There's kookiness in that freight train!!!

Like any lovable being on this planet, Maggie has her share of weird little antics that cause us to double take at what we aren't quite sure she has just done! Playtime, which is whenever she decides, comes in a variety of forms but almost always involves not one but two objects planted firmly in her mouth. It never makes any sense what those two are and invariably they are completely different, as in a squeaky toy and a ball, a ball and a blanket that seldom rests in the same place twice in any given week, a blanket and a freshly folded piece of clean laundry, more often than naught, someone's underwear!!!

The idea of the game is to fight like crazy with her over one of the pieces she has a hold of and throw it along the hallway; simply waiting for her to drop one item has little play value and is usually met with a disdainful look implying, "Are we playing or aren't we?" So the battle continues with renewed zeal and as the ball is launched down the hallway, the blanket has to be gripped tightly as she prances (yes, we have a dog that prances! Perhaps we should saddle her!!!) after said ball!

Now have I mentioned her energy level as this pastime unfolds? Whether it's the retriever in her or simply that she's a dog, the chase is on, the focus is pinpoint, the likelihood of the toy's escape, nil and NOTHING will stand in her way!!! (Editorial note..... throwing squeaky toys and balls makes some sense but throwing blankets somehow lacks impact and I will profess that it makes no sense to me!!!) So you have to know, with everything that's within her she wants that object back in her mouth. Her intensity has its weaknesses as she's facing me one moment and with the ball rolling past her in the next heartbeat, her attempt at keeping an eye on the trajectory can have her smacking her head against the near wall, followed by an instantaneous adjustment to carry on prancing after the fleeing felon!!! It would make for good video coverage and needless to say a cringing audience as she wallops herself and carries on as if to say, "I'm alright, what are you laughing at???"