Quieter Days

Now that the fuss of Easter holidays is over, and Celeste has learned to walk on the leash, I have quieter days. We start our day with getting Omar to work, up fr breakfast at 6 am, out the door by 7, and then Celeste and I have our breakfast in a more leisurely fashion. Then we're out the door by 8, usually, and on the bike path or to the street market for about an hour.

Walking on the leash is probably the best thing that has happened to Celeste. She is eager to go and be part of everything, so a walk in the morning and a walk before bedtime are sure things. And if I need to go to the market, she goes along, too. The market is about 8 blocks away from our apartment building, quite stroll for a 10 week old pup, and is like an adventure for her. There is the JOURNEY, which must seem like an enormous thing to her - crossing Salaverry Avenue is like crossing I-25: 4 lanes of heavy, fast moving traffic and no street lights to help. Several construction projects are in progress along the way, so there are ruts in the streets, holes in the sidewalks, and big piles of dirt to be negotiated.

Then there are the dangers: giant dogs waiting around every corner...some seem to want to chew her up, and others are scary because they seem oblivious to her and would step on her without knowing it. People are like that, too. Some get right down on her level, putting their faces in hers and saying "here puppy puppy puppy", while others kick at her or screech at the sight of her. As we walk, there are always those who try to call her to them, in spite of the fact that she's on a leash and is unable to go visit them. And there's the inevitable taxi that runs the red light or fails to signal for a turn, so it's imperative to keep an eye out to the fore and aft, just in case that errant cabbie goes a little wild.

Of course after we arrive at the market, Celeste's fans abound. They greet her with the occasional kiss and a quick pat on the head. As she accompanies me from shop to shop, Celeste does her best to wangle a treat from the attending staff, but so far, that's been unsuccessful. The good thing is, though, that dogs are not banned from the shops and stalls there, and Celeste can go in with me anywhere...not inside a restaurant, but in the market area she is welcome, as long as she behaves herself. When Omar and I went to a little place to eat the other day, it was in an open part of the market and Celeste parked herself under my chair to watch the passers by. That was so nice! No one glared at us because the dog was with us, or asked us to leave. And I was so proud of Celeste for behaving, in spite of being surrounded by people eating.

So today was a market morning. We made the journey to the market, negotiating all the pitfalls and dangers, and Celeste waited patiently with me while I did my shopping, lounging on the floor and enjoying the cool tiles, checking out the interesting odors, and watching the other people as they entered. We went from shop to shop, only on the street side of the market this time, and then went home. She's resting quietly on my lap while I type this now...no chewing, no tormenting me, no restless scrambling around. I'm thinking that this walking thing is good for both of us!

On the knitting front, I have almost finished the back of a pink pullover for myself. It's of the drop stitch...we'll see how it turns out.