Doggie Dip Day on Fort Huachuca

To close out the outdoor swimming season, Fort Huachuca's Irwin pool sponsored a free day for dogs and their owners.  Small dogs got noon - 2pm, big dogs got 3-5pm.  At 10:30am I went to the veterinarian's office to get a copy of Minnie's shot record and took Zeke with me. He and I had lunch at Culver's on the way home where he was treated to a "Doggie Scoop," a free scoop of vanilla custard topped with a Milkbone biscuit.  (He didn't eat the biscuit).

The rest of the day was dedicated to Minnie.  I got to the pool at 2:40pm and they were already letting dogs in.  Several GSDs and a few Goldens were already in the big pool.  Would Minnie remember her dock diving skills?  The big pool intimidated her, but the more dogs that got into the pool, the more eager she was about getting in.  I had to remind her to use the ramp, rather than have her struggle trying to push herself off the edge, with her wet weight pulling her down.  I brought her pool toy, but the pool staff provided the free use of endless tennis balls for dogs to fetch.  I enjoyed watching all the dogs have fun  much as I enjoyed being with Minnie.  She enjoyed the water, too, but always made sure I was nearby.

Steve and his dog finally arrived at 3:40pm, at the height of the attendance.  There were so many GSDs there, I had a hard time recognizing Minnie!  Dogs barked, chased each other, jumped in the pool to steal other dogs' balls, and a few even pooped on the astroturf.  Luckily provisions were provided for that.  Little Trace ran around like a wet propeller, jumping after balls and sniffing butts.

We talked to one woman with a traditional collie.  I chatted with one man whose Golden Retriever-Corgi mix was a joy to watch chase after the big dogs.  I am happy to see dog owners interact with their pets; too many dogs in our neighborhood are doomed to be backyard guard dogs with little human interaction.

I alternated between the large pool and the kiddie pool for Minnie.  The kiddie pool was crowded with dogs and kids and at the deepest was just 2' deep.  Minnie was comfortable with that.  As the crowd began to dwindle again by 4pm, she was as comfortable in the large pool, and even used the  ramp to exit, just as she learned in dock diving.

Even I got in the large pool to be with Minnie, carrying her through the water when I saw her get tired.  She appreciated my help.  It felt good to be in the water.  I should consider resuming doing lap swims at the fort pool to ease my chronic back pain.

The pool closed at 4:55pm.   From there we went to the Class VI store to look at the current craft beer selection.  I ended up buying over $100 in beer! We finished off the day with a meal at Popeye's in the MI Village, surrounded by young trainees of which I was one 30 years ago.  The spicy chicken was good, but it took us 30 minutes to get it. Minnie got the bones and gobbled them down, grateful for the snack.  She looked worn out from all the swimming, but wasn't too tired when I took Zeke and Sweetie on their 1.7-mile walk around the 'hood.

Hurricane Florence, which reached the North Carolina coast Thursday morning, is now a lingering tropical storm.  I watched the latest footage from that tonight:  Wilmington's historic district took a direct hit, with its old trees toppled.  New Bern's old homes collapsed, requiring rescue efforts from trapped citizens.  The photos online are devastating, as I always hate to see the innocent animals suffer along with the humans. Flooding continues across both Carolinas, with 12 people now reported dead.  Many who opted to ride the storm out are the elderly and the poor, two segments of society that always suffer from such natural disasters.  This persistent rain will not abate for a few days, spreading bacterial contamination from the many hog and chicken farms in the Carolina lowlands.  Rivers in the central part of the states will reach record highs.