1.11.2007

Feels Like Home

Last week, Moxie and I met with an agility instructor for an hour-long private session of introduction to the sport. Moxie ran through a tube, jumped through a suspended tire, and pranced over a balance beam like an old pro. But I was struck by the premise here: It was as if the obstacles represented efforts to re-create experiences a dog might have were she lucky enough to, say, cross a stream on a fallen branch, leap through brush in pursuit of some wild beast, or shimmy through the narrow opening between boulders along a mountain trail. Moxie doesn't need the PVC-and-plywood version of these adventures. She's crossed and leapt and shimmied all over the country!

Settling down felt strange at first when we came back to Austin, but our great times continue... with Moxie around, excitement lurks around every corner. We walk nearly everyday to a neighborhood park where she meets up with dog buddies for fetch or chase while I compare notes on walks and kibble with other dog moms. A couple of times a week, we venture to other destinations like Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park, where Moxie runs and I ride my bike to a dog swimming hole, or the dog park off Riverside Drive -- a veritable dog-topia complete with impromptu playgroups and plenty of humans around to throw balls. The city of Austin boasts 206 parks, 12 preserves, and 26 greenbelts, so plenty of exploring awaits us.

Every time Moxie & I get in the car, I remember what it's like to be on the road. There's nothing quite so freeing as having everything you really need in the world packed into the back of a station wagon. We'll taste that feeling again -- our next road trip will take us back to DC in the spring. But until then we're savoring the sweetness of home.