After getting crappy and then crappier news yesterday, I decided to go outdoors to distract myself and enjoy the weather a bit. It has been in the upper eighties and lower nineties for several days now, which is apparently what summer is supposed to look like here (as opposed to the constant rain we've been having for the last two months).
I put the dogs in the car and headed out to a local nature center. This one has a very large prairie, grown up tall with walking trails cut through, and is on the bank of a river. We walked around the paths for awhile, with both of them stopping every three feet to inspect the smells of the other dogs that had already been through. The field is full of goldenrod right now. I wish I had brought my camera (maybe today), because it hadn't occurred to me how much it would change as the summer wore on. Anyway, it was beautiful and not very crowded, and we all enjoyed ourselves.
By the time we got to the river we were all pretty sweaty. Despite the presence of a father and his two small daughters, we managed to get down the bank and into the water without too much ruckus. Because of the lack of rain, the river is quite slow right now, and low enough that even Wyatt (who stands 16 inches tall at the shoulder) could wade in without trouble.
Wyatt has never been a swimmer. His odd breeding (half corgi, half German Shepherd, we think) makes for a strange body type and legs that simply can't propel his barrel-shaped body very well. Also, the first day we got him from the pound, we thought it would be best to take him and Kilgore to the park so they could be introduced on neutral ground. That park also happened to be on a river, and since Kilgore is an avid swimmer he raced right in, and Wyatt followed right behind him and then had considerable trouble getting back out. The event obviously stuck with him, and ever since he has been more inclined to lie in wait on shore for Kilgore and then pounce on him as he emerges from the water.
Yesterday, though, I was able to convince him to walk in the river with me. I let Kilgore have a lot of slack on his leash (enough to swim around but not so much that he could play with the children), and focused on getting Wyatt to try swimming again. The river is really pretty in this particular spot, and clear enough so you can see where it gets deeper and how much deeper it gets. The boys wear harnesses rather than traditional collars now (more control and less choking, we've found), so I was able to use it like a handle (picture a fat, fuzzy, suitcase) and pull him through the deeper parts, his legs pumping and tail twisting furiously until he propelled himself (with my help) to the next spot where his feet reached the bottom. He was uneasy at first, but I think as he got used to it he liked it. Of course, I don't imagine him ever swimming on his own, because he was definitely listing, but it was good exercise and a nice way to cool off. I'm hoping to get back there today.

I start my new bartending gig this evening. Fairly certain that my days at the "Local" Health Food Store are numbered, because the restaurant wants me to work the same days that I already work over there. Hate to quit the LHFS, but I can't keep driving 40 miles each way to work 3 days a week. As for the new job, I think I may have mentioned that it's a nice restaurant and walking distance from the house, so I'm hoping it goes well. I'll keep you posted. Wish me luck.