It's a Dog-Eat-Deer World.

Holy Hallowe'en fog, Freddie!

Isn't this a groovy tree? Looks like a candelabra ... with the mist circling ... Well, I thought it was groovy.

I also like how this shot of the Granville Park Lawn Bowling Club turned out — the grass silvery with dew, and those three lanterns on the left falling right inside the fence holes (I did that on purpose ... I swear .... really).

Of course, none of the above was terribly interesting to Freddie. He was focused on getting to the muddy, stinky dog park and chasing his Chuck-it — which almost always gets called by its brand name chez nous, because "ball" sounds too much like "Paul." Maybe we should just call a ball a ball and change Paul's name to "Professor" or "The Blue Hornet" or "Flash." I think he'd go for that.

At first it was just the two of us, but then Boomer the friendly rottie showed up for a play. Now that Freddie's wart has well and truly disappeared, he's back to playing with other dogs. I suppose it's possible there's still some virus left, and if the syndrome were anything dangerous or debilitating, I'd wait a bit longer ... but, as the blur in the photo below suggests, young Freddie has been desperate for a romp! 

Says Boomer: "You just hurl yourself around like a maniac for a while, and I'll watch, OK?"

Here's a classic dog-park scene: Freddie about to make a move on the ball Boomer's guarding ... little Gray (Boomer's human brother, who's the same age as Freddie) taking it all in ... Jessie taking care of business in the background while his owner does the poop-bag-wielding, don't-lose-sight-of-that-spot power march.

Our next outing takes us to the dog-eat-deer part of the post. Funny how the word "deer" evokes the likes of Bambi, while "venison," which is what appears on one of the packages below, is food. Same goes for cow-beef and pig-pork — though chicken and lamb seem to be crossover terms. ANYWAY ... here we are, getting rigged up for a trip to Freddie's main food supplier!

I don't know that the fleece jacket was absolutely necessary for a fleecy-coated dog!

My thinking was that going downhill in this thing would be a little breezy.

And they're off!

To this place in Kerrisdale: True Carnivores!

This is David, the Boss —super-friendly, knowledgeable, and one of Freddie's favourite people around. Often we see David at our home, as he does free deliveries (and always brings along a special treat sample).

The treat aisle: doggy Hallowe'en!

The meat freezers! Speaking of meat, I have, in the past, been vegetarian, but the choice had mainly to do with concerns about the provenance and treatment of food animals and my fundamental laziness and incompetence as a cook. I eat meat now and try (not always successfully) to buy the "ethical" stuff. One look at Freddie's fangs makes it pretty clear to me what he should be eating ... and David does a great job of tracking down the good stuff for his store. (And BTW, this isn't a paid endorsement; I just dig this place. :-))

Your friendly neighbourhood pet foodies!

We saw this sign on the way home. Can't hurt to re-post it electronically. :-(

What happened to this tree, I wonder??

The loot!

Have a nourishing day, everyone!