretended not to understand me but she was very affectionate!

We ended up going to the store anyway and eventually made it home and unloaded the car.

Now it's Saturday afternoon, and I've decided I ain't gonna look at my car until Monday. Or maybe I'll just sell it . . .