Easter Sunday at Snout Hook

We got off to a late start.  Those of you who followed my September cross-country road trip have heard this refrain all too often.   (Getting up and getting out has never been my long suit.)  I also had to do without my breakfast banana, because

Nana, my mother-in-law (no relation to ba-nana), snarfed down the last one.  I was hoping to make up for this disappointment with a nice cup of coffee from Christie’s Country Store, but as we pulled up, I could tell by the

empty parking lot that it was closed.  Of course — Easter Sunday!  Bummer.

So Ricky and I pulled into Snout Hook, and I’d had neither breakfast nor coffee.  Not a promising way to start a hike.  (Of course, BEAGLE MAN regulars know this dog-owner’s paradise is not actually called Snout Hook,

but rather a name that rhymes with Snout Hook.  This is a clever ruse I employ to throw other dog-walkers off the scent, so to speak.)  Also, my late take-off put me under a certain time squeeze, since both my red-hot Knicks (on their way to an NBA championship!) and my red-hot

Mets (on pace for MLB’s first-ever 162-0 season!) were scheduled for 1PM starts.

Ricky always seems to sense when I’m up against the clock, as opposed to when I’m all in for the sheer joy of hiking with my dog in the great outdoors.  And true to his perverse and stubborn nature, he goes even slower on those days.  I also made the mistake of choosing the green trail (“Easy”) instead of Ricky’s favorite red trail (“Hard”), in an effort to save

time.  Ricky paid me back for this disappointment by lollygagging shamelessly; it was his rendition of a basketball “slowdown.”  Most people allow their dogs off leash in this particular nature preserve, and I generally do the same.  On some days, Ricky trots along eagerly, occasionally even dashing out in front to take the lead.  Sure, from time to time he’ll get fixated on a scent and I’ll have to call out, “Ricky, come!” — and offer him a treat.  Then he comes running, all floppity-eared and waggity-tailed.  Those are the good days.

On other days he’ll stand stock-still, wait for the treat offer, run and get it.  Then stand stock-still again, waiting for the next treat.  The entire hike becomes one endless bribe.  This was one of those days.  It took us an hour-and-a-half to finish our mile-and-a-half loop.  I don’t even want to think about our pace.

But as we left Snout Hook, Easter Sunday began to brighten.  The Knicks beat the Bulls 100-99 in an overtime thriller, with Melo scoring 43 points.  The Mets downed the Braves 7-5, completing a season-opening three-game sweep.  Dunkin’ Donuts drive-thru was open, so I got my coffee.

And all was right with the world.

P.S.  To all those who contributed ideas to my LA/XC-2 WHERE DO BEAGLE MAN AND RICKY ABSOLUTELY NEED TO STOP? contest, T(HANK)S!  Winner to be named this fall . . .