Oh this, the first day of a new year, the sun gods decided to smile on Seattle. Not needing the news to tell me that the show was on, I grabbed a cigar and headed for Alki Beach, my other living room. Alki Beach is where Northwest flesh kept shadowed for entire epochs suddenly bares itself for the very occasional doses of free vitamin "D". Unfortunately today, although sunny, was colder than hell so the only flesh visible was of a canine nature. The rest of us were swathed in fleece and spanking new goretex gloves and fuzzy hats fresh from Christmas Stockings. As a matter of fact, even some of the dogs were sporting new outdoor outfits. We Seattleites are very proud of our outdoor chic.
Today the combination of sun, a New Years day and post-holiday gorging guilt produced a steady stream of promenaders. Comfortably ensconced on my bench, aforementioned cigar well-lit, I ignored my book in favor of the ever entertaining human parade. In accompaniment, a sub-parade of canine companions kept pace with their human counterparts. I seemed to be the only human on the beach not in the company of a doggie pal.
I live in an apartment in a building that does not allow dogs. Not only that, I am the manager of the building so smuggling a little furry friend into my abode would, at the very least, be setting a bad example. So no dogs for me. I really like dogs, more so now than at any other time in my life. No matter that I want to travel more and more and that travelling abroad for a month is not conducive with pet ownership, I seem to want a pooch nonetheless. So imagine my chagrin as the happy pet owners swaggered by with their furry companeros, observed me in my state of canine denial, and gave me that sad, acknowledging nod of simultaneous superiority and sympathy. "Ah, no dog. That explains it. Tsk tsk."
The Weimaraner (with trendy couple), the Corgi with the bad back legs and small rolling cart (complete with slow owners), the giant Chow for once comfortable with a huge fur coat and still the parade went on. A few of the critters stopped for a little ear scritch "Hey, there's a human without a pal, what's up with that?" while others were busy pulling their humans along on any number of wheeled contrivances. As if to add insult to injury, there were those bipedal walkers who sported multiple dogs, sometimes all pulling in different directions in need of a butt to sniff. It was as if to say "Here I am, capable of walking a bevy of man's best friends and you can't even manage a single Jack Russell or a Pekingese?"
Despite the temptation, I did finish my lovely cigar and I did not give into the temptation to scoop up someone else's pet and dash off. I walked home, turning up the hill glad for the sunshine and the lack of pooches once away from the beach. I guess I will continue to be responsible. I will not project my feeling of loss at my son's impending adulthood onto some small cuddly puppy. I will remain dogless for the right reasons or because of the wrong reasons. I forget which.
But damn, how cute would it be to have a nice little West Highland Terrier with a wee coat cut from the auld Boyd Tartan?
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