Riley and one of her Hoomens – the Lady – went for a long walk on a beautiful, sunny day in early summer. Riley decided she wanted to be out for a very long time, so she tried to behave like a good doggie instead of the crack head she normally is on a walk. She didn’t pull the Lady along like she usually does or try to eat every stick or dried up worm on the pavement. This was hard for her, but she was committed to staying outside as long as possible. Today she walked so nicely by The Lady’s side, The Lady thought Riley must be sick.
There was so much to see on their walk! There were butterflies, birds, and squirrels, and Riley chased them all, even when That Lady got tangled in Riley’s leash and said bad words. Riley saw two other doggies out walking, but none of their Hoomens wanted to play. Riley decided Hoomens were mostly dull and unimaginative. She pitied them.
There were lots of muddy puddles and little streams, and every now and then, That Lady was nice and let her play in some of them. On the way home, the Lady loosened the leash so Riley could walk ahead a little bit, and even trot if she wanted. But the day was getting warmer, and Riley, with her very thick fur, was getting a bit heated. So she decided walking was better than running. Even when they rounded the last corner and Riley smelled the familiar scents of home, she kept her pace with her hoomen. That Lady looked a little sweaty and puffy; Riley thought it best to go easy on her.
Once back at home, it was lots of cold water and ice cubes for both of them. As Riley flopped onto the cool, wood floor she thought, “What a lovely adventure. That Lady must like me.” This fleeting thought caused a surge of excitement within her, and she felt such a strong need to act that she sprang from her position stretched out on the floor and dove into her basket of toys. She grabbed her tennis ball and firmly shoved it into The Lady’s crotch, just as she was about to sit down on the sofa. Strangely, The Lady didn’t seem to enjoy that, and Riley remembered how nice and cool her spot on the floor was, so she settled back down with the tennis ball to have a little nap. As she was closing her eyes, she thought she heard That Lady whimper a little. Ah, poor thing. She wants some attention. Riley would have to play more with her later. But, now, a nap.
Heather Idell 