Booker ran down the path, blue eyes blazing and pink tongue flopping. He was on a mission to mow me down and we both knew it. My only warning? The gleam in his eyes. I gave out a little squeal and barely sidestepped his furry canon-ball assault. He zipped by, rounded the birdfeeder, and then came back at me from behind. The intensity of his joy was irresistible, and I laughed as I ran in clumsy winter-clothed fashion in the other direction.
He doesn’t really intend to hurt me. It’s just that with our brutal cold winter he hasn’t had company exactly lingering in the backyard. Even the squirrels have been too lazy, or too cold, to steal from the feeders. I think they are hanging around their tree condos, watching the olympics, and tossing back a few buckets of acorns stored for such occasions. Yep, it’s lonely out there for Booker.
I try to be an amusing distraction, but mostly I’ve turned into a door attendee. Booker stares into our living room window until I make eye contact and wave at him. Not satisfied, he’ll start woo-woo-wooing until I let him in the sunroom. I ask him to “go down†into a lying position, and once he does I give him a treat. He inhales the treat, gets up, and rubs his nose on all window surfaces. Then he stares at me until I let him go outside again. I give him a couple quick pats on the head and out he goes…back to the window to stare at me until I let him back in. Repeat, repeat, repeat.
Today our cats, Pudgy and Giese, were on a rampage. They were rumpling rugs, knocking over objects, and play-fighting with a disturbing intensity. I expected to see blood, but both seemed fine. And happy. When I let Booker in the sunroom for the 89th time, they began to make faces at him through the door that separates the sunroom from the dining room. Offended, he began to woof and pawed at the door. I glared and said, “NO!” which had about the same effect as using an umbrella in a tornado.
The cats did their version of an eye roll, looked at each other with a “oooo we’re soooo scared of Booker†look, then began licking their nether-regions casually. Booker, became really annoyed at this blatant disrespect, and I knew it was time for me to let him out again. As I did I looked up at the late-day sky and noted the nearly full moon above. Oh. Now I get it.
It was the best part of my day.
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