Banner

 With all the crap going on in the country today focusing on the small personal controlled pleasures can help your sanity, IMO.

 The handfuls of readers that pause on this blog know I have a black lab mix, Banner by name that is about ten years old. He is a semi-rescue. The woman who had him from the time he was a pup acquired a husband, two children and two more dogs during his first seven years. The other two dogs started attacking him. He is a gentle soul but fought back. She and her husband decided he needed to be re-homed. We connected on Craigslist.

 He has been a wonderful addition to my life. Not the smartest dog I’ve know, and doesn’t do cute tricks or chase balls, he is a simple companion. He rarely barks and has just one “accident” since coming to live with me. By pulling in some favors, he is a documented “Emotional Support” companion

 We live in a 90 unit, 62 years old and up apartment building. In fact, the up is in the 70’s to 90’s. Many residents don’t drive or even have a vehicle and many don’t get visitors. During the two year COVID hell when all the building amenities were shut down, far too many didn’t leave their apartments. The resident ration is 10 to 1 women to men. During the shutdown I started referring to Banner as, “The Ambassador of Smiles” as we passed through the public areas. One day I kept count and 17 different people petted him.

No, I haven’t taken advantage of the 10/1 ratio. Something along the lines of, “Don’t……….where you eat”.

He is now a part of the community and stops to say howdy to one and all as we pass through the public areas. The running joke is,

“It is Banner! and Frank”

Yes, I am a wingman for a dog.

 With the easing of winter we will start walking more. I try to do at least a mile each day regardless to the weather but have the whole slip/fall issue to deal with at my age. Banner, on the other hand, hates tile floors unless someone or something he likes is across the room. Then, no problem.

He is “Bruce Banner”, not the Incredible Hulk. Biggest wimp you will ever meet.He does well riding in the car and prefers the back seat with the windows slightly open so he can sniff at his leisure. On occasion, I leave him with Sisty which he loves. When I turn the corner with the hamburger emporium on the way to her house he gets excited. When we arrive he can’t contain himself and goes dashing to her door or the gate to her yard. She denies spoiling him. Makes me go hmmmm.

The one thing about him that irritates me is his constant focus on food. He gets, per the vet’s recommendation, two cups of high quality food daily. The rest is “treats” and begging from everyone he meets. He won’t try to get food off tables or counters but will sit and stare at you with those sad brown eyes. He won’t give up. My fault, I once let him prewash a cooking dish.

He is in excellent health. I take him to the vet Sisty recommended each year and the woman who gave him to me had complete vet records. Hopefully, we will have many more years together.