Uncle Tommy and friends





Today started with a walk to the Carpinteria Beach. The sky was very overcast, but it didn’t stop us. I put on my shorts and my windbreaker and knit cap and we headed for the shore.

There weren’t many people, but it seemed like almost everyone there had a dog. Some we ignored and some engaged with us. In between meetings, we ran a little, fetched a little, and sat in the sand a little. I swear, I could sit on the beach and just look out at the ocean all day.

Eventually we headed back to the room to get ready to drive back into Santa Barbara; this time to meet my Uncle and his wife and some of their friends for dinner.

They also had two dogs. One of which was a highly dominant, large female border collie mix. She had TONS of energy and was actually a match for River, who submitted to her.

As the humans got caught up over chips and salsa and veggies and humus, the three dogs played roughhouse inside and out. This went on for about an hour until River finally had had enough. He attempted to let Violet know that he was done by giving her an angry snap, but she retaliated with an even angrier, “No! I say when we’re done!” It didn’t take long for this to escalate and finally the humans had to pull them apart. Violet was put outside for the rest of the evening, while River came to my lap to recuperate.

I was a bit concerned for his leg as the roughhousing had always made it worse in the past, but i wasn’t about to take away the fun he was having. He so rarely gets to play ‘full on’. And, as I suspected, as soon as all the dust settled, he wasn’t putting the foot on the ground at all. It hung off of his hip like a piece of meat in the butcher’s window. 

We had a delicious dinner as River lied on the floor nearby and after dinner, River limped with me back to the hotel where I met a client for a massage in my room.

It was a full day with lots of activity and we were both konked out.

Fortunately the next few days were going to be very easy on River and he would have lots of time to heal before we hit the beach again. The next few days will be Disneyland, and he’ll be staying in the Disney Kennel.

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