Wow-wow and woo-woo.

Yesterday was the first day of spring. I'd been looking forward to it a long time. But it didn't turn out exactly as I'd planned. 

When the alarm went off, it wasn't even 5 yet. It was still dark outside.

Mr Thumper and I got bundled into the car and taken to a park. Since it was dark, I couldn't tell you which one. We stumbled around a bit, then hurried back home where we found our breakfast waiting.

This was unusual since we're big chested big dogs and aren't ever allowed to eat immediately after our walks.

Before brekkie had even settled in my tummy, I got bundled back into the car again. Mr Thumper was nowhere to be seen. I really didn't like the way my day was turning out so I started to cry. 

I cried a lot.

Maybe for about 4 hours.

Wow-wow. Wow-wow! Row-rowr!-rowr!!!-wow-wow*!
 

Finally, the car stopped, the door opened, I looked out, and I realised I wasn't in Kansas anymore.

The grass was brown, the trees had no leaves, and there was a blustery wind everywhere. My ears couldn't stop flapping and they were cold.

My humans disappeared into a big building with big black gates. Dogs weren't allowed in. So they left me by the car with a little bowl of water for company that the wind promptly blew away.

I was nervous, so I cried some more.

When they came out, I was very relieved. We all got back into the car and went to look for a dog park that just opened 2 months ago.

The People In Charge Of These Things had kindly put fences all round the park so dogs couldn't run out and get rolled over by cars [which is sadly what happens where I live]. 

The park also had a fancy water bowl that was designed so snakes couldn't drink from it. Poor snakes. They must get very thirsty.

 I wasn't allowed to drink from here. The water flowed into the doggie bowl on the ground which always empties out.

I didn't get to meet any snakes but I did meet a few other locals. 

Some of them were happy to just hang around and didn't want to play.

2 of them were dogs that don't bark.

Oooo...Basenjis.

I had a kerfuffle with 1 of them because he came up to kiss my face without even trying to chat me up first. I don't like being kissed by strangers. And that was that.

After the dog park, we went for a picnic where everything got blown about some more. Lots of ants invited themselves to lunch.

Then we went for a quick drive to a famous place where my out-at-work human refused to stop and my stay-at-home human ended up taking a picture through the car-roof window.

My stay-at-home human thought we might see Ms Gillard walking about but we didn't. She must have been too busy trying to sort out who'll be the next Prime Minister of the country. Something important like that.

All too soon, it was time to go back to the big building where my humans abandoned me again.
 
I was too tired to cry anymore, so I just curled up on my travelling bed and went to sleep.

When I woke up, HURRAH! I was home! I could smell dinner cooking from houses on the street, the trees had green leaves, it was warm, and there was no wind. 

I was so happy!

Mr Thumper was next door with Indie and Millie. He saw us and started to run up and down the house and howl. Woo-w.o.o..^... woo-w.o.o-ooo-ooo...^...

He was very upset and sulked all night because he thought he'd missed out on something special.

I don't think I'm going to tell him it wasn't a very special first day of spring at all. 

Only very, very strange.

AND I'm definitely not telling him I cried for 4 hours.

*Thank you*

Irene, Michael, India & Millie for looking after Mr Thumper!

HOW TO GET THERE:
Weston Off-Leash Dog Park, corner of Brown and Banks Streets, Yarralumla, Canberra