Walks With Riley

Taking Riley on his daily walks can be an adventure.  We have seen kitties that need to be chased.  Dogs of all breeds which need to be greeted, sniffed and played with.  Trees, branches bushes, childrens toys, piles of poop -all of which need to be marked.  We have seen people sprawled out on their lawn like they were dead which panicked me until I realized they were just cooling off in the grass after a hot July day.  We have seen toys, liquor bottles and guns thrown into the alley way.  Fortunately the gun ended up being a toy, but it looked very life like to begin with.  We have picked apricots, plums and blackberries from bushes and trees no one seems to want to claim.  He avoids sprinklers like the plague, unless he is forced to walk through them.  (Can we say Big Wuss!)  Sometimes he has to be coaxed into walking - sometimes he flat out doesn't want to walk.  Oh yes - he will be the first one out the door if you let him, but sometimes he just doesn't want to move.

Anyway, last night did not disappoint.  There is a portion of sidewalk that we freqent that is overgrown with  sunflowers.  These plants get to be 7 to 8 feet tall and hang over the sidewalk.  It is to the point where I guide Riley into the street to avoid that specific area because you can't see and you get hit with all this yellow pollen stuff.  Who knows how many spider webs and bugs there might be lurking amongst the flowers.  As we walked last night it looked like someone was hanging out in that area of the sidewalk.  I thought for sure my eyes were playing tricks on me.  As I got closer there was definitely someone on the sidewalk.  I thought maybe they were cutting some of the flowers to take home but didn't want to get caught so they were accomplishing their task in the dark (yes I have thought of doing that very thing myself)  As we approached the area from the street I looked over and there was a disabled man that had missed the edge of the sidewalk in his wheelchair and had gotten stuck in this crazy garden of sunflowers.  He had managed to get out of his wheel chair but could not move the wheelchair by himself back onto the sidewalk.  Riley and I had a chance to be a good neighbor.   We were able to get the wheelchair back on to the side walk and get the poor guy on his way.

I am glad we went on our walk a bit early and I am so grateful we went that way and that we were able to help this man.  Ta Ta for now

PS - Questions from yesterday.....No corn dogs - my treat day was the birthday dinner - can't have more than one a week.  And yes - my UTES WON!!!!