Today our big adventure was to go to my favorite feed store - Western Farm Center. The store that allowed dogs to go shopping with their people long before the mega pet stores came into being.
And it's the place where I saw a dog that I thought looked really neat - wondered to myself "What kind of dog is that"? And did some research to find Silken Windhounds!!
Mocha apparently inherited a shopping gene, because she acted very at home here! The automatic doors didn't bother her, the busy atmosphere, with customers (adults and children), wheelchairs, shopping carts, other dogs, she took it all in stride! Quite a few people stopped to talk to her, and the universal word to describe Mocha was "sweet". Yes indeed!
A customer offered to take our pictures when Mocha was looking at the Parakeets. I missed the photo opportunity of Mocha checking out the plastic owls with the swivel heads. The kittens (shelter kittens for adoption) were not interesting because they were sleeping. But the guinea pigs were interesting, and the doves, chickens and rabbits were worth a look as well.
I was very impressed that throughout our visit, Mocha was willing to look at me each time I spoke her name. Of course she received a treat for her lovely responses. Good girl!
Capri the cat is still making up her mind about Mocha. Mocha hopped up to greet her, they touched noses then Mocha zoomed away to play.
It was a fun trip, and yes, there were a few little things purchased for our fun together. Perhaps the treats made up for the fact that I trimmed Mocha's nails this morning. I would have preferred to have a helper to feed her throughout the process, but it was time. This was the first time I've had to speak sternly to her - she definitely protested the process, so I'll be working on this a little bit more. She CAN be good for her nails, she's just rather not! (Not yet!)
We also managed to squeeze in a walk along another section of flood control channel and had the chance to meet and greet a couple of Vizslas along the way.
There's not much to report activity-wise for Thanksgiving Day. I had to work, and had to prepare my dish for the pot luck at work, so we stuck close to home. We did go out in the back yard to play with the toy I had purchased yesterday at Western Farm. It's a fuzzy squeak toy on the end of a rope with a handle so I can drag it along and have her chase it. It's not the big whip-like ones that I've seen, but it was all they had like that, and she enjoyed playing with it! I was surprised that Ethan didn't chase after it right along with her, but it was a good thing he didn't. He only dove in on occasion, but was easily diverted by his tennis ball.
Dave Mills has nothing to worry about in the photography department as it's very hard to spin the toy, spin myself AND try to take a picture with a little point-and-shoot camera with s-l-o-w shutter speed, but there are a few worth showing. Most are fuzzy, but I like the "spin" effect.
She did frighten me a bit when I noticed the toy had blood on it. A quick check revealed a VERY loose baby tooth, which must have caught on some of the fibers. It stopped bleeding right away, and she doesn't seem to be any worse for wear. I'll have to keep checking on it to see that it comes out okay naturally.