The dogs slumber sweetly on their beds, gently covered by
a warm fleece blanket. The room is inky
dark. Not a creature is stirring. Well,
at least until….
3 AM: Strange sounds
emerge from beneath the bed. Charlie is
wandering in the dark and with his poor vision bumps into the wall. That wall should not be there! So he crashes
into it again. Finally he tangles
himself among the cords and cables by my side of the bed so I have to untangle
him. I place him back in his bed and I return
to dreaming once again. Until...
4 AM: low growls fill the room. The dogs are playing musical beds in the dark
and none of them can see easily. Up
again, I put them each back on a bed, tuck them in and return to some semblance
of sleep. Until…
5 AM: A crash startles
me awake. Chase has walked into the
closed door. I pray that he will settle
back down. He starts to whine. Abby can hear the whine. She now waits by the door. I open it and they clickety clack down the
hall. Cold air flows into the house as I
push the dogs outside into the shadowy black world. Abby returns promptly. Chase must complete his routine
walkabout. Once both are in the house, I
return to the bedroom, Chase retreats to the kitchen for a drink of water, and
Abby positions herself in the doorway to block Chase. I’ve almost fallen asleep when…
5:15 AM: Chase arrives in the doorway to find his path
blocked. He whines. Then he barks. I get up and move Abby. I lead him back to bed. I’m almost warm under the comforter when….
5:45 AM: The
Englishman’s alarm goes off.
