Scolded

It may surprise you to find out how many times a day I get corrected, glared at, tsk-tsked at, or just plain hollered at: "Stop rolling Pico across the floor!" "Don't sit on Ollie!" "That's MY breakfast!"

Sometimes I can't do anything right.

But today I was honored to be scolded - by a peregrine falcon! This demon of the sky was sitting in the tree top by the bridge, hoping to pounce on a nice plump pigeon. And when I walked under his perch he scolded me. At first my Person couldn't figure out where the sound was coming from. It was bouncing off the concrete bridge and seemed to come from all directions. And she couldn't figure out what it was - it sounded sort of like an eagle but not quite. I don't get stuck in all this minutia of who, what, where, why...I just bark. So I did, and big surprise, I got shushed for that. But when we retraced our steps the bird scolded again and this time we saw it.

And why am I so pleased to be scolded? This bird considered me a rival, a fellow hunter and pouncer, and a wild thing. And I am, too. So I trotted away, unchastened and proud, wondering if pigeon tastes as good as dog treats.

Still at Work

The time has been flying by and my person has been too busy working to help me with this account. I finally pressed my nose into her leg so hard she got the picture. And I have a picture for you too. Look at what I have to live with! As you can see, it is the silly season in the cat realm. But it always is, from what I have observed.

While those good-for-nothing fur machines have been snoozing I have been hard at work myself. I got my Person through election season by walking her twice a day to calm her down and letting her run around at my favorite haunt, the river bank. I paid a week-long visit to my other human family where my cousins live and I admit I drove them a bit crazy by trying to rearrange the pecking order and to rid their neighborhood of other dogs, mail carriers and squirrels. I applied for an acting job and though I sat on the interviewer's foot and shed on his pant leg I didn't get the position - can you believe it??? What does it take?? And I have had my usual chores around the home.

So it has been a busy time.

This morning was no exception. I cleared the squirrels from my rainy yard and trotted to the river. The beaver have been busy and have chewed off many saplings. I played for a while with a stick a kindly beaver chewed to the perfect dog-toy length and then thoughtfully removed the bark. Then I chased a bald eagle but he ignored me. The good news is he didn't try to eat me. But I look more like a jawbreaker of a little red treat than a gummy bear. If someone wants to have me for a snack, they have their work cut out for them!