Peace and Quiet and Blue Hydrangeas

Like a reverse commuter, Dorothy traveled out of the city yesterday for some greenery and quiet and singing birds and good times.  But before all the good, she had to weather her second car ride as an older puppy.  It was a little disappointing, in that the last two minutes of the trip involved a pass and review of the kibble and chicken she had eaten a few hours earlier...but on the whole, we give her car-riding skills a B+.  She cried on the way there, but generally did so from a lying-down position, and on the way back she really didn't seem nervous at all.

Dorothy, feeling rather pleasant on the whole:

Dorothy, wondering why we are still in this stupid vehicle:

Our destination was the lovely suburban hamlet of Narberth, PA, and it did not disappoint!  After living in the city for a long time, it is always nice to be reminded that other places are Quiet!  And have tons of beautiful, verdant trees!  And songbirds!  And gardens that are not just a pot on the concrete.  I was treated to specimen after specimen of my tied-for-first-place favorite flower, blue hydrangeas.  Almost every yard seemed to have a spectacular bush that was in perfect bloom--blue, purple, white, and some with multiple colors.  I kept no doubt annoying my companions by making them stop and ooh and ahh over the bluest flowers I ever did see.  Sigh.

But I digress!  I forgot to bring my camera on our walk, so you'll have to take my word for it, but Dorothy -- champion sidewalk sitter she -- walked beautifully on our thirty-minute walk.  She even walked up and down her first hills (Philadelphia is a very flat city), and enjoyed gathering speed as she walked down, culminating in a veritable trot.

We also spent time in my boyfriend's apartment, and Dorothy very much enjoyed exploring the place (although she wasn't too sure about those ceiling fans spinning above--they seemed a suspicious sort to her, thank you very much, and kept rudely blowing on her head).

After first exploring all the things she could climb on -- couches, a bed, armchairs! -- she then explored all the things she could go under.  So a lot of the time we spent there, the view of Dorothy was this:

Here is Dorothy enjoying her newfound lair under a couch, and then trying to drag a sock monkey there so she could kill it afresh:

So although we might bring some additional moist towelettes in the car with us the next time, both Dorothy and I very much enjoyed escaping summer in the city.  And we are determined to get Dorothy used to the car, come what may (after all, if she doesn't like to walk and doesn't like to ride in a car, our options will become limited!  She's a bulldogge, not a houseplant, I tell her....)  Stay tuned for a report in weeks to come of our next excursion, which will involve water and perhaps a paddling dogge?!