Horse Poop!

Jet’s take on the NE

You haven’t heard from me since we left Canada. Been busy readjusting to the smell of American dogs’ pee and taking longer naps now that we are in a different time zone. But all in all, it is good being back in the dog friendly U.S.. Been hiking and running in the Acadia National Park, something they wouldn’t let me do in Canada.

The other day on our run along Bubble Pond in Acadia I was alerted by a small animal in the road ahead, but then disappointed to find out it wouldn’t run and provide me a chase. Reason being, it was a pile of horse manure. My eyes are not so good at the long distances and the wind must have been at my back. Anyway as we ran along (slowly as Tom is slowing down from the lack of running lately) I was thinking what was with all the horse crap on the trail. When I even think about a crap, Tom and Suzy frantically search for a plastic bag, and are scooping it up almost as it leaves the source. So what is with all this horse crap? Why aren’t horse owners cleaning up after their animals? After all, the size of a pile of horse craps exceeds what I can do in two weeks. And the odor is not pleasant to my nose, anyway. So I am going to start an initiative for horse owner cleanup.

My other senses like hearing are still sharp, although Suzy caught me in an embarrassing mistake of hearing the other day. Tom was off on a bike ride and I was sure I heard the truck arriving so I let off with a few welcoming barks. Turns out it was just a passing truck, then this happened again, and I barked a welcome and it wasn’t Tom. Couple more trucks passed but I knew they weren’t Tom. And then finally Tom. Suzy pointed out that I was alerting and barking at diesel trucks and not gasoline trucks. OK, so I learned that every diesel is not our diesel. What is the big deal?

I imagine you have all heard about my rib steak dinner the other day. Tom and Suzy had no idea that I could get the steaks out of grocery bag, remove the shrink wrap and Styrofoam packaging and consume them bone and all without detection. They were upset as this was my first uninvited dinner and they didn’t even feed me that night. Oh, yeah, I learned my lesson, from now on, only eat half the steaks, leaving one for Tom.

I went backpacking the other day around Jordan’s Pond. (New Englanders call small lakes, Ponds) Tom had picked up a dog backpack at an REI garage sale and then had packed it away. Well he dug it out the other day and thought it would be a good idea for me to carry my own water, water dish, their water and snacks and my dog bones. It was a funny feeling underneath for a while but I quickly got used to it. I got a chuckle out of a girl on the trail who saw me and exclaimed, “Look, he has a life preserver on!” Can you imagine a Labrador with a life preserver? I was insulted. All these little foo foo dogs and their sweaters and hats and she picks on me doing the dogly thing of being a true pack animal. Humans! And the other dogs on the trail were all trying to get my dog bones. I couldn't do a big enough bend to get at them myself.

Ohh, almost forgot, got a new small stuffed animal this week. About the size of a small rat. Man can I make that guy squeak. Driving everyone crazy! Life is great!

Jet
Jetane (former French Canadian Lab)