Dog Days

The driving force behind this blog has been my friend WJL.  She seems convinced that I have something worth saying and badgered me into finally creating a blog. So, technically difficulties notwithstanding, here goes.  My first ever blog post. Is this on?

And what will I start with? What else but my dog! Or more precisely, how neglected my dog's grooming is now. There's hair in this somewhere, I Promise.

Toto is my 9 year old Jack Russell cross. That's his adoption photo above actually. He's an old man with a young man's swagger. He loves to play and roll around in stuff, dragging leaves and twigs, insects and, once, even a birds' nest into the house, all tangled up in his fur.

When I first got him, I was already natural but unwillingly so.  I was waiting for my M.I.A Hairdresser to return and, in the meantime, my hair was permanently hidden under cornrows. Hair care comprised a once-monthly trip to the hairdressers to undo, shampoo (cringe), blow-dry (double cringe) and re-braid. Meaning, the man hours I now spend on my hair I then spent on more leisurely pursuits like drinking wine, drinking more wine and washing the dog.  Okay okay. Washing the dog is not a leisurely pursuit, but it needed doing.  Still does. But now, after a whole day spent pre-pooing, shampooing, conditioning, hennaing, rinsing, co-washing (x3), detangling, rinsing, DCing, oil rinsing, detangling again, conditioning, rinsing, spritzing, sealing and twisting..PHEW! I can't bring myself to face another wash day, especially not one that involves a strong-for-his-size, hates-to-be-washed lovable rogue.

So here he sits, happy as Larry, stinking up the whole place and shedding fur like models in a PETA ad. And here I sit, guilt-ridden,breathing through the mouth and ignoring increasingly pointed hints from my husband about the state of 'my' dog. But hey, my hair is moisturised and my ends are sealed. In nappyland, that's a win.