Nom de Plume

Harry is undecided about the stone beaches at Seward Park.

It all started with an inadvertent swim in the plink. Steve and I did the Seward Park loop with Harry on his new retractable leash. S was walking on a narrow stone embankment; Harry and I were on the trail, which was up a grassy incline. Missing Steve, Harry went hurtling down the incline so fast that he disappeared with a splash. I ran down, and there he was up to his belly in lake water and looking very, very surprised.

And then he turned away and started swimming in little circles!

I was pretty surprised considering that these dogs — at least according to what I’ve read — don’t swim. We hauled him up. Steve noted that with the two of us, he should be a swimmer, but Harry avoided puddles the rest of the walk. And he really didn’t like the stone beaches on the other side of the park despite our best efforts.

He did the walk like a champ though. Steve even held the leash, even though he keeps on saying this is my dog and that he wouldn’t be caught walking him in public because–oh horrors!–people might think he was gay. Towards the end of the loop, Harry started dragging tail so I tucked him under my arm. Steve looked over at me.

“Do you want me to carry him?”

“No, I’ve got him. Unless you want to carry him?”

“No, I just thought maybe you wanted me to.”

We walked ten more steps. Steve looked at me sideways.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to carry him?”

“Do you want to?” I asked.

“Are you kidding? A freaky little dog like that? That’s just what I need.”

“You want to carry him,” I stated. Ignoring his protests, I thrust Harry into his arms. Steve flipped him on his back and carried him like a baby.

“I look ridiculous,” he grumbled, and happily let Harry lick his face.