Take a Walk With Ozzie and I

Would you like to take a walk with Ozzie and I, through the neighborhood?  Come on, it's a great day, let's go.

This is Ozzie in his new lead.  Ozzie is a bad walker.  He likes to pull and tug and choke himself half to death when he is on a normal collar style leash.  This little invention is called Gentle Lead, and makes it possible for me to actually walk Ozzie, instead of being pulled, knocked down and dragged down the sidewalk behind him.  I am loving it.  Ozzie?  Not so much, but he is getting used to it.  The principle is that the leash is attached to the dog's muzzle, so if he dashes ahead of you (who are holding the other end of the leash), his head gets pulled backwards in an uncomfortable manner.  Hence, the dog tends not to pull ahead, but rather walk along side you.  Amazingly, this works like a charm.

So, off we go, down my street for a lovely early Spring walk.

These trees are at the entrance to my street.  The flowering plum trees are all at the height of their glory right now.  Just look at this.

I wish you could smell these blossoms with us.

This is the home stretch, a lovely boulevard with a creek running along side it.  You should hear the frogs croaking in that creek!  That weird patch of brown grass?  The landscapers are trying to eradicate some sort of invasive grass, and have put weed killer on patches of it.

Let's get up close to one of those blossoming plum trees.

Here we are, back at home.  We've got a couple of those trees in our front yard too.

Thanks for coming with us! 

Oh, don't hate me.  I know this is like rubbing salt in a wound for all you poor snow bound people.  Just one more thing....

It's sandal weather.

Comments

[Betty]

Unbelievable! It was like a breath of fresh air. Spring does actually come. Our temps are well below zero with several feet of snow. I was shocked to know that there are flowers somewhere in the USA right now!!! It was good to come out of the igloo.

[Pam]

Oh - while looking out at the white world here, your pictures of beautful flowering tree blossoms bring hope, a wonderful reminder of things to come here soon. But the sandles - that was mean!!!

[Jennifer]

Oh, I miss sandals and painted tootsies! Thanks for the reminder that Spring IS on its way back. St. Louis doesn't look anything like your pics right now.

[Wendy]

I've seen people with those leads for their dogs and wondered how they worked.
We too will have green grass and flowers, spring will come we just have to wait another 4 1/2 months or so. Your pictures are beautiful and a great reminder of what will come :)

[Maria Stahl]

SHUTTTTT UPPPPPP!!!! It's freakin three below this morning. :)

[Jeorg]

My granny would have said, "you've got some meanness in ya!". ;). That's fine. Brag about your spring... It'll be spring here in Lexington in march! And absolutely gorgeous!!! And everyone will be bragging about how beautiful it is here in the spring while popping pills for their allergies... I just have to wait. I just have to wait.... Is it march yet???? :D

[Karen L.]

Beautiful, hopeful pictures, Nicole. Our wind chill here in Iowa is -27 this morning.

[Barbara Anne]

What lovely surroundings! Our flowering plum is still bare but there is a heavy frost this morning. I saw my first pair of Eastern Bluebirds yesterday so they think spring is coming.

Interesting leash.

Thanks for the hope-inspiring pictures!

Hugs!

[Linda]

Wow! It looks like Spring already in your neighborhood. It'll be months before I see anything like that! Sandal weather?? Again, I'll be in Ugg Boots until May!! :-) So nice that you can walk Ozzie now and enjoy such a beautiful day. I won't walk Sarge until the snow clears out. Trust me, we both could use a good walk!!

[Karen]

OHHH! We got 3" of wet heavy snow overnight and the temperature is dropping as I write! We don't really see spring-flowering trees till April, the beginning of May! I'm coming to your house!

[Nancy, near Philadelphia]

And to think that I used to like you SO much!

[Kayte]

Is that house still for sale because I want to be there! Gorgeous, all of it...including the sandals weather! Thanks for the respite...we might be up to 40 degrees by the weekend and it might melt some of our drifts of snow...might. Ozzie is so cute.

[Sue Bennett]

That is so hard to believe. I am sitting here and it is pouring the snow. And freezing. Beautiful photos. thanks for sharing.

[Holly]

Oh my gosh, there is hope of Spring to come! I have just come in from shoveling 4 more inches of snow and trying to find new places to put it besides the ever increasing snow banks. I just wanted to catch my breath before heading back out when I saw your pictures, the green grass and flowering plum blossoms,so beautiful! I should hate you, but thanks so much for sharing. Lol

[Michele]

Beautiful! I love the trees :) It's not that nice in my part of Florida yet! I just got back from walking Copper and it's cold!! Your dog is cute!! Thanks for sharing some Spring with us :) Enjoy!!

[Brenda]

Thanks for sharing a breathe of spring. The plum trees are so pretty. We are weeks away from spring here.

[Jackie Hicks]

It's not the flowering trees and green grass that makes me jealous - it's those pretty red toenails in those sandals - my feet are so ready for spring!!!!

[Shelley dionne]

Ouch!! That salt stings LOL! We have 14 foot snowbanks and you're wearing sandals and smelling blossoms! I'll be right there..make up the spare bed LOL!

[LoriD]

I have to say that I am very jealous!! It looks like a gorgeous spring day!

[Sharrieboberry]

We're getting ready for another round of snow here in north Texas. Oh my! Crazy!

I'm glad the gentle lead is working for Ozzie. It's no fun playing tug-of-war with a dog when we just want a nice, easy walk!

[Abby Latimer]

I'm so jealous. We had a blizzard storm last night. Snow, wind the works. How I wish our trees had some pink flowers blooming!

[Jan]

Here in Wyoming, I got a pedicure last week myself. But, as I left the shop I wore my flip-flops and dodged snow on the sidewalk all the way to my car! As for walking dogs--they head out their flap and right back inside as soon as they finish in single digit temps! Thanks for sharing--we'll have some blossoms and leaves by late May!

[Deb A]

That's just plain mean! It's -4 here now, with snow still on the ground, but we're hoping for temps around 40 by the weekend. Will be glad when spring arrives in a couple of months.

[Jocelyn]

Beautiful pictures Nicole. And I LOVE sandal weather. I'm a flip flop type of gal :-)

[annieb]

Thanks for the pictures- makes me hopeful we might have spring at some point...maybe I should book my pedicure today!