Howardina

I’ve been housesitting this holiday. A new dog, a referral. She’s adorable, even if she likes to bark at everything passing by the house. She’s a terrier mutt, they tell me, and when she tilts her head back to look at you, her ears spread out to make her look like an airplane, so let’s call her Howardina, after Mr. Hughes himself, the original Aviator.

Howardina has a very strict regime (so thank goodness I don’t currently have a day job.) She gets walks three times a day, sliced turkey and lamb with her kibble, baby wipes on paws and mouth before bedtime.

She also sleeps on the bed with me, which is wonderful, until 5:30am rolls around. As soon as the early morning light hits her, she thinks it’s time for her walk. I’ve managed to train her in the short time I’ve been here that I’m not moving until the cell phone alarm goes off. But as soon as it does, she is literally standing on top of me, licking my face until I roll out of bed to take her on her walk. I actually got a picture of us this morning.

This is what I wake up to. Yes, she’s got adorable sleepy eyes, she’s also directly on my chest. Ooof.

The thing about dogs I housesit is that they are sooooooooo happy when they get to go on their walks. I wanted to try and take a picture of Ginger Puppy’s happy face the last time I was up there, but I didn’t get a chance to.

But here’s Howardina’s happy face. She KNOWS she’s going on a walk. There’s nothing better for her in the whole wide world.

And the thing that cracks me up about her is that when we go on the walk, she smells everything as though it’s the first time she’s smelling it. Which isn’t the case at all, it’s the same route every day. But to her, it’s all GRASS!? WHAT IS THIS THING CALLED GRASS!? HAVE YOU SMELLED THIS STUFF CALLED GRASS!? IT’S FANTASTIC!

Makes it a little difficult to walk her, though. She lunges after every squirrel she sees. She doesn’t get the concept that the squirrels are gonna win every time.

To look at everything like it’s new, to be so excited about nothing more than the promise of a walk (regardless of the fact you have your own dog door and go to the backyard any old time.), to be so dumb as to think you can catch that squirrel even though you never have and never will…well. You can draw your own real life parallels, heh.

But these were some pretty flowers I saw in the backyard as well. So there. Beauty is duly noted for the record.