Things We Do for Love

Yes, it's been months since I posted regularly. Cain't hep it. First it was holidays with the back and asthma, then I started writing a billion short articles for an educational company I contract for, and got so swamped with research and actual "real work" writing that I was too tired to hit the keyboard anymore. Not to mention the overwhelm-ment of constantly updating a couple of high-maintenance websites. Much of the time now I just want to press the off button. (I first mistyped that as the "oof" button.)

Our special buddy, our neighbor's dog, Luke (full name: Lucas, a.k.a. Cool Hand Luke) is visiting here on a dog daycare basis this week because his mom has gone to Florida on a birthday visit to her mom, who will be 89. It is a real joy to have Luke keeping me company during the day, and he's so funny--that is, most of the time, if he's awake, that is. Four-legged entertainment.


Well, I'll be right back after I go take a Benadryl. Sometimes I'm a bit allergic. This time it's making my face itch.
Thanks. I'm back.

So we had a blizzard and around 12:00 Luke decided he wanted to go out. (He tells me by standing next to me and wagging, then putting his paw on my knee, then nearly jumping in my lap). The snow was so deep it went up to his shoulders. As always, he was sure there were chipmunks under there and he stuck his whole head down in the snow next to the lamp post. He gets confused when he hears the snow squeak and crunch under my boots, too--that noise must mean more rodents to hunt, so he chases my feet and digs at them.

Luke is a Welsh Terrier, and as such his coat is a little wiry and very curly. He picked up a small snowball in every curl and when we got in the house I realized what a nightmare it was going to be. Thank goodness we don't have carpet! I covered "his" chair with a fitted sheet, but he decided he didn't want to be on "his" chair, he wanted to be next to me on the sofa. I had to keep putting him back down. As he warmed up, he walked everywhere in our open floor plan family room level, and thawed as he moved. I mopped, but to no avail; the chunks kept falling off. Finally I realized I might as well wait until he was entirely melted. Then I dried him off with a towel. The toll on my socks did not go unnoticed.

Wait, wait, here comes the wag and the paw. It's been a little over three hours; I have to go take him out again. There go another pair of socks . . .

Oh, this was good. With great ebullience, he plowed and bounded through the snow. Knew right away what he was out for. Left his golden salutes. But then a peculiar thing happened. This is something I've NEVER seen before. He wanted to play for a while, but realized the front yard was pure snow, to high to play in and waaaaay too cold. He quickly turned back toward the house . . . we clomped our way down the trail to the porch patio. And then, just before we got to the door, Luke remembered why he had wanted to wander the front yard. He crouched, and did the inevitable. On the slate porch! Great. Right there where the kids would land when they unsuspectingly tramped down the path and arrived at the (formerly) pristine porch.

Sorry, I've gotta leave. Puddles are forming all over the floor, and I have to find a third pair of socks. And a shovel.