Learning the ropes…

C.E. Grundler

Yesterday was one of those glorious spring days, and absolutely nothing beats a boatyard in spring. After the long and brutal winter we’ve had here in the northeast, the optimism for the season ahead has everyone grinning, including my four-footed partners in crime. Rex and Loki know their way around and they know their boatyard etiquette, though Rex’s attention span, or lack thereof, keeps him on the leash. Now I had a third kid in tow, and this was her first day in this fascinating, distracting world of boats, yard cats, and a wide river. So once again it was ‘good example dog’ Loki who had to tow the line, literally.

We’ve tried this technique with Rex, but gave up out of sympathy for Loki. Rex had a talent for wrapping Loki, and anyone else he could, into tangles that any set of ear-buds would envy. Emma, on the other hand, paced herself to Loki, exploring this new world that Loki was confidently navigating. Loki seemed to enjoy the attention he drew, walking his own personal 1/2 scale ‘mini-me,’ and introduced Emma to old friends and new. Emma wasn’t so sure what Rex or Loki had in mind with all that water, though.

She’ll have to think about this one a bit more.

And then it’s back to work. I’m trying to figure out how I can train these guys to scrape the bottom. But until they learn how to wear dust masks and Tyvek suits, they have to stay home on Haz-mat days. Fortunately, we don’t have many of those left.