Pre-show and sunshine

This is a show weekend so there is plenty to do, but it is also a fantastic, sunny day. What to do, what to do...

I gave Nugget his bath and dry. He looks pretty darn good, if I do say so myself. But the sun is out, and I just couldn't stand staying in the house. My yard and field are mud pits. So I loaded him in the truck and headed to the park at the ferry dock. Lot's of nice straight side walks for practice and nice manicured grass for relief. There is also a covered area that is raised; perfect for stacking! Add to the mix, dogs and people, and it is ideal.

Well, except for one thing. The groundskeeper. He drives around in his gator, and adores my dog. And it is mutual. The man cannot keep his hands off Nugget, and Nugget wants to be the co-pilot. It has been a while since we have seen him, but the Nugg-butter doesn't forget. So much for "down and back" practice. The fact that the dog was all clean and spiffy didn't help much either. Then the guy said it. The words that make me squirm. sigh. First he said, "I just can't keep my hands off this dog; he is so beautiful." Yep. I ate that up, smiling. Then it happened: "He is so soft and shiny." The shiny I will take, but the soft, not so happy about. Nugget is still working on his big boy clothes, so that will account for some of the still softness. I love it for the cuddle factor. His white feels like rabbit fur. It is wonderful. But, it is not correct. Therein lies our problem. It is so Cardigan in the way that it, surprisingly, sheds dirt and water. But too soft. Will I ever get to the point of NOT cringing, and considering that softness a compliment? At any rate, the keeper dude didn't catch the cringe as he was too busy baby talking the dog. Nugget, too busy trying to climb into the gator. We parted ways after him thanking me about ten times for bringing the dog down. And reminding me that at the Port "we are very dog friendly; come say good-bye before you leave." We walked. We sat in the sunshine. We came home. Hmmmmmmmmm.

So I grab Kate. Unbathed. Not a lot of coat. Brindle points. We head to the park. 'Twas a test. Kate is adorable. She is just not as eye catching. We park in the same spot. I wear the same clothes. We walk the same path. Nothing. Groundsman looks up, nods, and goes back to his weeding. We go closer. I now realize that he never even looked at me as he told me about this other dog he saw about an hour before. Looked a little bit like my dog in that it had short legs too. But he was a Cardigan Corgi show dog that was fourteen months old. How old was MY dog? I smiled and asked if I should run home and get dog number three. (I just couldn't resist.) Instant sun burn.

After a little bit of edumacating, he quietly asked:

"Are you going to bring the other one back?"

Perhaps.


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