April 29, 2013

White Dog hopped up next to me. "Geez, Momma, I hate to say it but I am going to have to consider replacing you with a photographer. Words are great but really! Imagine what a great video Nuka and Quinn would have made!"

I readily admit photography is not my thing. In our house, Steve is usually the guy behind the lens (and rarely, Michael).  My visual gifts are limited to painting and some computer graphics abilities. I never have a recording device at the ready and am slow to frame...and even slower to steady my panning. I am certainly NOT your choice for the next family baseball game...or Eskie circus act.

White Dog's idea to replace me comes after duck jerky time. The White Dog Army lines up nicely in front of me for treats and most times waits patiently until each is offered "his" piece before reaching forward and politely taking it. MOST TIMES does not include Spring Fever, I am starving and want to be an only child days...which are tough when six White Dogs EACH has Spring Fever, is starving and is demanding to be an only.

Nuka did not like her position at the far end of the line.

This would be a good time to get out the blackboard and chart this like a football play with little x's and dotted lines and arrows.

So she moved behind the line to stand behind and between Quinn and YoYoMa at the front. I moved from left to right across the front...Siku, Puff, Oso, Yo...

...as I reached Quinn's piece out to him, Nuka could wait no longer and  leaped with her front paws onto his shoulders to grab the piece...the action from behind startling Yo so he whirled around...which startled Quinn so he stood up and started to run into the kitchen...Nuka still straddling his back, her back legs off the ground.

Nuka was kicking and yipping for dear life which scared The Other White Dog even more. He turned to pacing in circles trying to rub Another White Dog off his back by walking against the cabinets.

In the living room Yet Another White Dog was turning in circles, smashing into the others, and barking like crazy. White Dog hopped up onto my chair barking commands as I pushed my way through the chaos trying to calm all and struggling to get to the kitchen...and Quinn...and Nuka who had managed to fall off and was now being trampled in Quinn's manic circling.

I swooped her up and put her in the hallway. The front room group was now recovered enough to be scavenging for dropped bits of jerky. Quinn, I picked up and carried to the bedroom where I set him down in  the relative quiet under the ceiling fan and soothed him until he no longer panted. I slipped him a treat from the jar on the headboard and left him to rest...

...and went back to the living room. As I sat down the White Dog Army reassembled in treat formation. I looked at them. "I believe you were not finished handing out treats," White Dog spoke for the assembled crew...including Nuka, now in the front line and wagging her tail.