Saturday, July 23, 2011

Short Nights

Wild Willow is here for a visit. She is mellowing over time but nights are not good. I got no sleep the first night trying to keep her quiet. Dave had to get to work early. Seems she gets the same energy burst I do about 11 p.m. But then she gets Dave's 5:30 a.m. energy burst too. Dave and Willow are up so everyone else must get up and play - no excuses.

The game of Chinook tag involves one or two dogs running in large circles, usually tightly around landscaped shrubbery. The other dogs jump out and tag the runners. As the current youngest, Willow is usually the designated "it". This game along with chasing squirrels, swimming and helping me weed tired her last by night. I went to bed about midnight. She then decided that she had to join Dave, Willy and Cedar on the bed. She also decided the prime spots next to me were hers. About 1 am, I finally convinced her that she belonged on the nice bed on the floor.

This girl howls in her sleep. Not just a little yip but a howling, wolf pack chorus. I had forgotten that until startled awake about 3 a.m.

When Dave got up at 5:30, she was ready to start the day. She made sure I was up too by running across the room and jumping up on top of me. I would fend off kisses and pawing until she would decide to attack and wrestle with the other dogs. The game evolved into all four dogs taking their turn running across the room; jumping on me; pawing; kissing then launching down onto the others. This ensued until about 6:30 when bruised, scratched and heavy headed, I got up for breakfast and much needed coffee.


Now that my day is going, all four dogs are asleep.