The only thing better than watching a pachyderm parade through the streets of Boston is riding on one and being part of the parade. The fabulous Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus elephants are in town at the TD Garden. Seeing their pictures in the paper made me think back about my unforgettable elephant ride several years ago. Preparing for the trek from Causeway Street to Faneuil Hall, the trainer had my elephant kneel down as I climbed aboard. As a first time rider, I was in for many surprises. For one thing, there is no graceful way to get up on this huge creature. Their spiky black hairs are just like the bristles of a wire brush and will go right though a pair of jeans. Yow! As my jumbo giant plodded along, she felt it necessary to use her swinging trunk to dip into the puddles along the street. She would then spray the murky contents onto her back, resulting in a nice mud bath for me! Reaching Faneuil Hall, her fun began as she dove into the huge buffet that was prepared for the elephants. Food was flying and a good time was had by all. My biggest surprise was when I got home. Toto, our cairn terrier and Penzi’s predecessor, was quite upset with me as she sniffed me incessantly. Another dog is one thing…..but , what in the world was this strange new smell?