Blue Dogs, and Waking Up

This picture was taken in, probably, 1996. I got it out of the small photo album titled, Blue Dog, born maybe (he was a shelter dog) May, 1994; went home, 01/20/2007. It wasn't last year he took his leave, it was two years ago. When TSO told me, I realized I'd missed an entire year.

What does that tell you.

He was not quite two years old in this picture, and I know it was taken in Chicago, during a terrible time. He spent a lot of time watching over me. For me, having a cattledog/blue heeler herding dog was perfect, I guess: he told me what to do. He listened to me when it was sensible, ignored me when I wasn't , and generally ran the house. I was cool with that.

I talked to L about Blue today, and described how he would wake me up every morning for... what, 11 years? He had no interest in petting or attention. If you had time to pat his head, you had time to THRASH. If you petted him, he'd go berserk. "Come on, you dummy, let's do stuff!!!"

So for nearly every morning (unless HE slept in; the sleeping in did not apply to me. 'Sick? Get up, you lame-O! I'm not sick!' 'Hung over? That's YOUR fault, not mine!' etc.) for almost 13 or so years he woke me as such:

(I'm trying to go back to sleep, and can only hear)

click click click click click click click click click

(Excrutiating pause)

(Dog... nasal exhalation?) Hphhhhhh.

click click click click click click click click

(Ah, good, I can go back to sleep, it's gone;)

click click click click click click

Hppphhhhhhh.

(Dammit! He's back! If I open an eye he'll freak out. Now it's like a hold-your-breath contest. Crap. He knows I'm awake. He can sense the tension. S#$% F&*%$##@ I have to look-)

(I crack open a crusty eyelid, and-)

HOW WOW WOW WOW BARK BARK BARK BARK