TOO SEXY

It has been exceedingly cold here this past week. Now I realize "exceedingly cold" has a whole different meaning in, say, Alaska than in Tucson. It is all relative, like when a Beagle's proud parent says "she runs really fast, too." Which is entirely true, for a Beagle. Just as 25 degrees is in Tucson.

In the southwest desert 25 degrees is also too damn cold to be traipsing around the dog park, and, as such, we actually stayed home a couple of mornings this week. (Just a side note - the girls were not happy at this unexpected change in their routine and there was a major revolt involving couch pillows. Sigh.) As a result of the winter weather finally arriving, we have also moved back the time we are meeting on the weekends to a more reasonable hour, now that it is 35 degrees at 7 AM rather than 80 (which is why we meet at sunup during the summer)

Hang in there, there is a point to the weather discussion and it is this....when it gets chilly here, we break out the cold weather gear for ourselves and, more importantly, the greys. Which typically involves the fuzzy coat. A couple of weekends ago, I had forgotten the girl's coats at the house and they were pretty cold by the time the next person, Lisa, arrived at playdate with her hounds. (I have been getting to the field early to work with Dru, who is still suffering some fear issues about running with the pack. She will keep to the outer edges of the fenced area when all the dogs are there, so we go when it is empty so she will run.)

When I realized how cold the girls were and commented on it, Lisa was nice enough to volunteer a coat to Breeze, who at this point was shivering. We were honored. This coat is Sparkle's. Period. It is associated with her; like the police and Lindsay Lohan. Only in a good way. Sparkle's been sporting this look for as long as we have been coming to the park.

Somehow Breeze knew this was special and she was transformed the moment the last Velcro strip was closed. She pranced, paraded, swirled, dipped, twisted, turned and bowed. If she had ringlets she would have tossed them. As it was, the tail was held impossibly high. She strutted like a model on the runway. And every time I look at the photos, though Breeze may be highly offended, running on a loop through my head is: "And I do my little turn on the catwalk, yeah on the catwalk, on the catwalk yeah, I shake my little touche on the catwalk". Which, granted, sucks for me. And, I'm guessing, does for you now as well. I do know the only part of the song she agrees with is the "I'm too sexy for my cat." part.

So here are a few photos of Breeze modeling her new coat. And when I say "her new coat" I mean it literally. When Lisa saw how happy Breeze was wearing it she gave it to her. Lisa has known Breeze since day 1 and remembers the trembling pile of goo that was Breeze 2 years ago and said anything that made Breeze that happy should be hers. Now Breeze models it every weekend.

See for yourself.