SUENOSDEUOMI'S RUMINATIONS: Dogs

Showing posts with label Dogs. Show all posts

Sumo Is Missed

Sumo's passing bewildered me. Witnessing death is powerful, so irrevocable, so final, such a demarcation of time before and after.

At first, his absence was palpable, it seemed to permeate our space.

I would glance at the spot in our home where he had passed on and felt - a spaciousness that I did not want to attach any quality to, it just was. It was odd, but it also felt sacred.

I got busy, seemingly intent on setting things in order and on demarcating time. Beddings got washed and remade for the three of us. The floor got moped, vet documents got reorganized, incense got burned and Isabella got to go out on the retractable lead frequently. This was one lead I ceased to use after I tumbled over my bike when I used the lead's handle to break my bike when an oncoming car had threatened to get too close to Sumo who was running alongside, about 9 years ago. I had worried about Sumo's unpredictability potentially threatening me on my bike, but Sumo was always good, on his perfect behavior when out and about with me. It was my own panic that had caused that fall.

Isabella loves the extra give on the retractable lead, this girl is all smiles when out and about and people notice. She gets quite a bit of attention if not given freely, she will ask for it, from strangers. Amazingly Isabella is just about as happy as she can be. She no longer lags behind, in order to allow for Sumo to take the lead. She knows where she wants to go and it is now up to me to adjust to let her have the lead after about a decade of my pups following me. That was our deal, I take them just about everywhere, but for them to come along, they had to follow ME. I have rarely gone anywhere without my pups over the last 11 years. So I struggle a bit with letting Isabella set the pace as this girl has got a good nose and likes to sniff endlessly in one spot. But watching my pups, they never got mad at each other for such things, they just adjusted to each other and to me. I struggle with getting irritated when the air is frigid, I want to reach a sunny spot but Isabella got her own agenda. It is a give and take and we are doing great on the whole. I have made it a point to give Isabella more attention, take her out a bit more often and to different places. I use our van more frequently on errands now so she can come along. Today Sunday, with parking free downtown, we made it to the plaza where we had not been in a while. Isabella knew exactly where she was and headed toward crossing the street to show up at Overland Sheepskin where they treat doggies very kindly. Bright eyes, waggly tail up, big grin she was waiting to get acknowledged and sure enough got a treat. I appreciate those friendly gestures from so many strangers that chose to notice this girl and be kind to her.

Meanwhile, when I open a banana or peel a tangerine I miss Sumo's bright, expectant eyes looking up at me in hopes to get a bite. Contemplating that I will never again ride my scooter with Sumo is tough. It is something I really loved. It is an image I had that propelled me to go look for a canine companion. One to take along on adventures.

Death has a way of peeling away what is nonessential and exposing what is or is not. I have been feeling my isolation as I feel the lack of emotional support in my life. The kindest response to my sharing of the news of Sumo's passing came from a supervisor at one of our grocery stores, a Dutch woman with whom years ago I would share the trails at our dog park on occasions. Maybe it is our common European background along with our similar age that allowed me to actually feel the authenticity of our interaction that soothed me like no other. Life goes on. Spring shows signs way too early for us up high at 7,000 feet. I hope of planting green grass over Sumo's burial site as Sumo loved grass, not just for self-medication but he seemed to truly enjoy eating some greens, so grass seems most befitting for his resting site.

Yesterday

Chance meeting & greeting of Baci,

Jane's new puppi, soon to be a certified assistance dog

at Counter Culture in Santa Fe.

Sumo looking at me holding high hopes for treats

having waited patiently and politely outside Whole Foods

while I was shopping inside.

As so often, Sumo is focused on me,

while Isabella is focused on the environment.

Miss my Buddy, my scooter,

so I finally, stopped by the repair place

and came to an agreement to patch up the cosmetic damage

to bring the price down to about half.

So, my chances are good for getting over my fear

and riding my Buddy once again starting next month.

I celebrated this long overdue decision with

a stop at Counter Culture, a favorite local restaurant,

where I had the good fortune to meet Baci for my very first time.

Good Morning To The Birthday-Boy!

Good morning Sumo Birthday-Boy!

Sumo lives for the chance to chase some furry critters. It's in his genes.

I let him off lead illegally once in a while because I know he will respond to my recall. He needs to run off some steam, some of the times more than others, but today he deserves it simply for the fact that he was born. We all were born to follow our own inclinations, our own noses, and to listen to the demands of our own organisms. Pet live is not always the most accommodating to such self-determination. So for now, I gotta get ready to take him up the mountain where he can be off lead chasing probably chipmunks, rather than black bears, I hope!

Purplish Contraption

Walking mid-afternoon in about 90 degrees a rest on this purplish contraption was more then welcome. Currents, a multi-media arts show at El Museo Cultural in the Santa Fe Railyard is happening now. Each year they build a contraption of sorts at their entry which will then usually stay on for the rest of the season, even after the close of their production, offering a welcome point of interest an rest in my already colorful 'hood.

Later in the day these dancers took advantage of this same contraption for a photo shoot with one of my neighbors.

My Sweeties

Sumo & Isabella pose

at historic entry on Old Santa Fe trail

on our Sunday morning walk about.

Not All Bad

Not all bad when viewed in this evening's light.

Cutie Pies

My cutie pies waiting, tethered outside the farmers market while I was returning empty egg cartons to farmers.

Cuties

My pups, Isabella and Sumo, cuties.

My Two Sweeties

Isabella & Sumo in their element, in the woods up above 8,000 feet.

Canine Meet & Greet

Dawson, Ray Masterson's service dog, a Husky meets a 9 month old pup, thankfully not for the first time. My dog Isabella-girl takes no longer kindly to impolite doggies that show no respect and get in her face. But Dawson, now 7 years old, has become a very friendly dog, Ray has taught him well. He was not always mellow, as a pup he used to explode at my dogs and we would have a barking frenzy on our hands. This year has got me dodging dogs and has gotten me very tired of dog custodians that do not pay attention and are not proactive in avoiding unpleasantries. This little cutie here is a 9 month old male and a handful, but the lady says she always checks with others about her pup approaching, which I sure appreciate. I did notice though how Ray gave Dawson cues to take it easy with the little one. Shocking the dirty looks I get from those on the other end of the leash that somehow feel insulted when I pull my pups away in an effort to avoid conflict and keep our dogs safe!

Balloons Are Free

- Tipping Is Expected

Boy Meets Girl

All Smiles

Green Coyote - Art In The Park

Green Coyote by artist Don Kennell, the newest work of public art on display at Santa Fe's Railyard park.

Approaching this strange, gigantic creatures, my pups were about to launch in to a serious bark attack.

This has got to be the cutest, most adorable gigantic coyote there is!

Not sure my pups, Isabella and Sumo would agree.

Yep, Don's work of art creates quiet a stir and grabs the attention of most anyone passing by, here two guys with one 33 year old parrot.

Next, coyote with passing Rail Runner train, yeah!

This coyote has different colored, green and blue, brilliant, bright eyes created by the amazing artist Mitchell Berg.

Art in public spaces can really affect the community positively I was able to observed this myself.

Don Kennell's Yard Dog staring from the park across one of our busiest streets over toward Whole Foods, really attracted people to it and the area. Kids would sway on the swing, families would have their picnics nearby, tourists would take each other's pictures with the sculpture, occasionally I would lend a helping hand. I felt a real loss when that work of art was taken down November 2012. Folks no longer gravitated to that area in the park. So, my surprise and joy was all the greater when I discovered this Green Coyote. I might add that real live coyotes have been sighted right near this spot as they like to travel along water ways such as the nearby Acequia Madre (Mother Ditch.) During Occupy, the longest occupation by a camp of a public space that started in fall of 2011, protesters made it a point to feed those real coyotes! At my first spotting of the Green Coyote a sweet young couple had taken refuge underneath it. This capture will linger in my mind only as I had ventured out without camera, fearing, no expecting, and here in the high desert southwest truly welcoming more rain. I sure look forward to more photo ops with this most delightful, gigantic creature.

Well done, Don Kennell, thank you!

Impromptu Love Fest

Isabella wears her happiness at being out and about with a goofy smile

that often proves infectious.

Good Morning

Behind El Museo Cultural which hosts our annual Currents new media art exhibit.

What a morning it already has been! I accused one of the workers on our 'monstrosity', our brand new 11-plex movie theater, who in a very nice chat had revealed to me that he is from Las Cruces, the southern, more conservative part of our state, of not standing up for his beliefs because he did not wish to reveal to me his political leanings. I had inquired, with a big grin, if he voted for Susana, my derogatory term for our Republican Governor!

Truth is I feel like I lived in a 'new-agey' bubble among like- and alternative minded folks. Somehow it seems to me we missed the turn to the right our country took. These days I feel a need to know, I really want to know what people are thinking, feeling and standing for. I wonder and ponder why we are in the mess we are in? Who are my fellow Americans whose political choices, or lack of, entwine us in to a shared fate? Yeah, blame it on others! Well, no, I blame myself some, ever since 9/11 for not having been engaged enough on a social and political level. So I ask, always with a smile, and express myself often to strangers, often with mixed results.

I do believe we are social animals. We tend to follow a herd kind of mentality. I can see it in myself, doing often unconsciously what others are doing, or demonstrating to me. Somebody does not pick up after their dogs, something I abhor, soon enough I find reasons to not wanna pick up after mine. Seems to me this is only natural, so I have to engage reason, sense and sensibility, to do the right thing. (I pick up after my dogs, I say 97% of the time and make up for it on those rare occasions I did not.) Seems to me that if enough people speak their minds and express themselves honestly and engage, rather then disconnect, the people as a whole, our society will move forward in a positive direction. Am I mistaken? No, blaming of course is not the way forward, but holding accountable ought to be part of it. Stating our truth and engaging with those that think differently ought to be part of it. Looking at any one thing from many different angles ought to be part of moving our society and social conscience forward. Dismiss this as the ramblings of an aging, socially isolated, lone and too talkative woman if you must.

Stormy Weather