Taking Maxi For An Outing.

 A trip down the road, a trip prepared.

Today the second load of wood was delivered to my folks. Cut firewood that needed to be stacked into the shed. A whole cubic meter's worth. Hard work, but nice work, work I could take Maxi along with me.

Travelling with a dog means a bit of planning. Nowadays, just like for kids, he can't merely jump into the car and move about. Those days are gone along with headrest-less cars. He has his own little seat belt attachment, an old towel for covering the seat ( one never knows if he might take umbrage at my driving ) and of course the home comforts any dog owner can't leave without. His second cushion and a bag of treats. 

My mum was prepared. She already had put a big bowl of cold water in the shade for him. Can't get more welcoming than that, apart from the immeasurable cuddles he received the minute we arrived. Oh, he loved it.

It was a strange garden to him and yet he behaved extremely well. Naturally he explored the length and width of it no doubt marking his territory discreetly in the process. I was busy wheeling the full wheelbarrows into the shed, a place he couldn't and thankfully wouldn't go inside but I was thrilled to notice that he plonked himself down a meter from the entrance keeping me in his vision. 

A friend of my parents also helped and he knows Maxi from walking his own dog. More importantly, Maxi knows him and he was thrilled to see him there almost doing cartwheels trying to get a cuddle. Lovely. Maxi needs these affirmation of affections ( oh, don't worry, Bob and I give him oodles ) as he has been through a lot of emotional trauma recently.

Today I realized that he is feeling much better, that he is a well behaved little dog and that he now accepts me as his mum. When it was time to go home, he couldn't be happier to be lifted into the car and was almost dashing into our front door when we got home...perhaps that was more to do with showing off to Mausi, who obviously couldn't come along.

Biggi