The Dog Blog: June 2016

I had the ultimate scare (doggie version, at least) earlier this week. Our 15-plus year-old Lady was laying in the doorway to the living room, and she wasn't moving. In fact, she looked dead.

I called to her, then gently poked her front paw with my cane; no response. Then I poked one of her hind legs; no response. I reached down and touched her still-warm left ear; nothing.

I sighed and started toward my wife's room, where she was sleeping, to give her the bad news. For some reason, I turned, and Lady was sitting up, looking at me. I don't know I've ever felt more relieved in my life.

Boy, you scared me, darling. I hope you don't do that again for a long, long time.

Lady passed less than three months later.

EMAIL: tgilli52@gmail.com TWITTER: EDITORatWORK

MORE ENTRIES FROM THE DOG BLOG

• Katie cried

• Growl and pull

• 13-plus years with my dog Lady

• ... said the spider to ...

• The Dog Diary (2014)

• YIP! YIP! The stereo-sound huskies

• What Lady and Michael Jackson had in common

EDITOR@WORK BLOG ENTRIES

• You really DO need an editor

• Reminders for would-be novelists

• What I do when I'm editing

• What I charge (it's a deal) and what I edit

• Slogging through the Internet

• J-school: More eyes on your stories

• J-school: Go out and learn

• Rookie mistakes for magazine writers

BLOG ENTRIES BY TOM GILLISPIE

• Resume for a writer and editor

• An editor's views on powerful writing

• Advice for be and would-be novelists

• Links to TG's stories online

• Favorite quotes

• What I do when I'm editing

ANECDOTES BY TOM GILLISPIE

• Wipeout at Death Valley

• Days with rainbows

• A desperate writer working in the dark

• Yer OUTTA there!

BLOG ENTRIES FROM THE AUTO RACING JOURNAL

• Angel in Black: Remembering Dale Earnhardt Sr.

(a book of great stories about the Intimidator)

• Then Junior Said to Jeff...

(the book of great NASCAR stories)

• My best day as a sports writer

• Jeff Gordon's milk toast to Dale Earnhardt

• Wayne Auton: A life in racing

Saturday, June 18, 2016

Back at the dog park

It's July 30, and Lady and I went to the dog park for the first time in a month or more. It's been too hot for us, and neither of us is getting around that well. I use two canes much of the time, and Lady's getting old. She has trouble getting in the car.

Today, I decided to take her to Covington Park before 8:30 in the morning. I quickly realized it was already too hot for walking, so I took her to the dog park, about eight miles away. We'd have shade on the small-dog side, and it would be OK. And it was.

I met a former veterinarian named Ivey (I assume that's the way he spells it), and we talked awhile. I saw several dogs we know, although they were all on the big-dog side.

We stayed a little over an hour; when Ivey and his group left, we did too.

Lady and I returned to the dog park today; it was our first time there in at least a month (Lady had gotten hurt the last two times we had visited there).

We saw several dogs and people we knew, including Chase, Daisy and Grace, plus their humans.

Lady was her usual gracious self and mixed among the humans there. I was friendly enough, but I had to lean up against the fence. After all, I use two canes at a time.

There were several active dogs there today, and I was afraid the dogs would run into me or knock me down. So I finally took Lady to the small-dog side after a couple left with their tiny dogs.

Lady wandered around a bit and then laid down. I got her some water, and after more than an hour there, we left.