Dirty Dog, Clean Dog

This morning we took Rusty on a long-postponed trip to the dog groomer for a bath and clip. Now that Mud Season is just about upon us (though we had snow yesterday: here's our driveway lion wearing his barrister's wig)
it becomes even more imperative that there be less hair to get muddy. However, we opted for the classic Springer Spaniel cut rather than having him shaved completely, just because we think he looks so cute.
Here are a couple of photos of the dirty, hairy dog we woke up with this morning:













The stick in the second picture is one Rusty brought up from the basement and has been chewing on very assiduously.
Rusty was very excited during the car ride to Topsham where Happy Paws is located. He bounced all over the car -- he hasn't been on a long car ride for a while. We dropped him off and then had breakfast at the Copper Kettle, a restaurant which is, oddly enough, located next door to another groomer. We had good reports of that one too but Happy Paws is our place now. After breakfast, a trip to the meat market, and then the library for me and the barbershop for OHP, we returned to pick up our clean dog. We were very pleased to hear that he behaved much better than the last time he was there! And he looks (and smells) beautiful. "After" photos below:













Above he's saying goodbye to his groomer, and at right posing for his photo. He also looks much more slender now without all that extra hair -- he was beginning to look quite chunky, which he is not. Here is one last picture of Rusty at rest in his new haircut: He is snoring peacefully, worn out from all the excitement.