Park Walking

This is Molly. Since mom has been lazy lately, I figured I would grab the computer while she does something else, like cook our lunches. Hurry up, mom!

Yesterday mom took us in that big metal noisy thing that lives in the box-like room that goes outside from the pantry. The whole house is explained by routes from the food pantry or refrigerator. Everyone thinks like that, right? We don't like the metal thing mom calls a "car," although it is nice how when we get in it, after a while, we get out and we are some place else. How does mom bring those places to us? We figure she can do magic.

This time we went to a strange place. We parked the car, and went down a long path. Mom called it a "park," but that seems a loose translation to me, unless that is the place where all the insects park, too. We saw a heron rookery, a waterfowl pond, lots of swampy land, billions of insects, a turtle hauling butt across the path, lots and lots of birds, a chipmunk, and a sign saying there are muskrats and also a few beavers in the area. Mom felt vindicated, having felt the little furry things that were in our own pond sure looked like beavers to her. They were living in the water and building little homes there.

The place was deserted except for one man. He was sitting on a picnic table starting at some swampy land. At first, mom was a little nervous, but then she decided he must be a birdwatcher. He sort of gave mom a mean look, but instead of yelling, "Hello!" she slowly raised her hand and gave a very quiet wave. He hesitated, and waved back, with a slight nod of appreciation. We all walk pretty quietly in the woods, so we weren't scaring the birdies away. Now we know where our blue heron lives, too.

I pulled mom over onto the very edge of the path, where there was no one around at all and had some rather runny poopies. Mom sighed, and cleaned it up and dumped it in a trash can after carrying it in her pocket. Mommy is a good girl.

We left that park, and mom stopped us on some grass and said, "PEE!" before she would let us in the car. Mom has taught us to pee when she says so. We manage to squirt out a few drops at least to make her happy. So while she is saying, pee, pee - mom sees a man peeing on a piece of heavy equipment in the parking lot. Backhoe, maybe? She started to laugh and had to turn around. She was hoping he didn't think she was talking to him. Once we got in the car and were driving off, mom waved to him, too, the kind of wave where people smply acknowlege each other.

On we went to Park 2. There were 4 parks mom wanted to hit. They are all close together and not more than 5 miles or so from our home. This second park was much bigger - the first was more of a sanctuary. The second was more of a regular park. Mom gave us more water - she carries a bottle with a very small bowl for us. I will drink from the bottle, but Baby won't. We started to walk on a path towards a nature center. (3 of the parks are all part of one big one, we think.)

We walked a mile or two, in addition to the distance we had gone in Park 1. It was pretty, much less buggy. We saw a deer who was peeking at us from behind some trees. We saw a woodchuck. I wanted to chase that one, but mom said no. There was a bridge over a little river, and mom noticed a walkable area underneath. We kept going, pretty far. We passed a man with a very HUGE dog, a little puppy, and a little boy. No water for the puppy, who really wanted to play with us.

Finally we turned around, because mom wanted to see the other two parks. Mom gave us more water, then decided we needed a rest. She didn't, but it was kind of hot and she worries about my electrolytes. Mom found a bench, and sat down so we could rest.

I got very close next to mom, squatted, and peed blood.

Mom looked at me, looked at the blood, sighed, said, "Poor Molly," sighed again, and reached into her handy-dandy cargo pants pocket for her phone and called the vet's office. From a park bench in a park. How cool  is that? Mom had to agree to collect urine in order to get antibiotics for me. Mom has been watching me for a week. I have been a little quieter, and she suspected another UTI.

Baby and I didn't want to leave the park. We like that park!

Mom let us go under the bridge, then dragged us over some stones because we were afraid of the water. Baby was brave and started walking on her own on the stones. Then I did too - that cool water felt nice on my tired little foot pads. Mom is so smart sometimes. We waded around for a while. Some how mom kept her sandals dry by walking on the higher stones, but made sure we got wet and muddy :-)

Mom mumbled something about why bother having leather seats if no muddy dogs get in and walk on them?

We had to skip the other two parks, but mom promised we will go again soon. We went home, and mom waited for me to have to pee again, which didn't take long. She got a long handled ladle (which she keeps just for me!) and an empty glass baby food jar, and we went outside while the lawn service guys were outside with their loud machines and as soon as I squatted, mom stuck the ladle under me and got a lot of urine. She poured it into the jar, waited for Baby to pee, then ran inside, took a shower, fed us lunch, and took the sample to the vet.

Bad news: I do have white and red blood cells in my urine and I am now on lots of antibiotics.

Good news: No crystals in my urine! Kidney fears are over for a while again! YAY!!

Mom gets to feed me 2 antibiotic pills a day for 14 days. Oh boy, extra treats all around!

Today we are going back to Park 2 and walking with mom's friend and his little boy. Baby and I are excited - we like little people, as long as mom makes sure they don't hurt us. Mom is worried I might get crabby because of my UTI, but I don't think so.

Who can be crabby in a beautiful, huge park where we can walk and walk and smell stuff?