Dogs are Perpetual Smart Toddlers

We had some weather last night. Apparently we also had some wind. I let the dogs out back, then walked out front to pick up my newspaper. And there were my dogs. It's cold this morning--37--and I haven't gone around yet to check the gates.

Gracie is one, when let loose, will run amok and not come back. Brody, my irrepressible male, will ALWAYS come when I call. And if he comes, so does Gracie. She might miss something. Whew! both dogs came in with me willingly. After all, it was cold.

When they are unleashed in the front yard, I am fearful. I have not trained well, but I love them. I don't want them to die. But no one was out on a weekend morning walking their dogs. No one was driving by.

Gracie continues to think the world is good and everyone needs a good lean against. Brody continues to bark at every moving thing and loves my chair where he can survey the street and bark. I find it strange that when he is I the back yard, on the deck, he can hear better, and does not bark. Gracie barks when she chases squirrels, birds, and butterflies. Inside, she sometimes chases houseflies, which I appreciate and can track by the thuds on the floor.  When she runs, she is beauty in motion. She can balance better on her hind legs then any dog I have ever seen, looking for food on perimeters of tables.

Alas, alas. I don't make that mistake often. Once, I did. And she is ever hopeful.

When she leaps in the air to try to snap a fly, it isn't pretty. When she and Brody race around the back yard, I laugh at the joy of it. They are beautiful, sometimes leaping over one another, laughing all the way as they run.

My grandcats live next door, and are fun.  They often come to visit and leave cat paw tracks the length of my car. Occasionally, they go to the back yard to tease the dogs when I let them out. The cats are very confident they are faster. They are.

The dogs and I have an agreement. At night, when it is dark, they are not allowed on the bed. Once it is turning light, they are allowed up. It's supposed to be 30 minutes, but it often is an hour of the best sleep I get.

Years ago, there was a band called Three Dog Night. I interviewed them once, and the leader explained that in Australia, a three-dog night meant cold weather. In other words, they were VERY cool.

I will never have more than a two-dog night, but Brody likes my feet, Gracie likes my back.  I sleep so well that time before the sun wakes us all up.

Gotta check the gates. Time to let them out again.

To Sleep, Perchance to Dream...

As I was preparing for bed the other evening, it occurred to me that my way of getting to sleep may be different. Not aberrant, just different. So I was wondering how the rest of you do it.

I never fall asleep with the book on my chest. Or while watching tv. And very seldom even listening to the most soporific music. Nope, I have to decide. I know there have been times when I was so exhausted I just drifted off, but even those are seldom. Yes dears, I do remember satisfying sex and it may have done the job, too, but that was long ago and far away and I just plain don't remember.

Since I've been nine or 10 years old, I have to be on my stomach, and I have to have a recent or favorite book in mind. Then I start weaving the next after the end chapter, and pretty soon I'm asleep. Usually, by that time, in my own dream. Anyone else out there do that? It's not anything I talk about, just one of my personal habits. But the other night it just struck me--I bet other people do it different.

My oldezt son doesn't get enough sleep anyway, and I suspect he's the hit the pillow and sleep type. His wife likes to go to sleep listening to an audio book. My grandchildren are usually asleep five minues after turning off the light and hitting the pillow. My younger son does toss and turn. Haven't really discussed this with others. Certainly haven't taken any surveys.

Sleeping soundly is another issure. I have nights when I sleep all night, others when I wake up, toss, turn, and go back to sleep all night. There's a huge difference in the amount of rest I experience. As lazy as I am in retirement, a good night's sleep is more elusive than it used to be. Still frequent, thankfully.

For those of you that hit the bed and drop off, you are blessed, and I suspect a whole lot of you are. But for the rest--anyone want to share their sleep rituals? Insomnia is a whole bigger problem. I've certainly experienced it, but for the most part, I wash my face, brush my teeth, pat my pillows into a comfortable pile, turn out the light and start imagining, which soon turns into dreaming. Works for me.