Daylight sends its away team over the Sangre de Cristos, and no one notices except Teddy and Bear.
“We need out, right? Don’t you think so, Bear? Now? We’d better go out NOW.”
“I think Martha is sleeping. It’s still dark.”
“Not very dark. It’s time to go out and pee and patrol the periphery. I’m sure it’s time. The squirrel will wake up any minute. What if we miss first light?”
“What?”
“I dunno… I’ve never missed it.”
Daylight sends one or two slim, luminous fingers between the peaks of the Blanca Massif some forty miles away.
“YIP!”
“Teddy,” sighs Bear. “She knows.”
“Awright,” comes a tired voice from behind the closed tiger oak door. Teddy cocks his head, waiting for the muffled sound of covers being kicked off the bed.
“She’s coming. OK Bear. Get ready. She’s going to let us out. C’mon.”
“Get ready for WHAT??? Who died and made you boss?”
“Dusty?”
Bear stretches. “Dusty died but he didn’t make you boss.”
“Who’s the boss?”
Bear shakes her whole giant dog breed body to wake up. The question is undeserving of further response.
Footsteps plop along the wooden floor in the dark. “C’mon guys.” Martha opens the wood back door, moves the dryer back to its spot in the laundry room (don’t ask), opens the storm door, leaves it open about a foot, turns on the water in the kitchen, and stumbles back to bed not to make a reappearance until dawn’s rosy fingers are sure of themselves and Apollo’s cart arrives in all its full glory.
https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2020/01/13/rdp-monday-daylight/
“Summer is the season of inferior sledding” - Inuit proverb 
In our little patch of dogdom, the boss is the dog who wants to be boss. It used to be Bonnie, but she got a bit old and she doesn’t seem to mind it passing along to Duke. Gibbs is to shy to be boss of anything but his food dish. But he will look better when he’s finished being groomed. He really hates being groomed, so he isn’t going to be in a good mood. All that soap and water. Ack ack!
Between Teddy and Bear, Bear is the boss. She is the best boss I’ve ever seen and I wish I’d worked for her during those years.
🙏
What a delightful tale. It is so fraken true! OMG I see this every day! Fortunately, haha it’s not me that has to get up before the crack of dawn. I do Loki’s bidding all day long, that’s enough, roflmao but it’s sure a heck of a lot of fun and I wouldn’t have it any other way!
Me either. ❤
This is delightful. Its the same way for cats…although in this life they don’t go outside but its usually has to do with breakfast, dinner,
Bear would sleep until I get up. But somehow Teddy (who’s only 1) has to wake up at the literal crack of dawn. 🙂
I wish my cats would sleep until I got up but not likely to happen.
I’ve had cats and loved them. But one of them (my favorite, actually) got so frustrated when I didn’t get up when he wanted me to that he bit through the side of one of my nostrils. Suffice it to say, he hit the ceiling. Poor Reggie. He was fine but that was a rude awakening. After that he was satisfied by walking around on my face.
When sky wakes me up he paws at me with his claws. I have had to stop him by grasping and telling him no. I think I Have only yelled at him once and sent him out of the room.
Oh Ted and Bear such early risers. I could see it and almost feel it the cold oozing in and some mist as they head out.
My guys got used to me being on shifts and just wait until I get up. If it is too early for them(yes I get up some days too early for the dogs) they stay in bed and come down when they are ready.
You are so sweet Martha I hope your bed does not get to chilled while you are out.
I so want to ask about the dryer!
Well, the dryer — I moved here and ordered washer and dryer from Sears. It didn’t occur to me that this house was built before washers and dryers and the laundry room MIGHT NOT be a “standard” size. I didn’t measure the laundry room. The dryer obstructs the inside door — wooden door — and I have to move it out of the way if I’m going to close that door. In summer it’s no big deal, but in the storm door isn’t enough protection against the cold. SO every winter I feel like an idiot and every spring I forget about it.
ahh I have a similar problem in my kitchen my partner built our home and there is no real area for a fridge! It sits currently in the entry area of the house/dining/living room 🙂
Those major appliances… Always in the way.
I often sit up late and if I let Cindy out after 1;30 am she may let me sleep but she’s getting older and like me sometimes needs her bathroom break in the early hours. I get the cold wet nose on my face between three and five in the morning and let her out, I go to the bathroom myself and maybe get a glass of water. By then she’s ready to come in and we can both go back to bed.
That was my formula for dealing with Teddy when he was a puppy. 🙂
The joys of dogs! Ranger was a good sleeper but when he had to go you had to be ready to go RIGHT NOW. I had to laugh at your description of Reggie. I had a cat who would floss his teeth with my hair to get me to wake up. Ah those were the days… no I’m not going to cave in to Sparky’s wish for a dog. At least not yet!
We lived in Pueblo Springs, Colorado about 24 years ago, and I saw your post about the Sangre de Cristo Mtns!!! We could see them and Pike’s Peak out our back sliding glass doors every day! Seems so long ago :)Jen
❤ Beautiful views!
We agree! Our oldest, our daughter,was just talking about taking her husband and fly in to Colorado Springs, and visit some of the beautiful places we enjoyed when we lived there. :)Jen
It’s still here. ❤ I was born in Colorado and moved away (marriage) in 1984. I was very happy to retire from teaching and come home again. I came home to a part of Colorado I'd only traveled through as a kid (the San Luis Valley) but it's been home since the first moment I saw it (again). I have friends and roots in the Springs.