Our Sweet and Crazy Coonhound ...

Our Sweet and Crazy Coonhound ...
Run Free: birthdate unknown - Oct. 17 2008

Friday, August 22, 2008

Artful existence


Booker is spending some mornings at the gallery, from opening until about 1 or so. Today he has been here for more than six hours! He is doing great - that is a record!

It's very quiet on the street in the summer, as it is "off season," and few people come in. H-Mom thinks that gallery-time is good for socialization ... and that the handful of humans
who come in and out help Booker perfect some important things like not-rushing-the-door and not-trying-to-barge-out and staying-calm-somewhere-besides-home. These tasks are actually a lot of hard work. When Booker lays down-- IF Booker lays down -- it is only for a short respite from watching out the window.

And then something exciting happens.

These are some of the exciting things that occurred just this week:
  • Landscaping crew removed all the pavers in the median with sledgehammers. That made lots of noise.
  • Two giant chestnut horses with mounted police clomp-clomped slowly past on the street. These creatures were AMAZING and FRIGHTENING and STRANGER THAN FICTION ... much bigger than raccoon! It was very obvious that Booker has never seen a horse before.
  • Quite a few people opened the door just to say "HI" to the "DOG." That kind of annoys H-Mom because Booker gets all riled up and it's not even for a s-a-l-e. Sales are important to H-Mom and this is a slow month. That is good for Booker visiting the gallery, but it is not good for H-Mom's bank account.
  • The "DUCK" drove by. The "DUCK" is a huge amphibious vehicle that hauls tourists up and down the street. We think they go in the water somewhere too. It is very tacky. All the tourists shout "quack quack quack" on command, which is very silly, as they do not look anything like ducks.
  • Man-Dad stopped to say hello. He snuck in the backdoor and had Booker totally confused. What was Man-Dad doing HERE? That was fun and very exciting.
  • The mailman comes everyday and is becoming a f-r-i-e-n-d!
  • Booker got brave and decided that the leather chair is much, much more comfortable than the cement floor.
H-Mom has a little dish of snappy-snacks and Booker gets one whenever he gracefully manages the in-and-out of pedestrians. Now Booker comes over to the desk when he has been well-behaved to request his reward.

He still has to wear his citronella collar because sometimes he is a little "tightly wound," as H-Mom is starting to call it. She is sure that it is a Coonhound thing ... and she forgives him for it every single time. "Tightly wound" is kind of a creative personality trait, anyway, right?


Here, let Booker take you for a quick tour. He hasn't peed on a single thing. Booker has great respect for the arts:



9 comments:

Cocoa the Beagle said...

Oh dear Booker,

I made a terrible mistake in your guestbook! I called you Walker instead of Booker! My paws must be crazy! I'm sorry about it :-(. Can you delete it away? I will sign again!

Anyway my mum says you look really handsome in the video, walking around the gallery. You look smaller than she thought!

Joe Stains said...

fabulous tour, you have a very important job. I would love to see that DUCK thing, it sounds cool as heck!

Jake of Florida said...

What a great post!!! Booker looks smaller than we imagined, but we love his tail wags. Will he be excited when we come visit? Are you/he there on Saturdays?


We do agree that Lake Okeechobee is smiling!!! We noticed it in the Sun-Sentinel this morning -- 12 feet + which made us smile too.

Wirey tail wags,

Jake and Just Harry

Pee ess: It's been pouring here too all afternoon.

River said...

Booker is so nice to stop and wait for you. He seems very calm--compared to the 2 coonhounds we've had here. They were wildmen--but always friendly. That was a nice tour. They have duck things in Chattanooga--I wonder if they make the tourists quack too? One sank recently, that was exciting. Hope sales pick up!

love & wags,
River

Biggie-Z said...

Booker, that was a very cool tour. You should be a docent or something. I would never be allowed to do something like that because I would g-u-a-r-d the gallery and that would not be good for business. Don't get me wrong, I would let people come in and look around, but they would have to get the Biggie Super Crotch Sniff Test first and then I would watch them very intensely. And I might just deter people from coming in at all. Just like how I make some people run away just by looking at them.

Good to see you are looking pretty dry out there.

Biggie

Rowena said...

Booker is just darn precious! And lucky too, getting to pass the time at an art gallery! I think my westie would certainly love a situation like that, but the dachshund...not so sure on that one. Dunno if it has anything to do with his german background, but every time someone comes to the house he has to inspect them like the Gestapo. Down boy, down! Not that it makes any difference that he has short legs. :lol:

Anonymous said...

That's a great gallery you and your mom have Booker. Thanks for the tour!

Kess And Her Mama said...

How lovely to be able to go in to work with your human mum! You have such a great appreciation for art.

Jake of Florida said...

Booker -- If you decide to withdraw your candidacy, you can still do what we do: continue barking and believe in the power of the paw!!!

Woofs, pal!!!

Jake and Just Harry