I debated about writing this because it touched on some of the embarrassing parts of aging. But Puddles indominable spirit brought so much joy, I thought it’d put a smile on your face too. So, please enjoy a little knitting diversion this week with “Raising Senior Danes” or from the knitter’s perspective, “Make Sure Your Handknits are Creek-friendly”.
Monday evening, we took a drive to a different part of the neighbourhood as our neighbour’s were painting. It was a lovely evening during “magic hour” – still hot from the summer’s day sun, but under the vail of golden lighting. Wearing Marquise Cut from a zoom call earlier in the day, camera mom said “are you sure you want to wear that?” “Why not?” Famous last words, right 😉. On the way, Puddles had a senior moment ☹. An obliging trickle of a stream enabled me to get him cleaned up, while keeping the hand knits safe. The shame he felt was palpable and I did my best to sooth him.
Walking through the fields, he started to pick back up again. So many new blades of grass to sniff! So many interesting muddy patches to stand in. So much so, somebody wasn’t listening to his human 😉. With each disobedient, nope, I’m going to sniff instead of listen, I began to see a glimmer of mischief come back to his aging eyes.
Then he saw it…
If I were to caption his thoughts, it’d probably go something like this. Human, you already got “water” on me when cleaning me up and I had no say. Now I’m going to go play! This is the creek where you taught me to swim last year during River Bend. Or have you forgotten?
Yes, my “cat” of a Dane who hates almost all waters remembered this creek and bolted straight down into it. Tail flying in the wind, ears flapping with exuberance, and completely ignoring all commands in light of the creek! Being a smart ol’ boy, he walked the opposite direction from me so I couldn’t easily catch him. Then his “Velcro” clicked in and he realized just how far he was away from me. I was in the grass and he was in the water! This would not do!! Sadly, his old muscles failed at his attempt to climb out of the creek ended up with him falling back in splat on his back ☹.
Well, we couldn’t have any bad creek associations, could we. Nor did I want his fear of water to revive. So, shedding my new sneakers, socks, hiking my jeans up to my knees, and in my fine linen beaded hand knit and without water shoes, I joined him the creek for a few minutes of fun.
Oh, to have had pictures to share of this time! He galloped and smiled. Cheekily, he leaped in and out onto the far bank – far out of reach for me. Wonkily he ran like a puppy with zoombies on the far bank in the tall grass. Then jumped back into the water for some splash time with me and repeated the scenario until we were both smiles from ear to ear.
Upon catching him in the water, I directed him back out to the right side of the bank where the trek back to the car lay. He grabbed the paper towel camera mom had tossed so I could dry my feet and ran like a puppy through the grass, rolling dry, and shredding each piece.
Puddles sez: the moral of this story is live each moment with joy!
Mine is, God has blessed me greatly; live each day with thanksgiving.
Stay tuned for another installment of Raising Senior Danes… although it may be a while. Long he slumbers (3 days later) from his adventure, but that glimmer of life is still rich in his eye 😉. God bless & happy knitting!