The walk started out kinda gray.
It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.
— Confucius
Waldo’s right hind leg is better, though not normal. His gait is now normal and he pulls at the leash as he always has (which requires significant thrust from both of his hind legs). But I know it still bothers him a little, because he sometimes doesn’t put full weight on it when he’s standing. His vet and I decided to just watch him and advance his activity slowly, for now. I’ve decided to take him back to the rail trail today and see how it goes.
The weather hasn’t been the best – high temps in the mid to high 80s, with high humidity, and some recent heavy rain. Today, the forecast is for temps in the high 60s with a 20% chance of rain. That usually means a light shower, not much more than a thick mist, but the one reliable part of the forecast is that the weather is unsettled. So I decide to take along a rain jacket, just in case. I don’t like taking an umbrella, because that would make both of my hands full – one with the umbrella and the other with dog. I roll the jacket up and tie the sleeves around my waist so it’ll be there if I need it.
The temps are as advertised and the day is gray, as we start out. The air has a fine mist and the tarmac is still damp from an earlier rain. There is only a slight breeze. Waldo charges up ahead to the end of the leash, obviously happy at being back here in the woods. He visits the side of the trail and says hello to his friends, the bushes (both with a sniff and some watering). His gait is normal and he’s tugging at the leash.
It’s interesting to see how the dominant species of weed changes with the weather. In dryer years, there was a carpet of Japanese clover alongside the trail. This year, I’ve seen almost none. The Japanese knotweed, always present, doesn’t seem as thick and tall as usual. There are only a couple of burdock plants with burs. I don’t know if that’s due to the weather, or because I uprooted so much of it last year. The plants that are there are tall, have many stems and are already blossoming with burs. The burs are green, not all dried out and brown, like they get in the early fall, but they’re still quite sticky. Waldo picks up 3 of the damn things by just walking within a foot of them. It’s like they have a negative charge attracted to his positive charge. I’m going to have to come back here with my weed puller and get rid of the cursed things sometime soon. Thank God there aren’t many.
We say hello to our old friends, the rock garden, the covid garden and the new park, as we walk by. When we get close to the athletic field, I keep my eyes open for the beginnings of the 2 paths that lead off into the woods and thence to the Fort Meadow Reservoir and the Grove — places we explored not so long ago. I do it just to reassure myself I can still find them; they’re not obvious and easily missed. When they do show themselves, I consider wandering out thataway. Not today. Things are too damp and the going is likely to be muddy.
Waldo is still out front, pulling at the leash. It’s like he knows he’s less likely to have to contend with any bicycles in this weather. He misses these walks in the woods, as do I. The birds are quiet, with only an occasional tweet from a northern cardinal, or a house sparrow, somewhere off in the distance. The oaks, birches, maples, locusts and aspens are all fully leafed out and make the air itself feel green. There are sensitive ferns and various species of moss about, but not so much as there has been in the past. Maybe they prefer cooler times.
We pass a few people, some out walking their canine companions. Bikes may avoid wet weather, but doggy duty knows no unwalkable weather. There are a few joggers that pass us by too. We say hi to the local denizens and I explain why it’s been so long since we’ve been out here. They tell us that our absence was noted and that they’re glad nothing bad happened to us.
After we turn around, we are hit with the 20% rain. I’m not sure what the other 80% is, but I’m definitely 100% wet. It’s only a light drizzle, but it’s enough that my shirt is soaked in just a couple of minutes. I untie my rain jacket and put it on.
The walk back to the car is uneventful and we pass a few, but not many, other intrepid folks who were also caught in the rain. I’m pleased to see that, despite a 6-mile walk, Waldo’s gait remains normal. We climb in the car and head home. Tomorrow will tell me how Waldo is fairing, after he’s had a chance to rest and get sore.
I sure hope that we’ll get back out here on a regular basis sometime soon.
It then turned wet and even felled a tree.