Up and out at 7 AM, picked up the puppies and began the arduous slog. Going there we had a lot of fun. I got my check and started back. Had an offer of a ride from one of my co-workers, who was as upset as me, but having 3 dogs kaboshed that plan.

We kept having a good time but about 3 miles into the return trip Fat Yellow Dog started to complain a little: “I is a very little dog and it is a very very long walk. And I is very fat. I can't go no further sir." I hate it when anyone calls me sir.
So I put him into my back pack and slung him over my shoulder. That was no good as he didn't like to look backwards . . . so he twisted himself around, tearing up all my plastic “poop" bags, and rode with one paw on my shoulder and another on my head. I'm sure I looked totally insane.

Chow was upset because he thought that he, being the oldest, should get to ride on my head. Ethel and Fat Yellow Dog just kept yelling at each other.

I forgot to mention it was raining . . .
We got our check cashed and I went to a shop called Pa's Paws (these names) and they carried Frosty Paws! So I got a package. There was a small grocer next door so I got an apple. We sat on the bus bench and ate our treats. Fat Yellow Dog pointed out that now that he was powered by doggie ice cream he could walk again. "If I gets that tired again it is a good plan to give me more ice cream cause that's the only medicine that works."
Chow and Ethel thought that if Fat Yellow Dog got more ice cream so should they!
We got home with no problems, unless you think having to stop and talk to every fenced in dog we encountered to be a problem.
We walked 14 miles today. Even with the constant stops and explorations we did the whole trip in just under 6 hours! That's like 2.3 miles an hour, which really isn't that impressive I guess, but it felt impressive.
Ethel's sleeping now. I realized how badly I'm feeling. Even with 3 dogs for company I felt terribly alone, like I was walking through a lunar landscape, out there in high relief. It's been a while since I felt this way. That's good. For a long time I always felt that way.