Doggie Poo - Eeeeewww

I usually take Molly for a long walk to Lane Cove village and back early in the morning.  But this morning it was drizzling rain and I had a few things to do so we didn't have our early walk.  I've been very good to keep this exercise thing happening and I started to feel guilty lounging on the sofa after my busy morning.  So at 3:15pm - when the rain had stopped - I grabbed the lead and the ball tosser and said to Molly, "Let's go!"

Along the way we stop on the golf course so I can toss some balls down a hill across the 8th tee ... and I saw no reason to change our routine even though it was late afternoon.  Molly had, after all, been home in the rain, on the back porch and hadn't had a run all day.  There were two parties of golfers on the course - one group just ahead of us and one group finishing up the previous hole - which meant we only had a short window of opportunity before golfers would get annoyed by our presence.

I disconnected her lead and threw the ball hard.  "Go get it!", I yelled and she went tearing down the hill to fetch.  You could almost see the elation in every muscle as she caught it and brought it straight back.  I threw it again - while noticing the next group of golfers start to put their clubs away to move to the next hole.  "One more and we have to go", I said when she brought the ball back.  I gave it one more mammoth throw right past the tee and on the fairway.  Molly grabbed the ball and started back up the hill .. but then stopped, dropped the ball and turned looking like she was in the sudden grip of a stomach cramp.  I forgot she hadn't had a run or really moved much all day!  Oh NO.

You can imagine my horror as, in spite of my calling, she crouched right in the middle of the fairway and proceeded to do a very large crap any water buffalo would be proud of.

I ran down the hill my trusty Poo Bag in hand.  Let me just say here, they don't make poo bags the way they used to.  Which normally is a good thing.  Now they're thinner and biodegradable so overall better for the environment.  However, they don't stand up to a "heroic" warm pile like they used to.  As I scooped the mess into the bag I put my fingers straight through it.  Gross.  We didn't go on the rest of the walk but turned around and came back home so I could scrub my fingers.

The good thing about poo is it washes off.  But the memory of the poo bag failure will mean I'll be doubling them up from now on.  So gross.

In other news ..  The Captain and his crew are in Newcastle Harbour and Southern Belle is almost home.  They had to pull into Coffs Harbour after the first 24 hours because the autopilot kicked the bucket.  After many calls with Coursemaster - the makers of the machine - I picked up a spare part last Friday and flew it up to them on Saturday.  Luckily the part worked and they started the journey again on Saturday afternoon.  George does not want to get home - he loves being on the boat so much! - and they're enjoying themselves cruising this part of the coast.  It will be fantastic to finally have the boat back home but I know George doesn't want it to ever end.  I hope he keeps having a good time out there ... but gets home soon.