Fall gone by

Seeds litter my couch between torn cardboard. For a moment I am puzzled, was there a pumpkin somewhere I didn't realize? Was something other than a dog bone in the box? And then it connects, my gourd--could he have devoured my gourd? I peek in the kitchen. It is gone from the window will. "How could you, when did you even find TIME to eat that??" I ask incredulously. 

I sigh.

"That was my only fall thing you know."

Conversations I make up with my dog

Me: "I love your cute little pink nose."
Orion: "I have a winter pink nose like you have your winter face... my black nose goes and your freckles disappear."
I kiss his nose.

Conditional love

"I love you Orion," I say looking down at him sprawled on the floor. "Except for maybe when you bark like a crazy dog in the car."
Pause.
"I guess that means my love is conditional."

Desk Buddy

Someone once said if you want your dog to get use to what you do, he will adapt accordingly. Orion seems to have caught on when I sit at the drawing table, I'll be there for a while... he settles in too. It's one of my favorite things with him.

Cheese it snatcher

I'm lying on the bed thinking of how my lower half is NOT happy with me. I hear Orion rustling something in the next room.
"Hey Orion, come here!"
He rounds the corner innocently dangling a cheese-it box from his mouth, like, "Yes? You were saying?"
I laugh as I swing my legs over the bed and hobble off to take my box back.

Adjustments

I am driving home from school and smiling thinking about Orion waiting for me on the other side of my apartment door. It has been my first week back to work and I think both he and I have had to make some serious adjustments. On my part, I'm physically exhausted and my body is retaliating in some rather rude ways. On Orion's part, he's not appreciating my stock piling of energy (ie. shortened walks) because I'm storing up for the day or just flat out in the night. Plus, I'm sure he misses my endless company.

The sun is shining in through the windows and there is a light breeze, making for the perfect walking weather. I lay down on the floor, pushing my bags to the side, as Orion wiggles all around me. "Hi Best Friend. Oh, it's so nice to see you too.... We should go for a walk. Although... laying here, I could go for a nap instead...." But I get up and we enjoy a stroll to the park. He splashes around, then runs like a maniac around, and I squirm hoping his crazy-dog antics won't include a wet dog jumping on me. I smile up at the sunshine filtering through the tail feathers of a red tail hawk flying above.

At home, I take the 20 minute power nap I've been requiring on six hour rotations, and there is a wet dog rolling alongside my back. His face is wedging into my shoulder. His wet feet shoving at my thighs. He's groaning as he uses my sheets to dry off. And then his head shows up on my torso. Resting, as my ribs go up and down, up and down.

I think my dog has missed me.

And I promise him tomorrow we will spend the afternoon together, or at least devoted to him, as I return from my late night book club hours later.
"What picture do you like," I say, lights out and only the glare of the computer screen lighting up our images from the morning.
"I only have ten minutes left to write your blog before bed." He's sitting at the foot of my bed, chewing on a peanut butter jar that has long since had it's prime chewing done.
After a bit he disappears and returns with my shoe hanging out of his mouth.

"What are you doing eating my shoe? That's suppose to be on the shelf," I say, sliding out of bed, taking the shoe and wandering out into the kitchen. "You just want me to pay attention to you." Instead I stick my head in the fridgerator.
He sticks his head in too.

"What do you want?" I ask, scouting for my own goodies.
"What do you say a carrot for you and a brownie for me?" He sits. I grab a carrot and brownie and we wander back to bed.

All and all, a good day.

Morning, O' Morning

I may have stayed up until three AM reading a book. Not a notable book, just one I had read a few times before. As the time ticked, by I did remind myself the importance of good self-care, and how valuable my sleep seemed to be to my overall well being. Orion, after a two hour play date was passed out, eyes twitching, lips flopped on the mattress. Oh, from time to time I'd pat him because he was moving so much in his dreams I couldn't imagine it restful, or toss a kiss his way because he looked so freaking cute all sleepy-like. He'd wake up, then out cold again. Every now and again he'd get up and relocate. Eventually my book ended and I laid in bed thinking why on earth was I not tired? Surely it couldn't be the coffee from 4PM?
And then I slept.
And then at 6:30 I had a dog whining in my ear. Grumbling, I got up and let him out, fed him breakfast and crawled back in bed--I was hoping to at least re-coup some sleep in the early AM hours. But then, I found myself awoken by my elbow being licked. Then my face. I threw a pillow over my head and a nose stuffed under that. My whole arm was cleaned. Then my foot.
"IT'S NOT TIME YET!" I hollered.
A moment of peace.
I may have slept five more minutes.
Then my arm was licked.
Then my armpit was licked.
Who can sleep when their armpit is licked? Even if you're NOT ticklish (which I am).
I wake up. I look at him. I ask him what his plans are for the day. What it is he expected by waking me up. What time it was.
"Did you at least let me make it till 9?"
His ears perked up.
8:57.
"Close enough." I get up and fix breakfast and plunk down on the couch. He lays down at the other end.
I think he was just bored and wanted some company.