Backyard to the Universe
Dawgs - 2007
April 6,
2007
MAHLER
Helen
finally agreed to do an update of things. Just as things are now, not
trying to make up for all of the time since the note last July.
Don,
Maggie, Morgan and Kira came to Litchfield in October. No problem for
us, as Don is a great friend and playmate. In fact Mahler has taught
him to meditate in the yard, at all times day or night, including
getting Dick to let us out in the middle of the night, and in most
kinds of weather—snow, yea, but not rain.
Maggie and
Morgan and the other cats have accommodated the change fairly well.
Patches is teaching Morgan how to beg at the table. We dawgs can
still startle Morgan so she drops whatever she has begged, and one of
us can get it. Patches grabs whatever is begged and runs off. And we
eat almost everything. Don is learning to be less picky—even
eats lettuce and peppers, but not cucumbers or mushrooms. There is a
danger in not eating whatever is offered – they may not offer
something another time, and we might miss something really good.
Bear has
taught Maggie to chase the laser, which is great, until Tess knows
that Dick has the laser out—that really freaks her out. Shadow
seemed not to eat for the first few weeks that Maggie and Morgan were
here, but she is doing fine now. In fact, she comes to greet Helen
every evening. Maybe she misses Erik.
Erik and
Kris aren’t here now, so we have become even more aware of Dick
and Helen’s patterns – and how to get on their nerves!
The change of time means that we can get a morning walk in, and
frequently one in the afternoon. We get ice cream cartons about
weekly. That has its own ritual: we go into our crates (with the
bathroom being Don’s crate) until we have licked the container
clean. When we are released, we can bring the containers out, and we
continue to chew on them. I actually eat the carton.
The
wildlife is abounding. The turkeys were around until about a week ago
– like a dozen or more at a time. We only bark at them if there
is only one or two. There are plenty of ducks. Geese have been around
this week – we bark at them in response to their honking. And
Dick and Helen watch a muskrat, but it is a little harder to see its
head than to see a duck. The eagle was around a few days ago. And
there are the usual squirrels and chipmunks. We basically ignore
them, unless there hasn’t been anything to bark at for a while.
And we try
to ignore Kira. He just squawks. But actually, he has learned to
whistle as if he is calling us. Dick and Helen laugh when we respond.
Dumb bird really knows what he is doing! But it is really disgusting
when Dick and Helen whistle to him, and he responds, during meals. At
least they have not brought him to the table.