Barrel-Rolls and Flying Dogs

Yesterday I went jogging in the park. I came across a dog named Ginger who was frolicking around in circles just chasing imaginary creatures and enjoying the sunshine. Suddenly she thrust all four feet to the side and rolled over on her back. Then she proceeded to scratch her back in that twisting squirming manner, feet straight up in the air, in which dogs seem so able and happy to find themselves. Unfortunately Ginger’s violent scratching got her too close to the edge of a hill and she ended up barrel-rolling all the way down it just like we used to do when we were kids. When she got to the bottom she flipped back over on her feet, a huge smile playing across her face, raced to the top of the hill, and proceeded to roll down the hill again. I guess little kids aren’t the only ones that enjoy a good barrel-roll.

I then rounded the curve and was passed by two girls jogging with their miniature dachshund. He was doing his best to stay up with them, moving his feet so fast that it almost seemed like every other step was actually missing the pavement. His ears were blown back flat against his head and his tongue was flapping out to the side like a flag. It is unfortunate that despite all these efforts that he was, in fact, covering very little ground.