From the time I was born and could walk any distance, Mike and I would usually wog (not a walk, but not a jog, certainly not a run) 2-3 miles per day, sometimes 4 miles on the weekends. In the past couple of weeks on these early morning treks, I would begin favoring my left hip and pull the leash-holder under the shade of a tree. He gets impatient and is always in a hurry and would indulge me for a few moments before restarting the route to complete our mileage.

On last Wednesday's loop, my right hip completely gave way, and I looked at Mike and told him it was time to go see Uncle Jeremiah. Farmstead Veterinary Medical Center's Dr. Jeremiah Alexander, my doctor and my parent's doctor also, is my uncle because my half-brother, Jasper (born in 2019), lives with him. When Mike was looking for me in 2017 (I was born in 2018), my uncle told him that my mom, Princess Amelia, and dad, Prince Polar Bear, were about to have me. The rest, as they say, is history.

In any case, Uncle Jeremiah's diagnosis was that my now 2.5 year-old right hip is flattening a bit so I needed to quarantine from the wogs for a while and take joint medicine daily. In addition, this July heat is enough to torture any long-haired canine such as myself. My uncle also told Mike to lay off giving me treats since I'm not wogging, not that I was overweight, but if I became overweight, it would aggravate my hip. So when you see Mike walking around Downtown Jasper with no canine, be nice to him because I'm sure he misses me, and I do miss seeing my Downtown Jasper humans.

Never fear...I'll be back as soon as I can priss down the streets and avenues without throwing out a hip. Save those treats that so many of you toss my way. In the meantime, stay healthy by masking up, washing those hands, and by practicing social distancing.   I'll continue to take it easy for a while, but I'll keep you updated on Jasper Main Street's Facebook page and my Instagram account at tallulahbankheadputman.