May 23, 2019

White Dog listened to me describe the scene and shook her head in wonder. "Miss Bailey is the calmest, most mellow creature ever. It could have been a real disaster."

I was detailing the moment this afternoon when the Universe smiled. Pearl was asleep in the watching chair; Bailey curled in the chair next to her. Bella slept at my feet and Opal stretched next to the coffee table. Roman, belly pressed on the cool concrete out on the sun porch, suddenly sat upright and issued a low growl. He rushed to the porch window and began to frenzy then hop-gaited to leap into the chair so that he could see out of the front window.

The front chair Bailey was sleeping in. The chair that was full of Sibe. Bailey lifted her head as Roman straddled her back so that he could get closer to the window and yell at the malamute from across the street, Chaco, who had escaped his patio.

As Roman reacted to his nemesis fiercely, Bailey remained still. My boy's back leg supported him on her tail; his limp limb dragged over her side as he lunged; his front legs stretched over her back to gain tenuous footing on the narrow chair arm. She was a picture of calm, clear eyed, relaxed posture, sending signals of nonconcern.

Then Roman realized he was in a position that he could not easily undo. Panic flashed in his eyes and I worried he would lash out at Baile but he took a second and seemed to find insight. He twisted so that his front legs came back from crossing Bai and gripped the back of the chair. He was now off of my girl but facing backward in being able to get down; there was not room to turn.

Bailey COULD have stepped off of the chair at this point but I think she was curious as to how Roman was going to resolve the situation so she waited alert but patient. I saw the thought process in Roman's head as he shifted his upper body to execute a beautifully graceful half turn dive over the other arm of the chair onto the floor. Bai and I were both impressed at the athleticism of my three-legged boy operating in panic mode as he landed on his feet and shook himself. Then he went back out to the sun porch and settled on the ground.

Bailey looked at me and smiled before returning to her nap.