
For once, Sparky listened to me when I told him that I see a rabbit. I let him off the leash to chase it. He ran into the woods, and barked occasionally to let me know it was going well. Sparky was never in any danger of catching it.

For once, Sparky listened to me when I told him that I see a rabbit. I let him off the leash to chase it. He ran into the woods, and barked occasionally to let me know it was going well. Sparky was never in any danger of catching it.
Sparky is proud of his tracking and stalking skills, even though all he’s caught so far is a baby chipmunk and a raccoon tail. When he started leading me along our woodland path, he was promoted to Master Scout in the KISS Army.
Sparky takes me for a walk.

Sparky took a dump, and for that, I am thankful. He thought that completed his objectives for the day.
My nephew’s dog, Ozzie, just passed away after a long and happy life. If Ozzie is like his cousin Sparky, what he wants most is to hang out with his smart human. Ozzie got to do that every day, so he lived his best life.


Oh, I’m not missing anything. Sparky and I talk all the time. For example, the photo above, Sparky is saying, “Are we going for a walk, or what? We aren’t going to prom, just put some pants on and let’s go.”

Recreation of actual event.
Sparky is a courteous dog. He can wander anywhere he wants, but he acts as if the bathroom doesn’t exist. Even if he’s dying to tell me something, if I’m in the bathroom, he goes somewhere else and tries to look busy.
Storms make Sparky active and agitated, but he says he’s not afraid. He just wants to be near me in case I need his help. It started to rain, so I was done moving firewood into the wood shed. When I came in, I took a shower.
Sparky came by to hang out. He tried to be casual about it. “So, you think I can drive the quad tomorrow? Were there any mice in the wood pile? Why are you standing in house rain when there is outside rain? Are you sure this is safe? I’ll just wait here.”

Sparky is ready to join the KISS Army.

Sparky is doing better today. When he chased a rabbit, he forgot to limp, so I think he will be fine.
Sparky is on the injured reserve list.
Today seemed like a good day for a Moose Run. That’s where Mr. Moose is tethered to a Traxxas Maxx RC car. Sparky chases Mr. Moose as I relax on the deck. After a couple of laps, Sparky broke off pursuit and was limping.
There are no ticks, thorns, abrasions or other signs of injury on his front left leg or paw. He doesn’t wince if I move his leg. He mostly limps, but can put weight on it.
As expected, Sparky doesn’t seem to mind. He’d prefer to resume normal activities with limping left to his discretion. He will be on limited activity, and we’ll see how he is tomorrow. That’s what I’d do for myself, so that seems fair.
I figure that dogs are susceptible to most of the same injuries as people, with allowances for their different anatomy. A pulled muscle seems most likely.

Alum Creek State Park is 15 minutes away from IKEA in Columbus. My travel trailer is a toyhauler, so has a loading ramp. I took advantage of that happy coincidence to buy a new couch. I bought my last couch at the Pittsburgh IKEA when I moved into Dover Farms apartments. That was after my first year teaching at Normandy, so 27 years ago. Time flies.
When I sold my Cleveland Heights house, I sold all my furniture. That house was built in 1930, and had many vintage accoutrements. The modern oak furniture would have been too bulky and massive for a contemporary apartment. Dover Farms was a nice, modern apartment complex, so I wanted my furniture to be compatible. IKEA was a revelation.
I brought most of my furniture to this house, and supplemented with more from IKEA. Buying furniture is a tedious chore, but going to IKEA is fun. I know that no part of my house will ever look like those display rooms at IKEA, but I can’t help trying.
Because Sparky has a bohemian disregard for modesty, the image was censored for propriety. Sparky doesn’t agree. That’s just how he likes to watch TV, and people should accept him for who he is.
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