A Tale Of Two Dogs

...Continued from yesterday:
         
     If one's good friends are the extension of one's family, then chances are one's good friends' dog will be included in that extension. Especially if one is oneself a dog owner.
     Thus the dog of the family of one of my grand daughter's good friends became part of our family over the long Thanksgiving weekend while the poochie's family was traveling.

     Toby, a striking  blue-eyed Australian Shepherd puppy,

...who at four months is  already twice the size of  my grand pup Pinky Poo,  who's probably about as big as he's going to get,

...arrived Thursday morning.
     Whether Toby and Pinky hit it off was hard for any of us to tell; the two spent most of their time together in noisy dog-wrestling mode, but we didn't know whether they were playing or fighting, mayhaps because none of us had any expertise in interpreting doggie interaction.

     However at one point little Pinky Poo claimed Toby's crate. So I guess that signified something. But we didn't know what.

     The following day, Friday, my daughter suggested taking the pups on a walk to Hermosa Beach, two-and-a-half miles away.
      So we did,

...taking turns walking the dogs and pushing the stroller up and down the hills,

...enjoying the scenery along the way to the beach,

...with a stop along the way for a drink at the doggie fountain.

     About two miles later we arrived at the beach,

...crowded on this beautiful warm morning with volley ball players,

...and surf-ers.

     We walked another half-mile along the southern stretch of The Strand, which is the walking/biking path that runs along the Los Angeles coast line from Santa Monica to Hermosa Beach.

     This day after Thanksgiving The Strand was crowded with dogs,

...runners,

...bikers,

...and all kinds of folks out enjoying the day.

     Our destination was a Hermosa Beach restaurant along The Strand called Good Stuff,

...where we had a brief wait for a seat, since Good Stuff is a popular spot among the locals,

...not only for its beach view,

...and great food,

...but also for its canine-friendly ambience, which includes a dog menu; that is, dishes one can order for one's dog.

     For Toby and Pinky Poo we ordered the chicken and rice. Toby made the Clean Plate Club but little stinker Pinky picked out all the chicken and left the rice.

    After brunch we walked a bit around Hermosa Beach,

     Then we headed back home.

      By the time we arrived home after our 5-plus mile walk both pups were pretty pooped.

     Interestingly, during our walk a number of people stopped to admire Toby with his unusual fur coloration and exotic blue eyes.
     "Oh, what a beautiful dog," they'd cry, petting Toby and generally fussing over him. Then eventually they'd notice Pinky Poo.  "And you're cute, too," they'd add, presumably so as not to hurt Pinky's feelings.
     Fortunately, Pinky's self-esteem seemed none the worse for wear.

     But then Pinky Poo knows he rules.

"Equal and Opposite Reactions"
               by Patti Liszkay
Buy it at Amazon http://amzn.to/2xvcgRa
Or Barnes & Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/equal-and-opposite-reactions-patti-liszkay/1126530153?ean=9781612968865