Brutus

Meet Princess – ND #62

Posted on by Lisa Weikel 2 Comments
Meet Princess (and tell me she’s not adorable) – Photo: L. Weikel

Meet Princess

Meet Princess. Please don’t ask me how I know her name. Surely you know enough not to ask me that question, right? I just know.

Every single day I walk by her field and shelter/hut. Every day, if she catches sight of me or hears my voice, she comes running across the field, squealing a greeting and seemingly providing a running commentary as she travels the entire length of the field. Her enthusiasm is simply adorable.

I realize there’s a decent chance that she’s as friendly and conversational with everyone who walks by her field as she is with me. And while it would make me sad to learn that she lumps all us humans together, somehow I doubt that’s the case. I think she recognizes the high pitch of my voice and she remembers that I bring her tasty puppy treats.

Indeed, that reminds me. I need to write myself a sticky note to post at eye level on our kitchen door reminding me to take a couple carrots on our next walk. While it’s obvious she enjoys the puppy treats, I have a feeling she’d also enjoy something more substantial.

“Did you say treats?” – Photo: L. Weikel

Future Experiments

One of these days – or maybe over the course of a few days – I’m going to ask Karl to walk past the field the same we do every day, but well ahead of me. I’m not sure how good her eyesight is, so I’m not sure if she sees me or if she simply hears my high sing-song-y voice and responds to that. And the reason I think she might react differently to Karl is because he never speaks to her. He stands on the road and just watches – so they basically never interact (nor has she ever heard him speak to her).

So the first test is whether Karl can sneak by her field without making a sound and snagging her attention. Will she see him? Will she smell him and come running? Does she respond to just any human walking past her field?

If she doesn’t see him or seem to realize he’s walking by, will she come to him if he calls her?

Given that she could even be responding to the presence of the puppies, the conclusions we draw from such experiments might be skewed if he has one of the puppies with him. But first things first. We can eventually rule out ‘the pup factor,’ if need be.

I also think we should try to observe her responses to other people walking by her field (i.e., not just Karl). But that may be harder to coordinate.

Whoa! Up close and personal! – Photo: L. Weikel

Friend or Nothing Special?

Let’s face it. Princess may simply be the most affable pig around. Who knows? Perhaps she considers us all to be her subjects (remember: she is Princess!) and assumes that everyone walking by is simply paying her tribute (or should be).

I can vouch for the fact that she’s a remarkable creature. It’s true: I want to think that she recognizes me. She melts my heart when she ever so gently nibbles the dog treats from my hand and grunts in satisfaction.

Brutus and Princess sussing each other out – Photo: L. Weikel

(T+62)

Wanna Go For a Ride – ND #61

Posted on by Lisa Weikel 2 Comments
Wanna go for a ride? – Photo: L. Weikel

Wanna go for a ride?

This morning both Brutus and Pacha eyed me skeptically when I enthusiastically chirped, “Wanna go for a ride? Who wants to go for a ride?” The last time they went for a ride with me was to the vet for another set of shots a few weeks ago. Their enthusiasm remained underwhelmed when I threw in a further enticement, “And then we’ll take a walkie?”

If looks could say, “Umm, no,” they speak it fluently.

The thing is, I knew they would enjoy the walk. We’d be exploring new territory (for them, anyway) so there would be an abundance of new odors, as well as a plethora of nooks and crannies to explore.

We were going to meet a dear friend to walk along the towpath between the canal and the Lenape Sipu (Delaware River). As you know, the pups generally love taking walks – unless, of course, temperatures are in the wind chill vicinity of zero or below or, Goddess forbid, it’s raining. Rain is an utter deal breaker. It’s worse than snow by a mile. But the sun was shining and I could tell the day was already milder than yesterday.

“Did someone say ‘puppaccino?'” (Brutus) – Photo: L. Weikel

Pit Stop

I wanted to splurge and supply a hot beverage for my friend and me to enjoy on our walk. When I thought it through, though, I realized I had to go to a Starbucks with a drive-thru, for the carnage two puppies could do to the inside of my car if I left them unattended for even ten seconds could be catastrophic. So I negotiated a slight detour to a drive-thru in a nearby town.

As we began our journey, the pups settled into the dog bed I placed on the passenger’s side seat. Pacha seemed to fall asleep immediately, while Brutus leaned against her and simply eyed me with a slightly baleful expression.

He perked up slightly as we sat in line to place our order. There was something familiar going on here, and he knew there was something pleasant associated with it. I could tell he couldn’t quite place it…

And then I rolled down my window and placed my order. While I wanted to order puppaccinos for my babies, I didn’t want to chance them getting sick. This was a lot longer ride than running to the vet, and I was becoming uncomfortably aware of the stench of mothballs* wafting through the vehicle, despite my best attempts to open all the windows a couple of inches to keep the air circulating.

I hesitated when the barista asked, “Is there anything else I can get for you?” I casually mentioned that I would love to ask for two puppaccinos, but didn’t think that was the best idea.

Brutus’s head snapped up and he had both paws on the center console in a split second. “Did you say puppaccino? Mommy? Did someone say puppaccino?” And yes, he literally began licking his lips.

Best Laid Plans

When I got to the pick-up window, I endured the overwhelming disappointment emanating from Brutus when I declined their offer. I did accept two small dog treats instead – to which Brutus promptly turned up his nose. Nope. He knew what he wanted and it wasn’t a random hard breadstick.

Well, it couldn’t have been more than five minutes later, I noticed Brutus was licking his lips a lot more – and drooling a little – and I had no illusions that this was related to a puppaccino. No, I knew he was readying himself to do a purge.

And yes, once again, he quietly (I’ll never get over how much quieter dogs barf than cats and their histrionic heaving and acking) left the contents of his breakfast, which he’d eaten a good two and a half hours earlier, all over the center console of the car. He also managed to throw up a goodly pile on the dog bed, slightly on and perilously close to his sister.

This not being my first rodeo with this pup, I’d at least come prepared with a roll of paper towels, which I used to haphazardly mop up and consolidate the…evidence. (Thank goodness it doesn’t smell like people barf, is all I can say.) Brutus, looking alternately accusatory and remorseful, then curled up and tried to sleep.

Two minutes away from our destination, Pacha suddenly stood up and tried to get into my lap. While I sympathized with her desire to extricate herself from her brother’s embrace, I had a feeling she was headed for a similar destination. Stopping at the stop sign literally 100 yards away from our destination, Pacha blew lunch all over her front paws, the back of their seat, and the arm of my jacket.

Wow. Unlucky. I just had to laugh.

Ice Sliding – All Better! – Photo: L. Weikel

All’s Well

In spite of it all, we ended up having a wonderful walk along the – very smooshy – towpath. I should’ve taken a photo of them with their mega-muddy paws, nearly caked up to their ‘elbows.’

Once we got home and regaled Daddy with gory details of our adventure, we took another walk. This time, they purged themselves (no pun intended) of their muddy memories and engaged in some serious ice-sliding – a pastime growing more and more beloved on each frozen outing.

*Karl insists on keeping packs of mothballs in the car due to our experiences of having mice move in and use our vehicles as homes, especially during the winter. Even worse, they’ve been known to eat the wiring for snacks. A pretty unsustainable situation, but for which we all seem to be paying in degrees of nausea. It makes the answer to “Wanna go for a ride?” a lot less enthusiastic than it would be otherwise.

(T+61)

Need a Walk – ND #53

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Brutus has the right idea – Photo: L. Weikel

Need a Walk

Oooh baby, I need a walk. I got caught up in an appointment that required me to be inside all afternoon. When I emerged from my sojourn into other realms, the sun had set.

I stood at the kitchen door, staring at the western sky, the storm door caked with frost and ice crystals from repeated openings to accommodate our four-leggeds. I yearned to walk, but there was zero enthusiasm for it from Karl or the pups. I could sense the temperature had plunged, and I didn’t want to become chilled to the bone.

But the colors left in the sun’s wake were tantalizing. If anything can get me out of the house it’s a sunset with an exploding palette. For once, though, I yielded to the plaintive glances of Pacha and Brutus. (I tend to make them ‘walk off’ their reticence – and had to do so almost the entire past week.)

Too freaking cold to walk – Photo: L. Weikel

Tonight

There’s always the chance that I might decide to take a walk – even if a short one – on my own. This is especially true if the sky is tantalizingly clear or there are meteor showers or other phenomena occurring through the night. But Karl just said, “I won’t stand in your way; do what you need to do. But I promise you – it is cold.”

In the end, hunger won out.

Something tells me I made a wise choice. Perhaps this screenshot of The Weather Channel I took only minutes ago? Yeah, that’s persuasive. If it feels like -5 degrees, I have no interest in proving how I can power through it.

It’s funny, now that I think about it. Was it more of an Act of Power to say no to that part of myself that demands I walk every day? Or should I have made myself do it? Yet again, my spontaneous ‘sighting’ of the Rune Isa earlier in the week and integration of its message of Standstill echoes in my thoughts.

I can revel in the snow and take that yearned-for walk tomorrow. Tonight I needed to be quiet, power down, and allow my batteries to recharge. (And – p.s. – judging from this screenshot, below, I should’ve gone to bed a bit earlier. This is what can happen when you fall asleep at your keyboard! YIKES!)

Oops. Shouldn’t fall asleep with your hands on the keyboard. Photo: L. Weikel

(T+53)

Trade-offs – ND #46

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Holy Spirit Bird – Photo: L. Weikel

Trade-offs

Today’s walk was especially fun and refreshing. For one thing, we got on the road at least an hour earlier than we’ve been managing most days. There are trade-offs, of course – no stars splashed across the midheaven. But it also got up to 30 degrees today, which made the entire excursion much more pleasant for all four of us.

Indeed, Brutus and Pacha stayed home yesterday – we just didn’t have the heart to drag them out in those frigid temperatures. Brutus missed a walk earlier in the week after he dug his feet in and refused to budge an inch as we started across the lawn. Nope! I wasn’t having that, so I turned right around and took him back into the house. He spent our ‘walkie’ time cooling his heels (keeping them warm, actually) in his crate. I think he was stunned that he had to spend an hour all by himself, while Pacha gamely walked like a big girl. He does not like to be left behind!

It may seem like I was over-reacting or not trying hard enough to talk him into walking with us. But in fact I nipped that behavior in the bud because about a week ago (when it started getting really cold out) he just stopped in the middle of the road and insisted upon being carried. We were only about halfway through our walk. (I know, I know. Don’t judge! I’m stubborn too and I really thought I could out-wait him. But his balking was causing the rest of us to freeze – so I relented and carried him home. Let me assure you: schlepping an extra 16 lbs. over a mile or two is exhausting.) The crate was the only option if he was planning on being a jerk again.

Spirit Bird and Hummingbird – Photo: L. Weikel

No Stars, But…

Bright sunshine. Slightly more pleasant temperatures. And the opportunity to introduce the pups to the unexpected delights of frozen puddles! I wish I could easily post the video I took of them discovering the fun of slipping and sliding on the intermittent puddles frozen in fields beside the road. Oh my, they were so cute.

We also encountered a stunning cloud seemingly diving toward Earth from the heavens above. It almost looked like it could be diving toward a baby bird straining to meet its mommy, or perhaps a hummingbird. I’m including a couple different shots of our experience of those amazing clouds because each provides a different perspective. I almost want to call the biggest one cloud the ‘Holy Spirit’ cloud, since it reminds me of how I envisioned the Holy Spirit descending upon the apostles when I heard that story in church as a child.

Oh! And because we were walking while it was still light out, we also were graced with the presence of two very plump Eastern Bluebirds and three Red Shouldered Hawks.

Yes, there are trade-offs to consider with almost all decisions we make. And even though we didn’t hear any owls calling their love songs (it was a little early for such canoodling), I’ve no doubt we made out in a very big way today.

Photo: L. Weikel

(T+46)

Witness – ND #43

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Tigger enjoying a few tender moments alone – Photo: L. Weikel

Most Treasured

It’s funny. I keep trying to jump-start this post by declaring what I refuse to write about for a third night in a row. For once, I really wanted to witness victory being snatched from the jaws of all-but-certain defeat. But it was not meant to be. Apparently we really are going to have to live out the nightmare of watching our country’s most treasured and revered foundational concepts crumble before our eyes, mostly because people simply cannot wrap their heads around the fact that this ‘really could happen’ in the United States.

So tonight I’m just going to keep it light.

Cuteness Prevails

Take Tigger, for example. According to the adoption papers we received when he was rescued years ago by my son and his then girlfriend (now wife), he’s starting to get up there in years. In fact, I think he may be 16 years old or so.

Tigger is by far the most patient of all our animals, but especially the most patient of our felines. He was the first to welcome the pups with open paws, and he endures relentless acts of butt-sniffing and puppy-tackles on a daily basis. It’s rare for him to lash out at either pup. Indeed, the only times I’ve ever seen him hiss or retaliate in any form were when they either took him utterly by surprise or, not surprisingly, when they simply refused to knock off their antics after too many tumbles or nips.

As many of my photos attest, the pups tend to be hogs when it comes to nestling in front of the fire. Once they’ve outgrown puppyhood, I’m pretty sure they’ll welcome cuddling with the felines – or perhaps I should say the cats may decide it’s safe to snuggle with them. But in the meantime, they swing from one end of the spectrum (as bundles of effervescent energy) to another (dead-weight, snoring, lights-out immovable lumps) in the blink of an eye. Consequently, the cats are finding languishing fireside to be an indulgence they rarely experience.

And so it was adorable earlier today when I discovered Tigger snatching a few zzzz’s hearthside, sharing the pet pillow with one of the pups’ favorite toys: the Fox. (The pups were asleep in their crate; I forget why.)

“MY Fox” – Photo: L. Weikel

Melts My Heart

It’s moments like these that melt my heart. Tigger, as old as he is, still plays like a frisky kitten – when the mood strikes him. Usually the mood hits when I’m making our bed. He mrrrows and arches his back, hops sideways and tackles my hand when I’m smoothing out the comforter. He’s hilarious. But I also watch him as he observes the mad scrambles of Pacha and Brutus when I throw their toy (the Fox, again, being a favorite) and they race to bring it back to me.

If it weren’t below his dignity, I actually think he’d be tempted to race after the toy himself and triumphantly bring it back to me. Or at the very least, jump on it and fling it a couple of times.

He just jumped up on the couch and mrrrowed to me. “Time for bed, Mommy.”

So now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to forget about the sad state of our country and go snuggle with my Tiggery.

(T+43)

Batten Down the Hatches – ND #38

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Cletus Holding Court – Photo: L. Weikel

The cold front pushed through as we were finishing up our walk late this afternoon. Or would you consider 5:00 p.m. to be early evening? Either way, as we descended the hill toward home on the last leg of our journey, the wind picked up and shifted dramatically, and the temperature dropped a good 15-20 degrees within moments. It’s plummeted even further since then. Time to batten down the hatches and engage in serious snuggling.

I know; I know. Weather-related posts are inherently boring. But it’s all I can think about. It’s tough to write about anything else when I’m suddenly feeling an overwhelming desire to burrow into a soft furry blanket and read a book.

The puppies are snoring; Tigger and Precious are curled up, perched on the backs of the couch and loveseat, respectively, and obviously immersed in the Dreamtime. Cletus is outside, going out of his way to howl and carry on over his inherent conflict between desiring (and demanding) his FREEDOM and realizing that he doesn’t actually want to spend the evening in the barn (or wherever else it is that he loves to frequent).

He thinks he’s a tomcat – all badass and whatnot – and forgets that he’s Cletus the Pampered (not to mention neutered) Jerk. I’m not about to argue with him. He’s foul.

Brutus and Cletus – Photo: L. Weikel

He’s All That

The way this post has taken a turn toward Cletus reminds me of how I managed to snag a rare photo of him holding court with the pups earlier today. He’s definitely the one who schools them in their naughtiest activities. Sometimes I swear I catch him looking on with an expression of pure evil – I mean joy – especially when we’ve caught the pups engaging in particularly egregious activity.

For all his foul expressions and ways of being, they adore him. Surprisingly, he rarely lashes out at them, even though their enthusiasm can get the better of them fairly often.

It’s especially annoying to me that he’s so forgiving of the pups when he acts like such an unbelievable jerk to me. Every single night he demands to be put out. (This is how I know he loves to fancy himself a cat-about-town.) And every single night he sits under the kitchen chair closest to the door and lunges at me as I go to open it. How he can consider this to be a game is beyond me. He growls and spits. Lunges with claws unsheathed.

And then the next morning he’s my best friend in the whole world. Most of the time, at least. Purring, rubbing his head against my hands, mrrrowing, and demanding to be petted. He’s a psycho.

I know he can (and probably will) shoot me a claw without warning. But the puppies adore him. We all do, in spite of himself. Or is it in spite of ourselves? Either way, I need to go let him in. Even the great cat-about-town wants to hunker down ‘in-house’ tonight.

Wishing you all a warm and cozy weekend.

 

(T+38)

Rough Day – ND #36

Posted on by Lisa Weikel 2 Comments
Cheese Hound – Photo: L. Weikel

Rough Day

Some little boy had a rough day today. But there was still enough fire left in his belly to be bad!

The afternoon started out innocently enough, with Pacha and Brutus scheduled for their second Lyme vaccination just after lunch. So we headed up to the vet’s office and managed to get there uneventfully. In fact, they seem to relish car rides.

They both clocked in with weight gains that have been impressive with every single visit to the vet. This time Brutus was just shy of 16 lbs. (15. 9 to be exact), with Pacha weighing in at 14.8. That’s pretty significant, if you ask me.

Anyway, the shots were administered seamlessly.

Special Delivery

After our visit to the good doctor, we needed to make a special delivery. I only mention this because part of the route we took to make that delivery was on a road that bears significant twists and turns. We weren’t gone for long, but on the way home, Brutus reminded me of one of the more consistent yet unpleasant differences between cats and dogs, which is that dogs do not give ‘fair warning’ of impending nausea.

Well! Following our special delivery, Brutus decided to make one of his own. Without my knowledge (keeping my eyes on the road and such), I did not realize that he had barfed up the contents of his stomach. Honestly, if I didn’t know better, I would say he’d stuffed his morning feast in a ziplok bag and unloaded it on us. That’s how intact it all was when it appeared before me a second time.

I know this may be ‘tmi’ for some of you, but it was rather impressive that he managed to fill the cup holder in my vehicle with the breakfast he’d eaten three hours earlier. Given the quantity this growing puppy had ingested, he also managed to barf up another massive amount which he artfully aimed between the console and my seat.

The whole thing was executed masterfully (if unintentionally).

The few that escaped being pilfered – Photo: L. Weikel

The Aftermath

I brought both of the pups inside when we got home and retrieved a roll of paper towels. We interrupted Karl making himself a mid-afternoon snack of cheese on wasabi rice crackers with a dollop of mustard for garnish. Nevertheless, he set them aside and came out to the car to witness the carnage, returning to the house immediately, while I tended to the remediation.

When I completed my task as clean-up crew, I walked into the living room to find the very same puppy with the very same expression on his face as in the photograph at the top of this post. Talk about a puppy who knows he broke the rules! Guilt and regret seem to be written all over his face.

I looked at the plate on the tray table in front of said beleaguered puppy. A handful of crackers with cheese remained on the plate. Karl, growling more for Brutus’s sake than mine, simply said, “I guess he had a void to fill.”

“How many cheese crackers had you made for yourself?” I asked.

“A plate full.”

“Oooh. Wow.” And looking Brutus in the eye, I asked, “Did you do this?”

Yes. Yes he had. And he hasn’t been fully on his game ever since. (And I’m trying not to relive the trauma of Spartacus suddenly not feeling well.)

Ah, adolescence. But still…I do have to admire his aim. Filling the cup holder was gross but masterful.

(T+36)

Puppies Extraordinaire – ND #35

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Staying Warm and Plotting Strategy – Photo: L. Weikel

Puppies Extraordinaire

Karl and I managed to take a brisk walk in this afternoon. Thank goodness we got it in before the sun set! I don’t think the temperature managed to reach 20 degrees today, but I know for sure it dropped as soon as it got dark – and I see it’s 14 degrees out right now. But the two I really want to give a shout out to are Pacha and Brutus. They are puppies extraordinaire.

We couldn’t ask for better companions. They jauntily trot along with us no matter how cold it is. While I do think they might balk if we asked them to walk in unplowed snowfall (umm, who wouldn’t?), they reliably overcome their inevitable initial misgivings each and every day.

Yes, they adopt hangdog expressions and their body language broadcasts long, plaintive, “Noooooooo!”s when we suit them up with their harnesses and coats. But who can blame them? Almost inevitably, we’re waking them from cozy cuddling and snuggly slumber. It’s a harsh transition, I’ll admit. It is for us, too, to be honest.

Frozen Ground

The freezing temperatures have a big impact on our ability to blow off steam. And let me tell you, five month old puppies build up a lot of steam. (And yes, the chewing – oh my – probably warrants a whole post on its own.) Before the ground froze, we were still able to take a break and get outside in the late morning to play with toys. (I’m a sucker for ‘fetch’ – I’m in it for the long haul as long as they keep bringing it back to me!) But that joyful activity lost some of its appeal when they realized just how much it hurts to skid across the grass when the ground underneath no longer ‘gives.’ It only took a few yelps to squash their enthusiasm.

Which brings me back to the necessity of our walks, even if they are on the chilly side.

I’m pretty sure Sheila and Spartacus charged these pups with the sacred responsibility of keeping us moving. Or maybe it’s Karl who encourages them to be such great walkers. They sometimes conspire with one of his emissaries…

Definitely Plotting – Photo: L. Weikel

One thing all four of us agree on: it’s utterly delicious (and absolutely indulgent) to come home from a walk in the crisp winter air and snuggle in front of a fire. We’re incredibly fortunate and I’m so grateful for our lives together.

(T+35)

Finally! A Snowstorm – ND #31

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Post Snow-Walk Snuggles – Photo: L. Weikel

Finally! A Snowstorm

Finally! A snowstorm! Until today, we’ve barely even had flurries. It’s hard to believe this was the first appreciable snowfall of the fall/winter season. I’d say we got about 4” – which was just right!

For Pacha and Brutus it was their first encounter with the fluffy white stuff. The adventure began last night, when I took them out for their last-chance, just-before-bed, relief opportunity. They both seemed perplexed by the white globs of cold stuff falling on them as they did their business. But the extra nip in the air provided by those flakes simply hastened their single-pointed focus to return to the house and dive under the covers.

This morning, however, their vastly different personalities were evident. While both were tentative at first, Pacha quickly reveled in prancing through the white stuff, kicking it up with her feet and burying her snout in the piles she created.

On the other hand, Brutus’s distaste for the whole cold, wet affair was obvious. With a little coaxing from his sister, he grudgingly scampered about for a few (very few) minutes. (Maybe not even a whole minute, to be honest.) But he quickly made it abundantly clear that, no thank you, he’d much prefer snuggling in front of the fire.

“This is SO FUN!” (Pacha) – Photo: L. Weikel

Indulging Both

Not wanting to play favorites, we let them snuggle in front of the fire and dragged them out for a walkie in the white stuff.

Neither one of them balked at taking a walk this afternoon, though, which surprised us. It’s not uncommon for us to have to coax them for the first hundred yards or so, just because they tend to be sticks in the mud – especially when it’s cold out. So we thought for sure that walking in the snow would prove to be even more of a hassle, but we were wrong.

There was a bit less lollygagging and sniffing at the weeds along the way. But all in all, even Brutus seemed to have a good time taking a walkie in a winter wonderland.

And when all was said and done, the Grinch and the warmth of a fire awaited.

“Let’s go home and snuggle in front of the fire!” – Photo: L. Weikel

(T+31)

Surreal Start – ND #25

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Waiting patiently – Photo: L. Weikel

Surreal Start

What a soggy, surreal start to 2022. The layers of fog undulating in the fields surrounding our home only added to the other-worldly, time-standing-still quality of the day. And while I know temperatures are expected to plunge to more seasonal digits within the next day or so, it was a little disconcerting to barely need anything more than a heavy sweatshirt to take a walk. The main upside to this balmy respite was the chance to spend more time outside playing with the puppies.

I’m not going to talk of resolutions or even aspirations. Not today. Maybe in a few. Maybe next year. We’ll see.

Instead, as we put a bow on the top of this holiday season, I sense the need to bring some puppy love to the party. It feels like it’s been a while since I shared any photos of Pacha and Brutus with you, and I have to tell you – they’re growing exponentially. If I don’t show you some soon, you may not even recognize them!

Waiting patiently – Photo: L. Weikel

Personalities

The personalities of these two siblings couldn’t be more different. Brutus is laid back and would probably do anything to please me. He’s sweet and sensitive and doesn’t like to get his feet wet. He’s learned a variety of commands and performs them quite well.

Pacha on the other hand is relentless yet distractible. Resembling a black and white torpedo, she zooms across the lawn with such speed and abandon that when she attempts to change direction and circle around, she’s been known to skid out a couple feet on her back or side. She pops right back up, not at all the worse for wear but for some muddy skid marks on her coat.

And while she definitely loves us and doesn’t want to make us angry, she paradoxically only follows our commands if she either randomly feels like it or she sees a benefit to herself to ‘listen.’ I’ve heard her literally bark a ‘no,’ when told to sit when she doesn’t feel like it. It borders on the creepy.

Almost! – Photo: L. Weikel

Circus Performer

But the funniest part about her personality is how I swear she could be a circus performer. If I had the inclination, I bet I could teach her to ‘dance’ on her hind legs to entertain us all. My confidence level is high because I’ve seen her do it already. The trick is to get her to do it when I ask her to – not unlike the issue I have with every other command we’ve taught her.

I did manage to get a couple of shots of her dancing for a toy today, which I’m sharing with you here. Brutus sort of sat there watching in awe as she went through her gyrations.

But I throw down the gauntlet. I dare you to avoid having the Big Top’s theme song (yut dut duddy dut da-dut dut daaah det….) run through your head when you see Pacha on her hind legs.

Trouble is, I hate circuses. Ha!

Such talent – Photo: L. Weikel

(T+25)