Since I last wrote, the yellow alien has confined its movements to the downstairs. The first move took it from by the front door to the part of the open concept area I use for a living room. Perhaps it was thinking about doing some entertaining. There it remained until I went to see clients yesterday morning. When I returned mid-afternoon, it was in the kitchen area, seeking a snack or a cup of tea perhaps. BeeBee was in her crate when I was gone so she was not responsible for this. Frica certainly could have been because she was on the rocker next to the woodstove when I got home, sleeping on my fleece vest which she had pulled down from the back of the rocker. I figure that vest is at least twice as warm as it used to be because of the dog hair on it.
But this addition in warmth comes at a price. I finally got around to tidying up the haphazard grooming I gave her and gave her a bath on Friday. Naturally, after I had her all dry and spiffed up, I saw some places where her hair was longer on one side than the other and trimmed them up, too. I thought I’d brushed all those hairs out of her, but I now know I didn’t. I know this because I can feel them in the vest. They remind me of Doberman hairs, more like tiny needles capable of penetrating fabric and stabbing skin. It’s a good think I like that dog a lot.
Today I plan to move one of the purple aliens into the pen with the puppies, the one I periodically step on when I’m making the bed whose squeak invariably makes me jump being as I am in my early-morning bed-making stupor. So far the puppies are showing minimal interest in the toys, much preferring to poke, prod, roll, and gnaw on each other. Another favorite activity is to bump noses with Fric through the openings in the pen when she’s on the outside and they’re in. The two brindles, in particular, now have an air of purposefulness that I tell myself does not translate, “Abandon all hope. We are plotting.” Although so far they’ve only used the papers to pee on, any day now I expect them to discover that they’re a lot of fun to tear up, too.
Below are the 4-week portraits.
