Sunday, March 04, 2007
It's The Pit - Conroy Pit
After spending half of today trying to figure out how to buy and download songs on-line for Sarah's MP3 player using gift cards she got for Christmas, it's time for a change of pace. Much as I thought I didn't enjoy yesterday morning's expedition, it was actually more fun than today's frustrating venture into the world of computer technology.
Yesterday was one of those rare occasions when I accompanied Cheryl and Oreo to Conroy Pit, the local dog run that consists of miles of wooded paths where dog owners can let their pets run free off leash. In fact, it was a full-family outing as Sarah came along, too.
It started off as a nice walk on a mild, sunny late winter day. But within minutes, it started snowing and we soon found ourselves slogging through a mini-blizzard. Luckily, it only lasted about fifteen minutes. But then we spent the rest of the time slogging through soft snow that made the walk more drudgery than fun (at least for me).
Despite all that, there were some interesting moments. It was fun to watch Oreo meet up with various dogs and play and roughhouse with them. It was also fun to see the wide variety of dogs (everything from a Shitzu to a St. Bernard) and owners (of all sizes and descriptions) and to hear their (the owners') tales of dog ownership.
One couple made me realize how lucky I am to have Oreo as our pet. Their dog
Riley is a lovely animal but it had one odd and ultimately expensive habit: it ate socks whole. That necessitated three separate operations to remove a sock from the dog's intestines for a grand total of $7,000 in vet bills. Luckily, the couple had pet insurance so that most of the cost was covered. The husband noted that after the first operation, the insurance company sent a cheque and a note enquiring after Riley's health. After the second operation, they just got a cheque and for the third operation, they got a cheque and a letter saying that this would be the last time they'd be footing the bill for a sock removal (pun intended). Thankfully, Riley has outgrown his obsession and the days of sock ingestion appear to be over.
The walk lasted an hour which is typical for Cheryl and Oreo who both enjoy these outings on a regular basis. For Sarah and me, an hour was about fifty minutes too long. Luckily, we took a separate car and made our own pit stop on the way home - Tim Horton's - where we recovered from our outing over a hot chocolate, a decaf and a box of Timbits. Now that's an outing worth repeating.
Yesterday was one of those rare occasions when I accompanied Cheryl and Oreo to Conroy Pit, the local dog run that consists of miles of wooded paths where dog owners can let their pets run free off leash. In fact, it was a full-family outing as Sarah came along, too.
It started off as a nice walk on a mild, sunny late winter day. But within minutes, it started snowing and we soon found ourselves slogging through a mini-blizzard. Luckily, it only lasted about fifteen minutes. But then we spent the rest of the time slogging through soft snow that made the walk more drudgery than fun (at least for me).
Despite all that, there were some interesting moments. It was fun to watch Oreo meet up with various dogs and play and roughhouse with them. It was also fun to see the wide variety of dogs (everything from a Shitzu to a St. Bernard) and owners (of all sizes and descriptions) and to hear their (the owners') tales of dog ownership.
One couple made me realize how lucky I am to have Oreo as our pet. Their dog
Riley is a lovely animal but it had one odd and ultimately expensive habit: it ate socks whole. That necessitated three separate operations to remove a sock from the dog's intestines for a grand total of $7,000 in vet bills. Luckily, the couple had pet insurance so that most of the cost was covered. The husband noted that after the first operation, the insurance company sent a cheque and a note enquiring after Riley's health. After the second operation, they just got a cheque and for the third operation, they got a cheque and a letter saying that this would be the last time they'd be footing the bill for a sock removal (pun intended). Thankfully, Riley has outgrown his obsession and the days of sock ingestion appear to be over.
The walk lasted an hour which is typical for Cheryl and Oreo who both enjoy these outings on a regular basis. For Sarah and me, an hour was about fifty minutes too long. Luckily, we took a separate car and made our own pit stop on the way home - Tim Horton's - where we recovered from our outing over a hot chocolate, a decaf and a box of Timbits. Now that's an outing worth repeating.
