Arthritic...

The Weimaraner Rule Book says... Wherever I am, so must be the Weimaraner. Bored with sunbathing & discovering... to his Utter & Complete Disgruntled-ness... that I was not within three feet of his Dog-hood-ness... that I have important Things-to-do never enters his mind... The Dog began the arduous trek up to where I was. This happens quite often. I was standing above attempting to take The Dog's portrait, so regal did he appear, as he gracefully partook of the arthritis soothing rays. Not to be, as you can see.

Yep. The Dog has arthritis. He lops-along as we go on our three to four w-a-l-k-s a day. We had a Vet Visit last week about it. I am now obliged to crush an acrid green-yellow pill, mix it in with his dog chow, to hope The Dog won't eat around the tiny pill-bits. He has a very able & talented tongue.
What's the pill? Well, it's shark's cartilage!!! How about that? Can you hear the Jaw's music? It's always... well, the drumming beat of the music...  is always in my head while I crush & serve.

The treatment slip from The Vet states 4 times a day. I asked The Short-person, who is un dottore, if I really needed to terrorize The Dog & myself with giving a pill so often. He said no.... Twice is fine. Wonderful!!!... I said.

The cure may need some time though. Apart from the fact The Dog is not skipping-a-doo-day which, I am not sure I could still keep up with. I too am a bit arthritic in my 57.91 years. I have noticed The Dog eats a lot of grass and you know what that means? Throw-up is right around the corner!!! This is mightily embarrassing too. Since just walking down the street excites the nearby public to rush over to ask me... May I stroke your Dog? Stroke? I beg your pardon... What kind of animal is it? He is not an animal, he is A Weimaraner!!! Ugh?... and so on & so forth... to have these folk clammer to tell me... Hey! Your dog is eating grass!!!... Why is he gagging?... and to ask how come is just entirely too much. Yet, it is all resolved to their Total Satisfaction when I blurt out... He has arthritis. The crowd responds with a collective... Ahhh... and immediately disperses. The Dog returns to his antipasta d'erbe and I am left in Pace. Gads. 

I ain't going out in that!

Here is a Live-action shot of The Dog... brakes smoking... in the entrance to our palazzo. He scents it is wet outside. He also detects that I intend to bodily drag him out into it. He was right. But, I lost the battle. He waited until I could come to my senses. 

I am amazed The Dog got this far. Normally, he stops DEAD in his tracks right out of the elevator. And, in cases of a downpour, he never leaves the elevator at all. Oh! Well, then, he never even gets off his upstairs bed, if his arthritic joints tells him there are torrential rains outside. 

You know, I try to communicate to The Dog about the day's weather. When it is Big raining outside, Moses, I take him out onto to our balcony, so he can have rain water soaking his Weimaraner schnozz. It has yet to work. I guess, he knows he ain't going out into the Big Rain from the balcony, so why be concerned? The Dog is smart enough to know we always leave by the building's front door. Thus, the photo. Gads.

One of Our Spots...

Here is a Live-NON-action shot of The Dog giving me The Look... I ain't moving from here. A brief note: what with the attached leash, he is not the one to decide, or is he? A characteristic of Weimaraners is they can be very insistent!!! Anyway, do you want to know why?

Because, he likes to watch the cars go by on via Buozzi. And, in a less than drizzle too. Gads.

Getting his paws wet...

Then, once The Dog is actually out under the wet... but, ONLY if it is less than a slight drizzle... he discovers he rather likes the sensations of water running down his Weimaraner back & ears, the freshness of the urban park smells, the beauty of the flowers, the noise of car's wheels on wet asphault and, he willingly keeps me out in it too. Gads.

Up & down...

This here is a super Live-action shot of The Dog hopping up & down for a piece of bread. He didn't even give me the chance to get my coat off, divest myself of bags & sacks, or anything. The Dog felt it was His Immediate Due, since I had abandoned him to go grocery shopping IN THE CAR without him, for a Treat!!! How an arthritic Dog can hop up & down so is... well, it's pretty cute of him... darn it. The b-r-e-a-d arrived post-haste for such a performance. Gads.

The Dog...

Dear C...,

Has Spring come to Wisconsin? Here in Italy, The Weather is still mulling over the issue. 

To cheer you up, here are a few shots of My Adored Canine, The Dog. You know, I'd KILL for My Dog. That said... now we can get on with the pics...

Moses in the way-back of The Short-person's crummy beat up old AUDI. He's nestled against the door, Normally, he does so against the seat backs, however, he was thoroughly dis-oriented to see them in The DOWN Position. It took several minutes of his twisting around to figure out how best to plop down AND against what.

Here is Moses as My Construction Super-intendant. However, he cannot fathom how he was left up there & I got away down where I was. Apparently, His Job is to be wherever I am.

Here is a computer generated portrait of The Dog pulled off by a friend of ours. The frame was included in her feat of the gift. Is he NOT the Most Noble of God's Creatures?

Hope all is well.

Love... F...

The Dog...

Oh, Moses! Oh, Moses! Your Presence is A Major Contribution to Our World as we know it!!!

Gads.

Why aren't you up here with me?

Wherever I am so too does The Dog want to be.

Moses' new food...

The Dog has new food. It is in NO WAY what he cares for. But then, he is NOT the one, who is awakened at 2:37 in the morning by the incessant licking of an allergic reaction to The Old Stuff. Sleep-licking must be peculiar to Weimaraners, do you suppose? So annoying.

The New Dry Stuff is very stinky. It's salmon. The Vet says it is full of Good Stuff for The Dog. Ingredients to calm the itch. Big deal, says The Dog, it tastes yucky, and eats around it. 

The Canned Stuff is what The Dog likes... and God Bless too. He doesn't miss a morsel of deer in a can. However, The New Canned Stuff costs over five bucks a shot!!! That's the price of a McDonald'sKid's Meal, and with it, you get a prize. I better not say anything to The Dog. He'll want a Special Bone. Gads.

Confirmed...

Is NOT My Adored Dog destined for Posterity with this stunning portrait?

A Dog Park friend did it. The Dog nearly drove her to despair though, trying to get him to stay still long enough for a suitable photo. He kept turning to look up at me, as if asking for My Permission... since I was, oddly, NOT the one holding the camera... or, The Dog would move in between my legs to get away from the alien camera wielding person. Oh! And then, her XXXL canine wanted his picture taken too. 

It would have also been helpful for The Dog had the friend any competence with a micro-SONY digital camera. I just hit the button & let what may come happen with The Dog... or anything else, for that matter. This was NOT good enough for my friend. And, probably a fine thing to, admiring The Result. However, she poked & pranced around The Dog to get his Best Side. Then, when all was ready, she would fiddle with her camera, loosing the shot. 11 minutes later... and with me far, far away from The Dog, so as NOT to distract him from his imminent Posterity... A Perfect Shot was got!
Once the impromptu photo shoot was complete, my friend dashed home, got on her computer, downloaded The Perfect Photo, had it immediately printed out on heavy art-paper, stuck it in a fancy frame and called me to come get it.
Now, I must find a suitable place to demonstrate what a fine looking canine My Dog is.  I thought upstairs in my bathroom so, while sitting, I can admire him... without interruptions. Gads.