Oh, No! Do Si Do
Schedules, looming tasks, and mismatched timing typically sink any plans for a whole family walk. That’s why it’s almost always Ladies Night (or day) around here. But, yesterday, we convinced our boys to come along on a nice leashed walk. That means a MUCH shorter distance so that Ginko’s knees don’t get too sore. It also ends up being a slapstick-worthy spate of errors as we make our way up the road.
For a number of reasons, Ginko’s leash-walking skill is nowhere near Lilly’s. He lags behind, then shoots out ahead. He veers from left to right, back to front. He prances BOTH sideways and backward, while waiting to see if my hand reaches for the bait bag. In other words, Ginko does just about EVERYTHING but walk in a straight line.
To avoid the leashes getting tangled or anyone tripping, the task of avoiding disaster falls to me and Lilly because thanks to our agility work and near-constant, side-by-side companionship, we’re like a couple of Dancing With the Stars pros compared to Tom and Ginko’s amateur attempts (no offense, honey!). Lilly has learned over the years to read my body and other physical cues well.
The result of our valiant efforts, I suspect, looks something like a really bad square dance — with Lilly and I Do Si Do-ing in and out, up and down, back and forth, around our two handsome fellas.
Despite the less-than-relaxing nature of these full-family outings, we’re just happy to have the boys along enjoying what’s left of not-miserable walking weather.