An Evening Stroll with little Benji

We have been having a heat wave for the past 2 weeks, making it difficult to walk or bike or do much of anything until the hour before sunset.  Today it was 105 F with the humidex, something we are NOT used to her in Northern Ontario, Canada.  I had to wait until after the sun went down to go for a walk, and it was still 100 F with the humidex (humidity).

 As the last bit of color started to fade from the sky, we set out.  Benji likes his stroller, but unlike Mac, who lay down and relaxed during his strolls, Benji paces from window to window, looking out.  I'm not sure how much he can see as the poor guy has glaucoma in is left eye and his right eye has cataracts.

Benji in the stroller

 My asthma was bad so we couldn't go far, just for a short half hour jaunt.

 The sky was beautiful, and my camera took some amazing night shots (making it look much brighter in the photos than it actually was.  It was dark out.).

St. Joseph's school (closed down ages ago)

 The photo above shows the remains of my old elementary school, St. Joseph's.

 For some reason, I really like the looks of the old house in the above photo, especially at night.

 This poor dog is ALWAYS outside on a leash, no matter when I walk, bike, or drive by, day or night.  He was very friendly to me, wagging his tail and giving kisses, but when he noticed I had a dog in my stroller instead of a kid, went mad with barking (just like Mac used to).  His owner came out to yell at him but did not let him in.  I'm sure the dog must go inside and it must be a coincidence that he is just out when I go by, because he looks well cared for, and well groomed.

 This is the Bank of Montreal, where I opened my first account at the age of 5.

I lived on the top floor of the house above until I was almost 5.  Then we moved one whole block away, lol.

 The night sky was just gorgeous tonight.

 I love these flowers; I think they are called Mallow.

 I also love the look of the big house on the corner in the photo above.  The church down the street is all lit up.

 I liked the way the trees leaned over the sidewalk here. 
The bus photo, below, didn't turn out, but I love the way it looks anyway; sort of like it's under water, or in a dream.

And there's my house.  My parents house, where I"m currently living until I can get my own place again.

Pet Gear Expedition Stroller, Extra Large

I ordered this cool stroller from Chewy.com.  I paid $143.00 for mine and the sale is over, but Chewy.com still has the best prices i could find.

Here's a video I took after Mac's first stroll:

Below you will see Mac checking out the box.  Ben is in his chair (with his step ladder so he can get up and down).

Mac checking out his new stroller while in the box

Unboxing new stroller

 I was a little concerned because the box had been opened on one end and I was worried that the store had sent me a returned item but all was well; the stroller was brand new.

Unboxing Pet Gear Expedition Stroller

 The stroller was wrapped well and seems very sturdy and well made.

The main stroller portion

 I had to cut off all of the wheels and handles, etc, which were attached to the main portion with plastic ties.

Wheels, axle, and handle

 Putting it together was very simple.  The instructions were easy to understand but the photos were small and not as clear as they should have been.  I had to call the free help number to figure out which way to put the front wheels on.  I suggested that they should record someone putting the actual stroller together step by step, and upload the video onto Youtube.

Wheels, axle, and handle unwrapped

Wheels on!

 I was worried about the wheels for nothing, as they went on very easily.  The stroller portion is like a pop up tent.

Wheels on, stroller popping up.

 The only hard part was the top bar had to be forced into place...would have been easier if I had someone helping me.

Almost put together now.

 Mac couldn't get in on his own so I lifted him in and pushed him around the living room.  He seemed to really like it and wouldn't get out.

All done with dog inside

 I had to lift him out, and then I brought the stroller outside, put the yellow matt down to make it cozier and hopefully more comfy for him, and then brought Mac outside.  He is too tall and long to get in on his own so I have to lift  him in and put him in bacward.  They really should have put a zipper entrance at the back so tall dogs can get in on their own.

Ready for a walk

 Mac is so long that I left the front open so he could let his paws hang out, which he did, immediately, lol.  He really seemed to love his stroll.  He was alert and smiling the whole time.  He got a LOT of attention, with almost everyone calling him spoiled.  When I explained that he can't go for walks on his own any more people seemed to understand.

After 1st walk

Mac and Ben in stroller

 We walked to Second Avenue and back, and I let Ben check it out.  Ben sniffed around all over.

Benji is checking it out

 Then he tried to jump out, which Mac seemed to find funny, lol.  Doesn't it look like he's laughing?

Mac and Ben

 I lifted Ben out before he jumped, lol.  After I helped Mac out (he tripped when he tried to come out on his own), Mac had a hard time walking.  I don't know if it's because he tripped or if he was lying weird and hurt his discs when he was in the stroller,  or if it was too bouncy.  It didn't seem bouncy at all but I wasn't the one riding in it, so who knows. 

 After I made sure Mac was OK I put him in the house and put Benji in the stroller.  I had to zip up the front so he wouldn't jump out. 

 He enjoyed walking from window to window, looking out while I walked.  The stroller wasn't exactly heavy with Mac in it, but it was light as a feather with only Benji inside.  The stroller itself weighs 30 Ibs but I didn't feel it at all because the wheels turn nicely.  Mac weighs 55 Ibs but Benji only weighs 6 Ibs so the stroller was light as a feather with only Ben.

 I took Benji to the park and let him out for a bit, then put him back in for the ride home.  He seemed to enjoy it but refused to lie down; he just wanted to look out every side, lol.

Benji and stroller at the park

Dog Stroller

Well,  I've been feeling guilty that my dogs can't walk with my any more.  Benji is almost 16 and is just too old (and blind), and poor Mac has IVDD  (disc disease) that is acting up again after being OK for 4 years. I've been sneaking out for walks late at night so the dogs won't notice, but Mac always wakes up and lies in front of the door, waiting for me to come home.  He looks so sad that he can't come with me for now, so I researched pet strollers and ordered this beautiful blue stroller today!

Pet Gear Expedition Extra Large Stroller

I am so excited; it is huge, made for dogs up to 150 pounds.  Mac only weighs 53 pounds, but he is tall and long, so he'll need the space.  I'm hoping both Mac and little Ben, who is a tiny toy poodle, will fit in this thing together.

I did a lot of research on pet strollers before deciding on this one.  There were some 3 wheel strollers that also convert into bike trailers that looked wonderful, with big air filled wheels and suspension, but the reviews all said they were tippy, and the last thing Mac needs is to be tipped over.

I decided on the Pet Gear Expedition because it had the largest interior dimensions of any stroller I could find online.  Others were larger, but only on the outside.  Plus, 4 wheels make it sturdier; not one review said it tipped; they all said it is sturdy.  Some complained that it was made up of cheap parts, but most of the reviews were positive (I read hundreds of reviews on several different sites).

I found a great deal on this stroller at chewy.com.
I added the link with the sale price that I paid, but I'm not sure how long it will last, so I'm sorry if you're reading this in the future and the sale is over.  
I paid $146.62 US for the stroller, marked down from $189.99. 
Walmart has the same stroller for just under $200 US dollars.
I'm Canadian and our dollar sucks right now so I was thrilled to find the stroller on sale at chewy.com.
They don't ship to Canada but I live on the border and have a US address that I can use, so it's not a big deal.  Plus shipping is free in the US...we NEVER get free shipping in Canada.  Ever, lol.

I am very excited for this to arrive.  A guy from Chewys.com phoned me and said it will probably ship out tomorrow.  My parents are going out of town from Friday until Monday so my Dad won't be able to pick it up until he gets back, so hopefully it won't arrive before he gets home.  I have to renew my driver's license next month and am going to get the kind that allows me to travel to the US without a passport, so I won't have to bug my Dad.  Not that he minds; he likes to go to the casino when he's over there, lol. He also goes over quiet often to gas up his truck; US gas prices are way better than Canadian.

I hope Mac and Ben will like the stroller.  I think they will, once they get used to it.

I have been so busy with doctor, dentist, eye doctor appointments, asthma specialists, allergy tests, and vet visits that I haven't been able to work on my minis for awhile, and I really miss it.  I hope I will have time soon as I'm going into mini-making withdrawal, lol.