Sunday, May 08, 2005

For a good half hour this morning I didn't have a clue where the rest of my family was. That is to say, I had an idea but not exactly. Sweetie and Sugar are in Scotland on a father/son adventure. Honey spent the night at an after-prom party then went to someone's house and who knows what. I woke up completely alone for the first time in years, unable to get in touch with any of them.

It wasn't so bad.

I love 'em all, you know that - but personal space is delicious, too.

Friday, May 06, 2005

What Roxie enjoys most now is watching Hansel. Watching him chew, watching him eat, watching him run, watching him breathe. What I enjoy most is watching her watching him. We all get lost, Hansel in his freedom from the puppy mill, Roxie in her fascination for him, and me in my deep admiration for the two of them.

It's Spring now, finally, and the grass is high, thanks to a broken lawn mower. They like to go out at dawn but it's too early for barking. Dusk suffices as a substitute, full of green and scents and birds singing. Not many people are walking by that they need to bark at so it's a calm, peaceful end to the day.

Sunday, May 01, 2005

Roxie started sleeping in our room in a crate next to the bed then established a routine of sleeping on the floor until 6am and spending the last hour or so with us in bed.

Yesterday, Hansel was invited to sleep in our room for the first time after several nights downstairs with Sugar. He and Roxie played on the bed until he growled at her when she approached me. No, no way, Hansel. We love you but here, in this bedroom, she is the Princess. She has earned her right to cuddle with me. You can be the focus of her attention and alpha elsewhere if you want, but The Rox rules in the bedroom.

We left them alone downstairs together for an hour today while we went out. We have to establish some kind of normalcy since Sweetie and Sugar are going to Norway this week (Hummingbird at the feeder outside with a foot of snow on the ground) and my life must go on anyway. We found out what kind of commotion 2 dogs left in the front hall can create when we left them before. (That hummingbird isn't hovering, just perching there sucking the sugar water down. I hope he's warm enough.)

I am sick of cold and snow. Enough already. My yard has never been muddier.