The second weekend in July 2001 was dedicated to our favorite canine, Moose, and has become known as "Moose Spa".
Moose is a very patient dog - what you would readily call "laid back". He never gets agitated or impatient, except for occasional urgent calls of nature.
After what seemed hours of brushing and a sizable bag of dog hair, we were ready for the shampoo.
"His Mooseness" in all his glory, post grooming, on the cottage dock as Tom rewards himself with a plunge in the lake water.
After lingering on the dock and with a little urging from Tom in the water and Kitty on the dock, Moose decided to go for a swim. Getting in is one of his 2 biggest problems with the lake.
Tom has taught Moose not to climb onto him in the water but rather allow Tom to hold onto his tail as the two swim along.
(The next day we introduced styrofoam floats on which, when held by Tom, Moose would rest his chin and reduce his dog paddle. He wasn't as trusting of Kitty.)
Since Moose can't exit the water onto the dock via the ladder, he heads for the rocks. Unfortunately, these are not flat and are also slippery, making exiting an unpleasant part of the swim - the 2nd problem he has with the lake. We plan to make the entry/exit site(s) more accessible for our favorite canine.
Moose and Tom enjoy the warm sun after a pleasant swim in the cool lake water. Kitty even enjoyed it since the day was a warm one.
These industrial lights were a real find 35 years ago when Tom built the cottage and with 200W lightbulbs in each, the room is set aglow in the evening. Of course, with the new dimmer switch, the light can be reduced to suit the mood.
Two remaining chores for this visit to the cottage - fixing the light switch in the stove and enlarging the provided hole for the deadbolt lock in the new back door. Both were full of "little" problems but were eventually completed successfully.
This unexplained local practice north east of Toronto of nailing shoes to trees has been in practice since Tom first built the cottage. If anyone knows the origin, we'd sure like to hear it.
Moose still looks regal as he lies atop the black bear skin rug in our Toronto apartment 2 days after returning from his spa.
Sunday April 7 2002 marked the end of an era in Tom's life. His faithful canine companion of 7 years, Moose, died after a sudden deterioration during the night. He would have been 12 years old sometime that month. Kitty's reflections.
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