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Your Loss Is Fido's Gain

A walk can take you places—look at my quick flick about where OP took me last night (Halloween Central) right in the middle of a nearby neighborhood horror decoration.

"I've lost fifteen pounds so far—put that up against your green coffee beans!"

I walked OP more and more this month, and I've lost fifteen pounds so far. Good? Put that side-by-side against the green coffee claims. Walk a loving beast around town? Or drink another capsule?

Frankly, green coffee beans have a much better claim: "Change nothing else; lose 17% body fat from beans alone." I have actually had to watch my snacks, drink more water without other added flavors or sweeteners, and take up yoga as well as increase the dog walks. 

Yoga is like God's way of tapping you on the shoulder about the age thing. In fact, he tapped me on the shoulder, elbow, neck, back, major joint areas. I'm a little tapped out from all the tapping.

But there is room for a nice hike, something to which most bodies adapt quickly. A loving doggie looks up at you, wagging, excited just to be outside with the smells of nature? Fantastic!

I'm down fifteen now. How much of that comes from dog walking? A lot! That is my biggest change of habit, not rationalizing a long walk into a decent but not expecially long walk.

My loss (of weight, fat, nervous over-excitement—what modern mankind calls "anxiety") is the dog's gain. He gets necessary exercise, too, and smells the world around him. He loves the sights, the many splendid places to pee, and the noises of life.

As all trainers will tell you, obedience starts with and stems from the walk. So like at home with OP is much more pleasant as well. He does more side-swipe hug bumps. He asks for lap time and cuddle time more often. (He is a terrier, after all.)

Our latest hike started in the day, with ordinary encounters.

We walked around , dogs as big as pygmy ponies, young kids, older citizens including a wheelchair vet and a woman in her walker, several medium pooches and a bushel of weenie dogs. OP loved every smell and sound.

We walked later in Fryman Canyon, where the weekend turnout in Studio City's favorite hiking spot seemed to rival Woodstock at one point. I almost never see that parking lot full. I had to park outside of it. Studio City Woodstock—main attraction? Exercise surrounded by things not man-made.

And, in the evening, as my rather odd quick-flick reveals, ghouls and goblins teased us as we drove home. We stopped and hiked through Halloween-ville in North Hollywood.

If you do take your dog out for a hike close to Halloween (or on Halloween), make sure Fido is already exercised a bit before heading into the flashing lights and strange noises and ghosts and skeletons. Dogs can get freaked out by these confusing rituals of ours.

OP loved this madness in the movie, oddly enough, which should have sent him into my pockets. Nope, not the OP. Have some pocket treats on hand for your pet, so it can easily drop candy, especially chocolate, tossed or dropped by a child. Chocolate can dangerously hurt dogs.

Happy Trails—and happy Halloween. I'm down 15. My loss is also my gain, and OP's gain is having me walk more!

For Studio City pet treats check out these below, and let us know if you have other ideas:

* Mark's Pet Supplies

* Maxwell Dog

* Petco

* Rusty's Discount Pet Center

and others.

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Just a short thought to get the word out quickly about anything in your neighborhood.
Share something with your neighbors. Write a new post... What's up? Make an announcement, speak your mind, or sell something
Jo Perry May 23, 2013 at 08:50 am
I wish the media had countered Garcetti's claims with an examination of the facts and had exposedRead More his relationship with BIG development. Only the LA Weekly covered these stories--keep reading it and keep posting.
Barbara Krause May 21, 2013 at 07:58 pm
Oh, it was under announcements and not opinion so that is why I did not understand the post whichRead More appeared as facts.
John Walker May 21, 2013 at 05:14 pm
Presumptuous? What about my "endorsement" is presumptuous. You don't really need toRead More respond😃, I just didn't understand the comment.
Barbara Krause May 21, 2013 at 09:06 am
Somewhat presumptuous this early on Voting Day.
David Pearlberg December 21, 2012 at 11:00 pm
I attended N.H.H.S. in the mid-seventies. Mr. Reeves and Mr. Moelter were two of my favorites.Read More Loved Mr. McLeroy for Sociology.
Kim Phillips-Clark December 19, 2012 at 07:25 pm
great article Mary! Ms. Korney, she sometimes scared me to death! But always around christmas IRead More think of her and pronounce my letters clearly at the end of a word when I sing. I can still remember the song I had to sing for my final, "If ever I would leave you..." She taught me a lot. I agree with everything you said about Mr. Reeves. I had Mr. Pesin for Algebra, he did nothing to help further my math skills. The biggest flirt around, ick. We had a girl in school at the time that flirted her way to an A and hardly ever went to class. Go figure!! I also thought quite highly of Ms. Requiam. Glad she's still around.
Mary McGrath December 18, 2012 at 07:59 pm
Oh, that's so funny Suzanne....what a great story!
Miki Henderson April 27, 2013 at 02:27 pm
Is there a video of this minecraft from mr donovan
Rich Addams March 30, 2013 at 02:49 pm
Luv the bunnyleggos
Cheyenne Chasen March 25, 2013 at 01:00 pm
Love seeing the new entries each and every week! Keep it up!
Alex Daniels May 22, 2013 at 12:18 am
glad you lost Wendy...not even your mafia DWP bedfellows could push you through..now go away...
Alex Daniels May 21, 2013 at 09:05 pm
I also notice Wendy Gruel has no platform, except taking money from special interest (most notablyRead More her puppet masters at the DWP) and having one of the most negative campaigns I've ever seen......no thanks, negative Wendy, fool me once.....Eric is our next Mayor....
Jo Perry May 20, 2013 at 08:27 pm
The signs are everywhere! Please vote for Wendy, Nora. He is also running ads about Wendy GreuelRead More that he knows are outright lies.
Mike Szymanski (Editor) May 19, 2013 at 02:21 pm
She has received a lot of flak about making a premature decision...I hope someone from OvarianRead More Cancer or the community weighs in on this and gives their thoughts in a blog! Thanks...just click the START BLOGGING button below! THANKS!
Mike Szymanski (Editor) May 17, 2013 at 09:34 am
It's better if you put this in the START A BLOG area and add photos...it stays there longer!