“Do not put chewed bones back on plates. Instead, throw them on the floor for the dog.”
The day is pretty. The sun is shining, and the sky is a lovely blue. A slight breeze barely moves the leaves. It is already hot at 84˚, today’s high. We are still under a tropical storm warning. People are moving boats out of the water. Bumper to bumper traffic waits to get over the bridges. The tourists are bailing. As for my preparations, I’m just about set. Everything is charged. The larder is full. I only need to get some canned dog food and a little more chocolate. There is never enough chocolate.
When I was a kid, the only weather that held my attention was snow. I wanted a no school day. I’d watch the snow out the picture window until bedtime and hoped it would pile up during the night, and we’d hear the no school whistle blown from the fire station. When it did, that was cause for loud celebration.
When I have gone back to Ghana, it has always been during the rainy season, the coolest time of the year, when everything is green and lush. The rain comes every day, sometimes dramatically, sometimes quietly. When I lived in Ghana, I often sat under the small metal overhang outside my front door to watch the rain. At the beginning of the rainy season, everything flooded because the ground was rock hard having gone so long without rain. Behind my house were millet fields and a family compound. Everything was brown: the grass, the fields and even the mud compound. Soon enough, though, I’d see the small green shoots in the fields. With all the rain, the millet quickly got so tall the compound almost disappeared, and I was surrounded by green.
I am carrying an opened dry dog food bag around the house. I opened it yesterday and have no place for storage so I move it from room to room to keep it safe. Right now it is in here, the den, with me. Henry just came further into the room than he has ever come, right to where the bag is. Earlier, I had forgotten to shut the bathroom door when I heard a rustling. I knew exactly what it was. Both dogs were at the feed bag. I moved it here again. Tonight is dinner and game night with friends. I’m going to have to figure out where to hide the dog food. I’m thinking irony. I’ll put it in the cats’ room. I expect both cats to stand next to the bag and razz the dogs, maybe even snack on a bit of dry dog food and wave.
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August 21, 2021 at 3:24 pm
Hi Kat,
Mysterious rustlings are usually not good.
Putting the bag in the cats’ room is good unless the cats might eat it. I did have a cat who preferred the dog’s food. She’d go in the cupboard, open the package and pull out a serving for herself to eat off the kitchen floor.
I keep my dog kibble package in a small galvanized trash barrel looking thing that has a snug cover with a handle that can lock the cover down. It was originally intended to keep critters out of the bird food supply. Some days even I can’t get into it.
We all listened for the no school fire whistle. Or we’d sit near the radio listening for the no school announcement on the local news. Later on we’d watch the local morning news and read the chyrons hoping to see our town flash by. Nowadays I guess you wait for the reverse 911 text.
I think I’m all set for Henri. Here’s hoping he’s a mild and retiring guest.
Enjoy the day.
August 21, 2021 at 10:26 pm
Hi Caryn,
Mysterious rustlings are definitely suspicious. That the two dogs were nowhere in sight sealed the deal so I had to go check. They were quite happily snacking.
This is the first time I’ve fed my dogs dry food so I need to buy a storage container. Right now the bathroom is the food repository. Nala can sniff out food no matter where it is.
I don’t remember watching the TV no school news, but I must have just to be sure. The fire whistle was my favorite. It seemed far more dramatic than reading it on TV.
I am also now set for Henri. I bought some dog food on my way to my friends’ house for dinner. I bought a couple of chocolate bars. I’m happy now!!
Have a great day!!
August 21, 2021 at 5:59 pm
Hi Kat,
Based on the latest storm track you may have dodged a bullet. The storm looks like it will hit the eastern end of Long Island. You may get hit by the outer bands of the storm rather than a direct hit.
Living in Ghana is living in the tropics where two seasons are the norm. The other evening I was sitting on my covered patio reading when I heard a strange sound. It started raining and it was the sound of raindrops hitting the water in the pool. Your story about sitting under the overhang listening to the rain made me think about the sound of rain on the pool.
No comment on your dog’s food kleptomania problem. 🙂
Today the sun is shining brightly and it’s a humid 96°. Thank goodness for air conditioning and a swimming pool.
August 21, 2021 at 10:42 pm
Hi Bob,
I was so relieved when I watched the local news and weather. I’m fart less worried about the storm now. Mostly I worried about losing electricity more than anything else. Now I can rest easier.
The roof of my house was metal. It made the most glorious sound during a rainstorm. Think I should have put metal on my own house. Metal roofs are becoming quite popular now.
Nala likes chewing boxes apart. She is nice enough to take it all to the deck so the house stays relatively clean.
It was a hot day here, low 80’s. It is already cooler.