∴ Mr. Bodhi is Sprung

Bodhi enjoyed his first days of relative freedom from our home this past week, traveling to work with Kelly for the day Friday and again with both of us for a Saturday adventure. Our veterinarian, Dr. Betty Myers, told us we’d be surprised by how quickly this Labrador Retriever learns. She was right.

I took Bodhi for his first walk on the Warrenton Branch Greenway in the morning. Not wanting to excessively tire him on his first outing, we walked only as far from our shop as the defunct locomotive turntable. Right off the bat he took to the grass shoulders, rather than walk the pavement warming in the morning sun.

Particularly interesting for him were the heavy equipment filling and grading the forthcoming Warrenton dog park next to the turntable. No doubt he was feeling the rumble of earth as the fence line was completed.

He’s going to have so much fun off the lead once that park is completed. A good run around the grass will complete his constitutional.

We had some water and took a little rest before heading back to Kelly Ann’s Quilting.

Wort Hog Brewing, just up the street, tapped their Hogtoberfest (Oktoberfest) Lager Saturday. After a long, quiet walk alone on the Greenway I spent an hour or so sampling it and a couple other of their beers. What so many American brewers get wrong about Märzenbier, brewmaster Jeremy Hunt got right. It was full of malty goodness, with a mild buzz of hops. There’s even a second wave of malt that hits the palate several seconds after a mouthful. Quite nice.

I returned to KAQ with a growler filled with Hogtoberfest for the coming week, and turned right around for another walk with Bodhi. We repeated the morning stroll down Fifth Street to the Greenway and out to the turntable. He knew the way, finding every spot that needed sniffing and settling in for a rest on the grass once we reached our turn-around point.

He was a happy little guy out for a walk. Gone were his earlier grabs at the lead. He led the way this time, which is something we’ll begin working on in a few months. Puppy dogs get to wander and explore, bigger dogs learn to heel. For now he’s a joy just to walk with.

As Dr. Betty said, I’m surprised at how quickly Bodhi learned. He’s a smart little guy.

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