Day 7: The Refuge Continued

What did we do today? What day is it? Do the weekends really exist?

Currently, for me, myself, and I, the answer is no--the weekend is a figment of the working stiff life I will begin in less than a month.

Woke up at 9 and took my dogs to the Briarcreek clinic. Unfortunately my Doctor friend is not licensed in Texas, and could not write up my clear bill of health for the dogs. So instead we found ourselves in an old wood building next to a freeway. The genial receptionist greeted us, weighed the dogs and shoved us in a backroom. As the doctor entrance opened we overheard the following conversation prior to the vets entrance: "All ya gotta do is make sure them dogs are alive," grumbled the overweight underling from his roller chair. And then there it was, in shuffled the ancient head vet. His fore arms looked like weathered pigskin covered tree trunks, with shiny gold rings wedged onto two of his pork sausage fingers. He had a captain's hat on and coke bottle aviator bi-focals. As he gariactrically boot scooted into the room he garbled his greeting, "Dem' dogs bye-aight?" I responded that they were friendly, he spasmodically handled Chops' head, looked in his ears and pushed him aside. He then reached towards Flow, but she moved away, he took that as a sign his job was done, and he left the room. Danny and I turned to each other and chuckled inaudibly. He returned with two rabies shots, "Now hold dat der' big one's head," and he eased in the syringe with a lifetime of experience. He then repeated for Flow and he was gone again in dusty shuffle.

His underling came back later and did all the talking and paperwork. What a beautiful little place. Everyone was nice as hell, and after $250 for rabies shots, certificates, and Heartgaurd, I guess that was expected.

Danny and I swooped back home and picked up Gorlick for breakfast. We headed to Norteno's in downtown Bryan. The main street looked like a slice of the Universal back lot. We settled down in an ancient diner booth and ordered up. I ordered the breakfast taco and a single flapjack, and the waitress scoffed at my presumptuous large portion. She came and delivered the food and assured me that doggie bags were available. The breakfast taco amounts to an un-rolled breakfast burrito, and the flapjack was plate sized. After some razzing from Danny and Marissa, I opened up my gut and my mind and cleaned both plates. The waitress never came back after my finished effort, but I assume when she cleared the table she sat in awe--probably not, but that is how I will view my glory.

From there we stopped in a music shop and I bought a Hohnner harmonica entitled, "Fuego Azul". I sort of know how to play "Oh When the Saints". We then skedaddled home and beat the heat of the day in an air conditioned room watching movies and napping.

Around 5 pm we got ready for BBQ and Lake Bryan. Danny and Marissa prepared an immaculate feast, and the dogs salivated en delight.

Christina met us at the lake after her day at work and we got the coals going. The dogs frolicked in the water, the weeds, the forest, and the brush. They got a lot of their pent up energy out, and as I type this not a single dog has their eyes opened. We all jumped in the water and waded in the lake. Christina jumped on Danny's head and knocked him underwater, which knocked his glasses off. Danny became quite upset and immediately started crying about how much the glasses caught. Christina instead of getting fearful, got proactive. She dove deep scoured the bottom, and came up with the frames. Danny squealed in delight. He truly is, in the words of Andy Reynaga, a "Sweet Spirit".

The BBQ was amazing, and the weather was absolutely perfect. A nice breeze kept the dogs away, and the heat was not nearly as oppressive as the day before. We snacked, laughed, talked, and packed it up.

Bryan has been amazing. Bryan has been a home away from home. The beautiful time Danny and Christina showed us was absolutely splendid. They are great people. They are intending on settling in Chico, Ca. I think for the duration of my pets life, I will head to Chico for their yearly check-ups. Good people are a blessing, and they have rejuvenated my energy for the quest at hand.

My batteries died on my camera, so the photos will have to wait.

Cheers.