One Week

One week since my last post. One week since last Tuesday. One week until two days before Christmas. We're really right in the middle of it. The tree in the front yard has finally turned to fall colors and is dropping its leaves. The weather fluctuates wildly - 70 and raining, 29 and clear, 55 and damp. The full range. It seems to guarantee a daily headache or two. The ground has been wet for many weeks now. Squishy and receptive to dog paws. The kitchen floor takes their prints if a towel doesn't get them first. And if the towel gets them first, Mickey gets the towel, and the growling struggle begins. Canine Greco wrasslin'. It's a loud smelly affair with claws and teeth. Bulging eyes and wild glances. Kicking hind legs and snorts and sniffs. Grasshopper-like jumps and giant flapping tongues. Attacks and retreats, dodges and thrusts. And whiskers. The lone white Mickey whisker is back again. I give it another couple weeks before it falls out once more.

Maggie occasional sets her carcass in motion for a five minute spree of Kong in mouth. Dog with Kong in mouth to bedroom, Dog with Kong in mouth to dining room, Dog with Kong in mouth to living room, chase, pause, repeat, repeat repeat, repeat, nap. Mickey cheers us on, or protests. Whatever it is, it's loud and piercing. He'd happily join in the chase. I'd happily let him, except in the confines of the house, Maggie would not enjoy his input, and the corrective action she chooses would likely lead to a late night vet visit. So we continue to employ a dog rotation that has thus far has kept everyone unbitten and relatively well exercised/happy. It turns out there are five separate places they can go, so there are a bunch of combinations of confinement and freedom to offer. Depending on how you look at it, it's all freedom. Or all confinement. Either way, I call them happy dogs, and they've told me no different.KONG!