...The K-Rosco Dog Walking Utility Jacket from Let's Go Design.
I mean, really, even the name just sounds so catchy, and for a dog walker, it has a ton of cool features - including a removable treat pouch, reflective piping for nighttime wear, a back mesh pocket to carry a water bottle, and a belt that doubles as an extra leash!
But at $270.00, it was a wee bit out of my price range...
So this past fall, when my old winter jacket was ready to be retired, I went shopping. Instead of the K-Rosco, I found what I felt to be the perfect dog walking jacket, a zeroXposur snowboarding jacket with lots of cool features of its own.
And since I bought it at Kohl's while it was 40% off and I had one of their nifty 30% off coupons, I got this two hundred dollar jacket for only sixty bucks.
The problem was, it has stayed so warm since the time I purchased it in October that I didn't have a chance to use it...until just recently.
Now that winter is finally here, (Brrrrrr), I pulled it from its hanger, and I just love it. Since it's meant for snowboarding, it is incredibly warm, and has every feature a dog walker could want.
A snug hood - which is detachable.
Two side pockets, one to attach my treat pouch to...
...and the other to tuck my citronella spray into.
An arm pocket to keep a roll of poop bags in...
...and a breast pocket to stash hand wipes.
An ID pocket in case of emergencies...
...and an interior pocket to safely carry keys and a cell phone.
ALL of the pockets have zippers on them to keep your belongings from falling out while you're on the go, and since it's got a lot of white in the pattern, I'm much more visible than I was in my old black jacket. Between that, and having Leah at my side, it's much safer for me to walk at night.
Not bad for sixty bucks, right?
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For those of you who are looking for an update on the dogs due to THIS POST, I don't have a whole lot to add at this time, but I'll tell you what I can.
Leah's still being grumpy with the other animals, especially with Meadow and the cats, and has been barking at them from behind the bars of the Xpen. I also have been alternating, by putting Meadow in the crate and leaving Leah free when I am in the room to watch her, and because of this, we had one "incident" with my cat, Cinder. I left the room while she was out of the Xpen just long enough to wash my hands in the bathroom, and she went after him. I heard the commotion and ran back into the room in time to see him scrambling away from her up onto the sofa, where he turned around hissing and growling with his fur on end. His fur was soaked, on both his back and head, but somehow, luckily, she did not harm him. It was momentary carelessness on my part, and I'm so thankful he didn't get hurt. I have been much more careful to make sure she is confined if I need to leave the room for anything, and it feels as if my house has gotten so much smaller between the Xpen, repositioned crates, blocked off baby gates and closed doors. Debi is coming to evaluate Leah on Monday, and hopefully, she'll be able to give me some advice.
After a full week of no activity, I gave Toby a short walk yesterday, and half way home I noticed a weird hitch in his gait, he was turning his right hind leg in - the same leg that was bothering him. I brought him to the vet today, but of course, he wasn't limping when I did, so she is not sure if it was his hips, his knee, or his back causing the issue. She wants him on 7 - 10 MORE days of rest, plus Deramaxx 1 X per day. If the limp comes back after that, she'll want to do x-rays, but she is not sure what to x-ray yet. She believes he probably does have at least have mild hip issues, judging by the way he walks and stands, but she does not know if that is the cause of the limp, so she wants to be conservative about it. She said if it is a torn ligament, it is only minor at this point, and they would give him 7 - 10 days of rest and Deramaxx anyway...so, more waiting.
Meadow's culture came back negative for bacteria, which I found out while I was in with the vet who was examining Toby. Although she is one of the senior vets, and one whose opinion I trust, she said I'll need to speak with the head vet, (he is the one who has been treating Meadow), to see what he wants to do next. So I'll need to phone him tomorrow. In the meantime, Meadow is licking at herself constantly, drinking a lot, and frequently urinating - sometimes it's clear and other times it's normal. Another puzzle to worry over.
So...like I said, I really don't know much of anything yet, but I'll post more when I do.
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My Novel's Progress: Current wordcount: 72,201
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