Well it was a wonderful day yesterday. Let me again reiterate how much fun it was to photograph so many dogs playing in the snow yesterday. I have been dog sitting in my old neighborhood (lovely Barnes) where there are more dogs per square foot than hipsters in Bethnal Green on a Saturday night. Barnes is a bit mumsy and a bit too yuppyish for me at times but it is also very puppyish, very dog friendly and of course very beautiful with its setting around the Thames and all the commons.
Barnes holds a lot of special memories for me and I couldn't help but think of my lovely dog Josie the Weimaraner who shared six wonderful years with me here. Josie and I moved over from sunny California many years ago when they first introduced the pet passport. Thank god (or else I wouldn't have moved over for my job promotion at the time). And thank god for microchipping.
I remember that I was a bit concerned that she wouldn't adjust to the cold in England (you know LA is a place so hot and dry we give ice cream to dogs to cool off during heat waves, er I am not kidding).
Just a few months in Angleterre I was determined to find her a winter coat to keep her from shivering. I looked everywhere at what was then your only pet shops in London and found not one dog coat. It wasn't until I discovered Discover Dogs (where you can find everything under the sun for your dog) that I found the perfect coat for Josie's first winter in the UK.
It was this gorgeous water proof red coat with wooly fleece lining on the underside, velcro wrap so it fit all snug underneath her. It took weeks to receive as it had to be specially ordered and made to fit (yes they requested all her measurements) It was all hand designed and personally stitched by this adorable little British couple who only made dog coats. This was about 9 years ago when dog coats were still a bit of a novelty in London.
I remember first taking Josie out on the common (for my yank friends common means large park or open space in England don't ask me why they just don't call it a park or dog park) and letting her off her lead in her fancy new coat (which she loved by the way because it kept her California bottom warm). I had quite a few strange looks from some of the older Barnes residents but I would politely say "hello" and greet all their dogs nonetheless. I met many friends through my dog and eventually they all got to know Josie by her famous winter red coat.
I think there used to be a stigma about dog coats in Britain (especially fitting one on a "fit for function, fit for life" gun dog like a Weimaraner) but hey a winter coat on a dog occassionally is nothing compared to all the crazy dog stuff that gets imported from the US these days.
I would like to point out that dogs do adapt to their surroundings. It's a dog thing. Josie had the THINNEST weim coat when she first arrived in London (I am talking barely any fur or hair on her belly or chest as if she was naked) so she really needed that custom made to fit red coat her first two winters. I believe it was by the third year we were here in London when her coat finally started to come in much heavier (I remember the novelty of shedding quite fondly). I would then only put her red winter coat on during really cold days especially those days with some heavy frost or snow.
She used to skid around in crazy circles in the light dusting of snow (even with her coat on) People used to smile and laugh at her but I would remind them that she was an LA dog so she needed a bit of extra warmth and room for her LA craziness. She absolutely loved the snow. I mean she LOVED the snow. She never wanted to go outside in pissing down rain for a wee but if we woke up with a bit of snow in the morning ...she couldn't wait to go outside and run around in the white stuff. I guess it was kind of like me. Being from California we only see snow if we drive up to the mountains. It is still a novelty for me to step outside my front door and see all this white stuff. Good thing I have invested in winter clothes over the year.
So yesterday was quite special for me in many ways. Seeing all those dogs running, playing, laughing and scooting around in crazy circles like Josie used to do. It was only a few years ago that I lost my sweet Josie to cardiomyopathy. Those last few years I had with her were the best. We walked Barnes common every single day and I would like to point out that after a few years of acclimating in Blighty she grew a thick and fearless Weimaraner coat to where she didn't need to wear that custom made red waterproof wooly-lined one so much. I probably loved that red coat as much as she did which is why it took so long to finally let go of it.
It was only last year that I finally donated the last of her things to the Mayhew Animal Dogs Home - her red coat was amongst the lot. I still think of that red coat and the fun we had walking in Barnes on the rare snowy mornings. She would have absolutely have loved all that snow.
You know I could easily fall into that place (you know that place where we replay sad music in our head and want to only eat chocolate?) and really feel sad about not having my sweet Josie here with me but yesterday was very special in a different way. I felt her presence next to me with every photo I snapped and with every smile I received. I was on Barnes Common and I know she was with me running the crazy circles in the snow letting me know how proud she is of me.
The Dog Reporter©
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