More out and about in Lille

Bailey is loving the off-leash walking at the Citadel and she's doing real well with it, sticking close and/or coming when I call. Shaking the little container of duck treats works even better than me calling her, it always gets her to come running to me.

This fallen tree is about four feet off the ground, but she jumps up easily.

A pair of mallards on one of the canals around the Citadel.

One of the things she really likes about being off leash is being able to go to the water's edge.

She doesn't like to get wet so she won't go in, thankfully.

We encounter a lot of dogs on our walks who are wet and muddy.

I selfishly hope her aversion to getting wet continues.

It was dark by the time we finished our walk Monday evening.

My phone camera does a good job in low light because it was darker than it appears in this picture.

Tuesday morning on the same stump.

Monday evening was one of our best walks ever. We found no one at the big field although we made three passes by that area. However, walking the trails and pathways we encountered four different dogs who made excellent playmates. She got in some good runs with each of them, so much so that with the fourth dog I really didn't think she would play much, just because she was tired. I was wrong. That one was a young, male Malinois and the two of them took to playing immediately. The male dog was wearing a gentle leader, which I've rarely seen here, and was on a long line. The non-English speaking owner instantly dropped the long line and we just let the two dogs run. They ran, they wrestled, they ran some more. I don't think he spoke any more English than I do French, maybe even less, but he did manage to ask if Bailey was capable of having babies. I think he was looking for a breeding partner for his dog. With a combination of hand signals, headshakes, and an emphatic "no" I let him know that that wasn't going to happen. I do hope we run into them again, however, because they were perfectly matched in size, temperament, and play styles.

Bailey and I had our usual morning walk on Wednesday but then she had nap time while Clay and I went off to tour another historic building in Lille. The Palais Rameau was built as a monument to horticulture and was home to the local horticultural society for many years. It is built in a cruciform shape, much like a church, but it was basically a big green house or conservatory. It is currently occupied by a local university that has built internal rooms or pods without altering the exterior. In fact they have restored the exterior and the alterations they have done inside are completely removable if, at some point, someone wants to restore the building to its original form. It was an interesting tour.

The main building is an impressive structure, but this separate building (above and below), the "gardener's cottage" gave me historical occupational envy. I would have loved to work and live here. 

As always, FUCK TRUMP, FUCK ICE, FUCK ANYONE WHO VOTED FOR HIM, AND THOSE WHO CONTINUE TO ENABLE HIM, THAT MEANS EVERY ELECTED REPUBLICAN!

Walkabouts in Lille

Here's some pictures I've taken on recent walks around Lille, with Bailey in the park and without her in the city. 

She had a really good, hard run with another dog at the field yesterday, with another female Mal. It seems that she's just more selective about who she plays with now. Bailey is really loving the off-leash walks through the woods. She's doing very well with everyone she encounters, both human and canine, and is very good about coming when I call (or shake her can of treats). 

Rowers on the Doule

Grey heron, a cormorant, and a coot in one frame.

There's a big park here in town with a massive iron fence around it for some reason.

The Porte de Paris

The Porte de Paris from the town side.

The last Christmas pic for this year. I believe this all comes down starting tomorrow.

These are actually the interior steps in our house. Our apartment is upstairs and to the right.

As always: FUCK TRUMP, FUCK ICE, FUCK THE GOP!

Building trust

We got Bailey back home on Wednesday morning. She was very happy to be home and very tired. I know she has a good time there, however. They posted pictures and videos every day of the dogs playing in one of several large play yards that they've got. Everyone has noticed the red spot on Bailey's nose; they told us that she had ran into the gate of the play yard, which I can believe. It wasn't in the pictures until the last day or two so I don't think it's evidence of her being unhappy at the facility and everything we've observed of her body language when we took her out there and the subsequent pictures indicates that she's happy there. 

But something has changed since she's been home. That first day we went to the open field at the Citadel looking for play partners and we found them. She ran around and met everyone, socialized very well with all the other dogs, but she didn't really play with any of them. No play bows, no runs. I just assumed she was tired from the week so we went on our way. It was late in the day and there were not very many people out on the walking trails and paths, so I did something I had not done before, I let her off the leash. I was very happy and only mildly surprised that she stuck with me like so many other off-leash dogs we see walking out there. If she got more than 20 yards away I'd call her and she came right to me, which I rewarded with one of her favorite duck treats. I reattached the gentle leader and leash when we got back to a more populated area. 

Since then our twice-daily routine has been walk to the field, on leash, to give her the opportunity to play. She still hasn't really engaged in big runs and play with other dogs in the field, however. She almost did this morning but it didn't quite get beyond the play bow stage. I guess she knows now that we'll be there often enough that she can save it up for the best opportunity. After some time at the field we continue our walk without the leash until we get back near the road. I'm keeping the treats flowing and she's sticking close. 

We met another off-leash dog on this morning's walk and the two dogs did the greet and sniff dance. The other dog's owner remarked how nice Bailey was. I thanked her and we went on our way. I don't have any concerns about her with other dogs. If the other dog isn't nice, Bailey just leaves it alone. She steers clear of most people but that just shows good sense.

You may notice a new harness in some of the pictures. It has two attachment points, one on the chest and one on the back. She doesn't pull me with this new harness (it's from Halti) although I don't know if that's because of the harness or just because she's walking with me so much better now. At least I don't have to answer questions about the gentle leader now. They are not common here and lots of folks see it and think it's a muzzle, which caused them to be wary of Bailey, at least until they got to know her. The other thing that's not common here is tags on collars. My dogs have always had more than others, but many dogs here have nothing on their collars at all. Rabies tags don't exist and all dogs are microchipped so many folks don't even have ID tags on their collars. Bailey has ID tags, a rabies tag, lots of tourist bling, and an Air Tag. She makes noise when she runs. 

She's doing "ups" for me often without being asked now.

Snuggling with Bailey on the day she got home.

p.s. FUCK TRUMP, FUCK ICE, FUCK the GOP!