Day 72: “Back in the Saddle… Finally”
Way back on February 24, my human companion (HC) had his right knee partially replaced. It was a planned procedure, and he did a good job of arranging for my basic needs while he recovered. He built a big deck so I could go in and out through a new dog door, and he set up a whole team of people scheduled to take me out for walks. Having all these different people walking me was very confusing because some walkers let me walk free range while others kept me on a short leash. Apparently, the story of the great squirrel incident that led to the need for the knee replacement is now urban legend.
So, you can only imagine the joy I felt when my HC was finally healed and confident enough to take me out on our regular one plus mile walks. This week, we hit the five-mile milestone that signals that things are finally getting back to normal. The health app on his iPhone pretty much tells the entire story of his recovery in just one graphic.
One of our night walks took me down to Park Street to see the neon of the Alameda Theatre. As we passed Cinema Grill, I noticed they have added security at the entrance. Did something happen that I missed?
Another night, I returned to the house that’s for sale on Alameda Avenue. Earlier in the week, I checked out the backyard during an open house and discovered that there was a pool in the back. How cool is that? Unfortunately, the house had all the lights on at 11:30 p.m. Why?
And speaking of houses, I received a tip to check out a new Little Library on Adams Avenue near Fernside Drive. You all need to check out the doghouse library featuring my hero, Snoopy, plus Woodstock and a solar powered front entrance light. I was so excited, I almost peed on it!
Alameda is known for its informal curbside reuse program where residents leave good stuff out in the planting strip or on a street corner. Over the years, I have seen some interesting stuff shared this way, like this hobby horse that was almost brand new. It was gone on the next walk, so I hope some little kid is enjoying a new toy.
On the botany front, it’s time for street tree trimming. I see the workers in the trees almost every day. The artichoke plant on Chestnut is full of chokes, ready to be picked.
On a sad note, the big jade plant that was on the walkway to my house just keeled over and died sometime on Thursday night. It broke off right at ground level. Turns out it had been rotting from the inside out. It’s so strange, because my HC didn’t water it that much. Any thoughts on how this happened?
This will be a very busy week for my HC, because he is involved in the production of the City of Alameda Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Festival on Sunday, May 18, out at Alameda Point—950 West Mall Square to be exact.
I have been watching him work all this week preparing and will try and get more details for next week’s report.
The weather is great, so get out and enjoy a walk around your neighborhood—or maybe a tiki drink at Forbidden Island, which does allow dogs on the patio.
Mouf, Roving Reporter
Bear’s-Eye View of Alameda
Mouf and his human companion can be reached via [email protected]. Their stories are collected at AlamedaPost.com/Jeff-Cambra/. All photos and videos by Jeff Cambra.
