Friends...

Fluffball baby, i have been too lazy the whole of last month and i didnt write anything here.... everything is status quo and so there is nothing much to report.... that's a nice thing actually....

oh wait... you wake me up at 5.15 a.m on the dot these days. i tried putting up a navy blue bedsheet to block out the morning light to con you. but your body clock is pretty much accurate and now that its summer, you have decided that 6.30 is too late and drag me out of bed at 5 freaking 15 a.m. I do not know if i can ever get over how less i am sleeping or how early i am awake these days... its almost 10 months since we got you, and this is still my number one topic to crow about! 

if i dont wake up at the appointed hour, you have resorted to sitting besides me on the bed and looking at your(gorgeous) self in the mirror on the wall to the right of me, and barking really loudly till i give up and get out of bed!

you have three sets of friends now... 

Shadow - the paavum male stray dog that loves you and wants to play with you. i called him shadow because of the way he would follow you

Petal - the beautiful doe eyed female stray that lives on the construction site that loves you, but bullies you and you allow her

Two face and Caramel - the two female strays and their mother that live near the gym two streets away and play with you each morning. 

they've each attacked each other in jealousy when their territories overlap. Petal, Two Face and Caramel sometimes escort you back home. they sometimes enter the building and it breaks my heart to send them away. 

K is very upset and has asked me umpteen times to stop the "swami and friends" routine as on the few times he has to take you on your walks, he cannot handle the strays you want to play with. Also when we go together, he gets impatient and angry sometimes. 

I dont have the heart to stop this. For one, allowing you to play with other dogs has helped make you more friendly than you could ever be. you arent disturbed, intimidated or otherwise upset about the presence of other dogs anywhere publicly. that i think is a good thing. i couldnt handle a dog that gets worked up and cranky when in the company of other dogs.

secondly, the sheer happiness and joy that you get out of playing with these pooches....they are so friendly and loving and you roll on your back and prance and play with abandon. I have tried to get you to play with the other dogs in the colony but somehow all the pet owners are so paranoid about letting the dogs off the leash. And for the sheer inconvenience or danger of falling while the dogs are winding their leashes around our legs trying to play, they avoid it. 

thirdly, the exercise! you get a good workout doing this and if it can keep you healthy, i wont stop it.

the dogs are friendly, the love is mutual, they are clean and have no skin issues or ticks or fleas. i dont see any reason to stop doing this. 

there are other things that tug at my heart.... like how sad it is for these beautiful animals to live on the road. without a family and no one to care for / feed them or play with them.

Petal is the one with the most heart melting eyes... each time i tell her, "bye petal...stay now... see you tomorrow" my heart breaks.... she's crying to be taken home... but i know i cant handle another dog. If anyone reading this would like to adopt her, please leave a comment.

Right after i get my toe nail pulled out....

My dear dear Sage, for the last 2 weeks you have been so upset with your schedule and wondering why i dont love you like before.... the thing is, 2 weeks ago, after a hectic weekend and Monday afternoon high summer shopping trip, i was down like a dead duck with a heat stroke. that resulted in my being out of action for three days. i somehow managed to drag my ass out of bed to walk you about three times a day and then for a couple of days just couldn't even get out of bed. that's when K had to step in and you didn't like it one bit. i don't know why you like to break his heart like that? he loves you more than i do you know....but you refuse to walk with him when he takes you alone and it makes him very sad. you sit on dharna at least a couple of times hoping i will emerge from behind to take your leash and when you are truly desperate, that's the only time you will go with him. it makes him sad, makes me sad too...

just as i was getting better from the heat stroke, on an evening walk, the dust-storm that blew a lot of debris around made you go crazy and run about madly because there were so many flying objects to catch. there were 10 odd kids trailing you and i was very worried that in the collective hyperactive state, someone would get hurt and its not polite to reign in the kids, so i tried to reign you in. between the children and you and me, i am not quite clear what happened, but i fell and jammed my left foot and before i could realise where the shooting pain was coming from, i had your leash firmly in my hands. i looked down and knew it wasn't pretty. lets just say there was a lot of blood and a nail that was precariously hanging onto its bed involved. as i hobbled upstairs with you on the leash, i knew this needed medical aide. a few painful attempts to remove the painfully bloody nail failed and then i called my doctor who wanted me to come in and see the surgeon as he suspected the nail would have to be surgically removed. evening time traffic and all meant i had to wait an hour for K to come home, ferry me to the doctor as the attempt to drive myself ended badly. lets just say a lot of pain was involved, i came home to rest an hour later. 

so for the last few days, i have been unable to put my weight fully on my left foot and the way i walk is hardly conducive to walk or play with you. the result of which is you have been giving K a miserable time. he always feels you aren't comfortable enough, he doesn't know how to deal with the various dog friends you have and most of all, you refuse to budge a couple of times, even running back and sitting poignantly in front of the lift. why are you doing this? you are perfectly happy to play with him and beg him for food or other treats. he is the one who gets you all your toys and washes your paws when we bathe you. he is the one who never raises his voice at you and always appeals for mercy when i punish you. you love it when the both of us walk you, but not K alone? still you give him such a hard time on the walks that i am unable to take with you? why sage?

i had to push myself to walk all the four times yesterday when you refused to go. my foot hurts, but i have no other choice. one part of me wants to go all awwww my dog loves me... the other part worries about how you will manage when i have to leave you for a small period of time to travel. 

you have been a sweetheart and agree to be locked up for 9 hours when we step out for work, now be an angel and go on your walks with K as well. Please darling? i am asking nicely...

love, me

what were you thinking?

so yesterday it turns out, my darling sage, you decided it was time to embarrass me like a super bumper lottery.  we were on our first walk of the morning, you went along the regular route to check on who else had been snooping about in the time that you were sleeping and began marking your milestones/ flagposts once again. I met the large gentleman with the small dog (Buddy the 4 year old pug). you guys sniffed about while the man and i spoke... general chit chat....buddy is the guy you are indifferent about, unlike Snicker the Dachshund or Chubby the Golden Retriever. you will give buddy a cursory sniff and then stand or sit by my feet till i begin to walk away. I had no reason to believe it was going to be different. Sometimes when the humans we meet on our walks chat for longer than you like, or you are bored, you just pull at the leash and indicate that you are done, and i have to wind up quickly too...

this gentleman who owns buddy loves to talk...which is fine... because i love that too... but he talks at the pace that a snail walks... i have to stop myself from completing his sentences.... yesterday was no different... he droned on and on... i was being polite and having an eye on you... you suddenly decided that you'd had enough and just lifted your leg and peed on Buddy!

the embarrassment! my god, thankfully my reflexes were quick and i pulled you away in time to prevent a shower on poor buddy! 

what were you thinking Sage? for one... the gentleman will definitely not speak with me for a while now! and i will move on after the cursory hello from dog walkers!

sand crazy dog

since the last few days, i have realised you go absolutely bonkers in sand. you furiously dig a tunnel and then burrow your face in it... sometimes you roll over and over and when the sand cascades down, you try to stop it with your paws! it is one of the most incredible sights ever. and i feel like i want to always remember that... i wish i had pictures, but that hardly will do any justice!

its amazing how your personality is developing.. you are quite an obstinate little bugger. and if you think its too hot for your walk, you just stay put and refuse to move till sometimes i forcibly carry you out, or give up and turn back. am sure that you hide a smirk somewhere in that jowl of yours!

give him to me

boy have you grown big! i cant carry you anymore! i keep saying that i know... but now, i truly cant. and the days that i do try, my body feels battered!

we've begun practice walking without the leash. at first i allowed you to do the last 5-10 feet into the house, inside the corridor without the leash. we moved onto you walking to the lift without it.... then the last leg before we entered the gate, and today we did the whole walk without the leash. when the roads are empty and you are not distracted by anything else, you obey and look only for me... so its pretty easy and safe! like mary's little lamb, always a couple of steps behind me... when you spot someone you know, a few steps ahead... if you think i am not around, you immediately stop in your tracks and sit rooted to the spot till you or i find each other. am amused and proud! but i do need to get K to walk you at times, cos you are refusing to go with him!

the sandpile! there is construction going on in our lane and a full lorry load of sand was delivered a few days ago. i took you to it to watch your reaction. as always i wish i'd filmed it! you approached the sand mountain gingerly, then fingered it with your paws, when the sand gave way, you dug furiously and joyously and made a small tunnel to bury your head into. snout, face and feet all coated with fine sand! after doing that a couple of times, you got bored of it (yes you have the attention span of a wasp!). so then you decide to roll....over on your back and back again onto your front, gleefully enjoying the sand in your face and mouth and other orifaces! i havent the heart to tell you to stop.

So this spectacle continues for a few times each day and today, one construction worker stopped to talk to me. most of them just stand around and watch and when you know people are watching you play to the galleries. So this guy asks how old you are, etc and then says "madam, give him to me no....i will bring him up and keep him well. he's a nice dog" i said, yeah sure why not ...see if he will go with you and handed him the leash. he takes a few steps, till the leash permits, then turns around. you are rooted to the ground, sitting tight on a spot and looking at me desperately. he tries to whistle and cajole you and you dont budge an inch. he tries some more... then finally gives up and hands me back the leash. you jump up and start licking my hands and whatever other body part you can reach. he tells me "madam this dog doesnt want to leave you, not even one step he took without you". i say "yes i know" but inside i am ecstatic and choking at the same time. Choking for how much loyalty you have or love or that i am your alpha pack leader or whatever it is that made you stay rooted to the ground and not budge an inch. you delighted me beyond what i can explain  that day....

Handsome!

Day three of taking you out on your walk. i have met more people, been stopped and spoken to and invited home in the past two days than i have been in my entire 7 years in this apartment. One entire family came onto their balcony to see you. they called you handsome and i was brimming over with pride.

Was also accosted by one young girl who was so besotted with you that she wouldnt let me go, or you do your business and i was beginning to get irritated. she wanted to play with you but was a little scared. she also wanted to hold you by your leash and pet you.

you are looking forward to your walks my darling. and have had accidents at home only twice, that too because i delayed taking you out. usually overnight is a nightmare. and the bedroom ends up smelling like a sulabh complex. last night, it was smelling like a daisy. you didnt even pee the customary once! am so proud of you my darling boy.

the walks are also tiring you out pleasantly. you come back home, lash at your enemy - the leash, after all attempts to maul it are futile, you drink a gallon of water and flop down at my side to sleep the next couple of hours. all the hyperactivity has ceased. touchwood.

this is you, sleeping after your latest jaunt.