Monday 25^th September 2006

It's a dog's life

During my walk home this evening, I passed by my local park, where upon I saw a woman ahead of me who was rummaging for things from the back seat of her vehicle, and ambling along the footpath toward me was a small dog. Her dog.

You see, it's that time of the afternoon when the dog people congregate and let their canines interact, while they stand about talking and keeping an ever viligant eye for new droppings from their respective pooches, which they casually gather by hand, covered by a plastic bag, while never breaking the flow of their conversations; one has to be cool about these things. I have a strong preference to observe these particular manouvres during mid-winter, on a frosty afternoon, where one may clearly see the steam rising from the extruded swirls of porridge that then cycles into the nostrils and out through the mouths of these considerate owners as they stoop to scoop the poop, which not unusually requires more of a desperate scraping and wiping of the turf in a dexterous, two handed, juggling, fill 'n' twist motion of the baggy. The owners rarely take the opportunity to enjoy the thermal transfer to their chilled palms, which surprises me. But I digress.

So anyway, this woman slaps shut the rear door with a free leg, fumbles the items between her forearms and successfully jags the button on the security tag for her car and then ambles with greater imprecision in her attempts to catch up with her pooch, who is by now, well ahead.

There I was, strolling up, smiling to show my appreciation of dog people and their selfless duty to dogs, and as she passes me, she scowls and mutters, "thanks for your help!" Whoa! What'd she expect me to do? Touch the pooch?

I continued smiling, and I continued walking up the hill.

Over the many years that I have trekked by here and seen these people - dog people going about their dog duties, with their dogs running about untethered to their humans - it has always been taken for granted and generally appreciated that *this* is why the dog people come to meet at parks like these all around Sydney: it gives the dogs a bit of a free run and a chance for a shag, perhaps.

And this evening, for the first time ever I find myself castigated by some bitch who is clearly used to having people lick her stamps and finger her envelopes back at the office. And even with that crap dropped at my feet, I just couldn't help smiling.

Seeing the dog people always makes me smile.