People have asked me how big Parker is. Just knowing he weighs 23kg doesn't help much. So, by way of illustration, here is Parker and his crate with a helpful yard (90 cm) stick in the shot:
Also in the shot, visible just above Parker's head, is the ParkerCam. As you can see, I've returned it to its original location following Friday's disastrous experiment. No Cam tomorrow or Wednesday, sadly, as Parker will be at day camp both days.
Emboldened, perhaps, by his recent successes with tennis balls, yesterday afternoon Parker decided to hunt bigger game. Alas, his spatial-reasoning abilities have not yet fully developed:
We still had a great time playing catch. Being crated most of the day along with continued treatment for his embarrassing problem left him with a lot more energy than usual:
He's not quite World Cup material, but he's still only a puppy.
Also, I'm experimenting with the ParkerCam a little. Instead of just wondering what he sees, I thought I'd see for myself by reversing the camera angle. I may decide it's a bit too invasive (of my privacy, not his), but for now, a rare glimpse into Parker's life:
Parker had a terrific time at day camp yesterday. The over-tired energy you sometimes see in puppies and children conquered his fatigue, so he spent an hour playing with my neighbor's toddlers, and then half an hour with this tennis ball:
Notice two things. First, he's not so much running as staring at the ball willing it to move. He did run at full-speed around the yard a few times, but perhaps because he was so tired, he seemed to have trouble with the concept of "ball." Second, though it's hard to see in this photo, the ball is now missing about a square centimeter of skin. I'm not sure where it went, but I would guess that the dog walker will find it this afternoon.
This morning he seemed groggier than I was. I think he wanted my coffee, but I didn't make enough. So you can watch him sleep all day on the ParkerCam.
The ParkerCam will not have anything interesting (i.e., Parker) to show today, since Parker has gone to day camp. Also, I don't have any new photos. So, once again, I present a Classic TDP, never before seen here, from the day after I met him:
Yes, he once was that tiny.
While I'm working out here in Kyiv (actually Oak Brook, Ill.), Parker has to stay for hours on end in his crate. I feel bad about him being alone for so long (even though he gets walked around 1pm), but let's review why he's in a crate:
Tomorrow, though, the ParkerCam will be dark, because Parker gets to go to day care with his friends—and, more for my peace of mind, with the trainer who got him to understand the difference betwen me and the rest of his litter mates.
Also of note, a friend touring Thailand and environs called me this morning from Cambodia. That was really cool.
P-Dogg and I had a ball yesterday:
Chicago weather is truly wonderful. Yesterday Parker and I tossed this tennis ball around for half an hour, and yet only four days earlier it snowed. Parker, of course, does not care about the weather:
Nor does he consider, for a moment, where that tennis ball has been:
I'm still schlepping out to Kishinev (near Kyiv) every morning, so again all I have to offer is the dog walker's message from yesterday: "No business, but he's back to his usual self. #2: No. Treat." Simple, concise, nicely encapsulating my dog's afternoon.
Also, I've made a minor configuration change to the ParkerCam. A problem with the upload process had caused it to blank out occasionally; I've now fixed that. Enjoy.
In lieu of a photo, just a note from the dog walking service: "Wow, what a crappy day. Parker didn't mind a bit. #2: No."
All right, I admit, sometimes I really hate Chicago's weather. Parker, who has never experienced a really hot Chicago summer (though he probably experienced some serious heat on the farm near his birthplace in Carbondale, Ill.), seems to enjoy it:
Yes, folks, it's snowing in April. And because it's just above freezing, the snow is heavy, wet, and slushy. Parker took one look out the door this morning and bounded into the yard like...well, like a puppy.
Bad news, P-dogg: no play group tonight. It will be challenge enough to get the mud off you after your evening walk.
I've started a new project that is consuming almost every waking moment, so unfortunately I have no new Parker photo today. Instead, I'll re-post a classic, from last September:
