First of all, my poor little Mason needed a haircut already when we went into quarantine in mid-March. I was amazed to find that Pet Smart was open for grooming around the middle of April, so I made an appointment for him and then thinking about all the closeness involved – and the fact that I live with my 96-year-old mother, whom I am protecting – I postponed the appointment until predictions were a little less dire about the Coronavirus, with the result that by the time we went last week, this is what Mason looked like.
He was beginning to come back from our walks with small twigs and brambles stuck in his fur, and then he’d pull and yank on them to get them out. I felt like a bad pet mom, and decided I needed to just go do it. It turned out to be just fine; groomers were distant with me but cuddled Mason the same as always, so he was happy and well-cared for and I didn’t bring any foreign germs back to Mother. His hair looks a little short, but he feels so free when we go out for walks now. It’s in his walk; and he’s cute always, but in a different way. Those big brown eyes that melt my heart are visible now.
Snakes Are Out
On our walks, we’ve seen some interesting things, and the happiest one is that all three snakes I’ve seen while out walking were dead in the road. (I know I seem anti-snake, but it bothers me to think that while I would avoid a snake like the plague, my little dog would have his nose all over it, which can be extremely dangerous to him.) At this time of year the warmest place is pavement, like roads and sidewalks and other walkways. Trees don’t often hang out enough to cover much of the road, so it’s going to be the hottest place around in this part of the country. Out west, I don’t know, high flat rocks, I guess.
I’m ready for this Coronavirus thing to be over, at least the stay at home stuff. It sounds from reports, which I watch only to get the bare minimum of information I need without the fear-mongering, that the worst is over. My thinking is that we need to get back out there and get things moving, which seems to be happening, and logically, weather things now as they come. The virus is going to become just a part of life; eventually everyone will be exposed to it, just like everything else out there, and we’ll be equipped to deal with it as we get ourselves strong, healthy, and prepared.