Dog Psalm #26

"Watch your thoughts, they become your words.

Watch your words, they become your actions.

Watch your actions, they become your habits.

Watch your habits, they become your character.

Watch your character, it becomes your destiny."
frank outlaw

Don't bite when a bark will do.

It's a sentiment that can't be said too often.

Nodding Off Near the Culture Cliff

Oh! Is the movie over?

I thought they might never stop their insipid yapping.

Why did I think Funny People would be funny?

I should know better by now.

Squirrel Invasion

     I always yowl at the squirrels when they taunt me on the fire escape. I hate them and not just because they have thumbs. Over the past few days those dirty rascals found a way into the attic and wall space and tormented us from every angle.  From the sounds of it at first they were busy on renovations to make their winter home cozy.  Then they became frantic when they discovered their entrance had been closed off by a helpful maintenance man. There was thrashing and bashing and skittering; bumping and thumping; chewing, chomping and clawing. For God's sake stay off the electrical wires! Your soul will go straight to heaven. But the smell of your death will be with us for months.
     There are a lot of rules for getting rid of squirrels for people. Rules that seem silly to dogs. Hunt them down and drive them out! That was my strategy. Luckily I was not alone. My excessive sharp barking, pawing and whining I finally drove them down to the second floor where Harley and her people live and she employed my tactic. Eventually Harley went down to the basement with her people and the landlord to do a "squirrel check". Earlier in the day a tenant had been accosted by a squirrel while doing laundry. The people looked and looked but couldn't find the perpetrator. But Harley had sniffed the crafty culprit out.  She signaled the people by standing near and whining at the trash can.  They eventually got a clue and came over.  As they peered in - out popped a squirrel who then ran out the open window as the people screamed and Harley wagged triumphantly.
     During our nose to nose 'post mortem' conversation, we always have a chat about house happenings through the crack under her door when I am in the hall, Harley mentioned that the squirrel flipped her off as he darted out the window. I don't doubt it. It's that kind of attitude that brews my dislike of them.

Two paws up for Harley!!

We love you. That's why we left you cookies in the mailbox.
Your Mom said your "getting a big head".  I think you should.
Nice work.

Sunday Dog Pslam #2

Dear Heavenly One,
Thank you for nature and walks and the time to commune
with my person and our surroundings.
Thank you for my ability to take scent pictures
and my knowledge of the language of trees.

People use cameras to capture and see, recall, envision.
I use my nose.
My nose is like a highly sophisticated camera.
Humans can not even begin to fathom my
shutter speed or white balance mechanism
it is so finely, cosmically tuned.

I have an internal instrument that allows me to connect and create.
And I thank the Great Being for this wonderous gift.

I can convert my scent pictures into 3-d movie dreams
that enable me to live the story.
My paws run, I snort, bark, twitch.
I am fully engaged with what I have encountered.
I reconstitute and recreate.
I can return to each story again and again
in search of meaning, knowledge, connection.

This tree tells me
the story of a man who sought freedom 200 years ago,
he was running from persecution.
He rested often beneath this tree
and the time, shade and roots taught him
how to stop running,
and stand for Freedom.

This tree tells me
of the wealthy but neglected child
who stabbed at this tree
trying to find his own true heart
as he waited for the school bus
angry, lonely and afraid.

This tree tells me
of the birds and squirrels who used this tree as safe harbor
from weather, predators and famine.
The hardships of being other, lame or weak.
The demands of being forthright, resilient, strong.

This tree tells me
of the circle and cycle of life.
It is home to the vibrant red cardinal
who is the reincarnation of Rosie the greyhound.
Recognizing her reassures, encourages, teaches us.

This tree tells me
what is
and if
I am home.

Like so many others,
I leave my stories here
with this great tree
the glorious Wayland Tree
I leave them to honor and cherish
the world and myself

This tree tells me I am a part of the story of
struggle and transcendence.
This tree tells me how to recognize peace
and piece together the elements of eternity.

No Buff Poochow! NO BUFF!!

That's what Poochow's people used to say to her when she got going on barking. No Buff Poochow! NO BUFF. She was a standard poodle. They were right to do it.

I wish people did it to each other. Said, NO BUFF and meant it. I see it all the time, someone raging against someone else and both of them knowing the 'target' can't do anything about what their problem is. There's always lots of nice people around but nobody steps in and says, NO BUFF and means it. These kinds of scenes always make me lie down and chew a nail. It happens most often in lines. "Maybe if they see how tense I am they will let up?" Usually not. I do try and give 'sweetie eyes' and encouragement to the target. I can be a pretty good diffuser. Maybe it's partly my curly hair. And it is hair so I don't shed. I mat.

I hear a lot of buff on TV. That thing sure has a demanding tone and pace of constantly winding up the impending, inevitable catastrophe. It's hard to listen to. It's like listening to the unstable dog pack downstairs kill a dish rag or argue over top dog position at dinnertime. If you listen too much you start to be that way and you don't even know it. Slowly, it seems normal. I think they call that "boiled frog".

Recently we've started watching the news just three times a week. M'lady doesn't see any need in hearing every horror story. And news is such a lose term. What seems to be happening is the brightest minds didn't think a fighter jet following a commercial airliner over Manhattan would frighten citizens. The CraigsList Killer is local and national news. Everyone loves Michelle's slender arms. Everything is on the verge of collapse. Animals are name-blamed for disease.

I'm holding good thoughts for my slandered porcine friends and keeping an eye to the sky.

photo credit
That's me on "BUFF Patrol". I oversee a whole intersection and I feel an imperative to "bark out to all my pups" and be protective, aggressive and antagonistic towards interlopers and passersby. It's my prerogative and I take until she says, "NO BUFF!"

Yeah, I'm fully shaved down. This is from last summer.
The less fur I have the more I need to scream everything out.
My "wildly eyes" are for you!