Skylights

"Mags, unroll the skylight for us," I say as we're cruising up the highway for yet another trip to New Hampshire. We've been spending a few days here and there up there each week--keeping my duel residency up, visiting with the family and friends, and making my doctor's appointments. Orion, the trooper that he is, comes along for the ride.

The wind rolls in over our heads. Mags slips on a second pair of sunglasses, leaving the first pair on her nose, and pushing the other up to hold her hair in place. I'm smiling. It's been a good day. Orion steps forward in the seat, so his paws rest on the console. 

"Can you see with him there?" I ask.

"Yeah, he's fine," Mags replies before turning off the exit that has us driving by our old elementary school. 

Thrilled to have an extra few inches into the front seat, Orion peers out the front windshield before discovering the open sun roof.

I laugh, as from below I watch his lips flapping in the wind. The pine trees fly by and Orion continues to leave his nose out the skylight, tipped just high enough to check out the views...

Flashback.

Today I sat on the couch as the evening rolled to a close and watched over all my little Orion videos. I initially was going to watch ones on youtube of labrador puppies, but thought, I have plenty of my own so proceeded to watch him tackle a bell, a curtain string, a pan... videos of him chasing after a large boxer (Webster) on his first encounter of another dog, desperate to play with this new friend, then again as an older puppy after his best friend Oliver, and then of him jumping in a pool in New Hampshire. It was warming to reminisce about him as a puppy but also about the fun he and I had in Ohio with our new and old friends. We had fun. We've had some quality adventures. And it made me think of taking a road trip back there to spend time with those friends... maybe next summer... one yellow dog's head sticking out the window, one healthy girl pedal to the floor... I-90 here we come.

Skylights

Today Orion discovered he could put his nose out the skylight. His little lips flapped back and forth. His nose angled up to the sky. And every time he brought his head back in he'd sneeze and throw snot all over the car.
It was a hoot.

Gone home

The house seems quiet as I walk in the front door. The heat pummels me reminding me of my least favorite of the seasons. Orion strolls over panting.
"I know buddy, but remember it could be like that summer with no AC or fans for that bit and the bed bugs and scabies..."
He walks slowly back to the living room and plunks down.
I look for the grey dog, but then quickly remember Ma took her home. I miss Chloe already. My old friend. Yes, I know she belongs technically to the family but I've had her for sixth months almost and I've become reattached to my old buddy of adolescence. Plus Orion loves her and kisses her face and bounces around her, and gets chased and ordered around. Now it's just us.
Chloe is a natural barometer of my moods and emotions too, positioning herself at the foot of my bed to stand guard while I'm out cold recooping my energy from the day. (Granted 99% Orion lays beside my head too, keeping guard but sometimes when I wake, he drifts, while she stays). I like that about her. She sticks it out when I'm not in my best place to remind me, hey, don't worry. I'm here.
Plus, lets be honest, we can relate a bit more pacing wise now.
"Orion, I miss Chloe."
He looks up from his corner between the couch and the wall.
"Hey buddy, I know you're going to hate this, and I'm going to be sad too because you'll ignore me all night but we still need to clean out your ears..."
And now I sit in bed with no dogs near. Orion hiding somewhere else in the apartment and Chloe up in New Hampshire sleeping beside Ma and Dad's bed on the carpet. Good thing I'll see her Tuesday. Get my dose.

Life like my 14 year-old-dog

Dad: "I'm calling to wake you up."
Me: "Yeah. I've been passed out for about three and a half hours. I'm recuperating from the week in the front yard."
Dad: "Yeah you fell asleep on me while texting the other afternoon."
Me: "Dad, I'm like an old lady."
Dad: "What else is going on?"
Me: "Chloe's sleeping out in the shade and Mags is getting some statistical stuff done for her thesis and sweating."
Dad: "Chloe's out there too?"
Me: "Yeah, Chloe and I are pretty much about the same right now."
He chuckles, "You're right. Well get up and do something."
Me: "I think you missed the whole part of I have no energy. I've thought about getting up for thirty minutes now. Maybe I'll go see if Chloe gets up, then I'll muster it up. I mean if she can and she's fourteen, I might be able to as well."
I get up. Chloe wakes up. We go inside.
I miss my yellow dog who I set out at the farm because I knew he'd want to run in the fields and terrorize other dogs. More energy than I was game for on this day... but I still miss his goofy little cute face. I told Chloe her rest period was going to come to a short end in  about an hour when her brother came home and ran loops around the house. She resumed her sitting position looking out the front door. I resumed my position resting on the couch.
What a team.

Balance

The team is reunited. One scruffy mutt Chloe, one pure-bred trouble-making labrador Orion. The parents have headed overseas again and it's the young sisters keeping it real. It's a good thing Mags is still on Laos time because she's been very patient with a yellow dog waking her up at five AM for pee breaks. Chloe? Chloe sleeps. And now, chases the young one.

Things are good.

Borrowing from the dog

"Orion I'm running out of steam. Can you help?" He licks my face. We might make it after all.