Television anyone???

As I've mentioned before, Maggie loves to watch the birds and the squirrels in the yard to the point where the call of the wild asserts dominance over her will. The trip to the patio door is short, the audible "ruff" is call to her servants to attend the door, allowing her to race and chase the departing hordes at feeders and forest edged floor!!! The game never gets tiring, her puzzlement lasts as to why they won't play with her and the cycle continues.

Indoor TV has its moments as a nature show demands her fullest attention with nose pressed firmly against the glass and her curiosity propels her around both back and sides to get a better look at why these animals aren't accessible! Africa's biggest cats are her favorite; their size and ferocity doesn't come into play as the TV screen is strong enough to contain these wild things :)

Now, wonder of wonders, we have another TV worth watching!!! We have had an aquarium for years and years with a multitude of fish but in recent months, since Maggie's arrival, there have been only three fish in the tank. For whatever reason, Maggie hasn't given them the time of day as her world revolves about heading out the door to pursue other interests with all the urgency her perceptions generate.

Our three fish are a plecostomus (algae eater) and two red tailed sharks. All of them like to hide in their perceived places of dominance so motion or activity is kept to a minimum and thus Maggie's disinterest! ( I think I've just answered my own question!) :) Well, all that's changed so the latest activities for Maggie center around how to get their attention, will they play with her, repositioning herself to get a better vantage, paws up on the table so that they can see her and express their delight at having a monster looming over them, cat like, ready to pounce!!! She's nipped at the glass in an attempt to get at them and this morning has emitted that long low guttural growl that for me is reminiscant of the elephants on the Serengeti. If I come home from work one day and find elephants in our yard, I will be so totally impressed :) :) :)

Oh our Maggie!!!

She is totally A.D.D. or she's A.D.H.D. or this is what you get with a golden retriever as a puppy!!!! She goes for a walk and is distracted by absolutely everthything!!! Nothing but nothing escapes her attention in every direction. Can you imagine the energy that's expended as her head turns constantly, surveying the universe!!! You can almost hear her saying, "Wait a minute, what's that? Can we go over there? Hey, isn't that the fox sparrow from our backyard? What was that? Hey, you missed the trail, why aren't we going in that direction; no, I want to see what that is!!! OHhh, did you smell that, we have to go back! Why are we runnning so far in one direction? A squirrel, a squirrel, you know I chase them and I know they want to play with me! A stick, a stick, oh it was a good stick; can we get it when we get back? Have we gone far enough that I can go off the leash now? I will come when you call, honest I will......last time, what do you mean last time, I live in the present; you know that!!! Treats, I smell treats, come on, I'm ready, oh please, TREATS!!! That one was small, how many more do you have??? You can't fool me, I can still smell the crumb in the bottom of the bag! Can we do this again?

Ah look at her there on the floor, she's all played out. Are you tired Maggie, are you ready to sleep for a while, you look so tired, you can't keep your eyes open..............oh no, who's in the kitchen; look out here she comes!!!!! :)

Oakley departs, the snow stays, the feeders are full and so it goes...

Our time with Oakley has passed as his family has returned from a wonderful time in Hawaii and no doubt a sense of peaceful relief has befallen him as the tormentor, our Maggie is no longer a part of his day, night and hopefully not a part of his nightmares!!! I'm sure Maggie wonders where he went but being easily distracted by anything that moves, crawls, flies or changes hew depending on the lighting, outside or in, has moved on to the next chapter of her now nine month old life.

The birds at the feeders continue to hold her attention from inside the house until she figures they're having way too much fun and clearly are asking her to come join in. Any vocalization at the patio door calling forth her servants to see her out, the door opened , a brief sniff and then the loping through the snow to the back fence where the feeding species are taken to flight, leaves Maggie wondering why they always fly away at her approach. Can't they see I'm friendly, that my tail is wagging and that secretly, I'm a bird too??? I know they congregate in trees, haven't they seen me in my tree; surely they can relate!!!

Now the snow transforms her world totally and makes old games new again as the running in the yard is now a romping; wet grasses are replaced with soft mounds of pristine whiteness, the damp coolness now has a cold embrace that challenges her coat of winter fur. Maggie takes it all in stride :) and obviously is in her element as the hours pass with her totally being occupied in the yard and then she returns to the warmth of the house with snow encrusted paws tapping on the tile floor, her muzzle still covered in snow, attesting to the scent of interest leeching its way up through the snow and a nose, a degree away from freezing that always finds bare skin to touch; her way os saying, "Did you miss me?"

There is a new game that's played as she forages through the yard, now two feet higher thanks to the persistent dumping of snow. Things that formerly held no special interest have a different vantage and suddenly what was perceived as possible has become attainable. Our patio table, clearly marking the depth of snowfall is now ready to be exploited as a resting place for her nibs. We're still perplexed as to the advantage of her being there other than to express the ages old game of, "I'm the queen of the castle, you're the dirty rascal" !!! :)