Wednesday – In The Eyes of Tatum

Wednesday – In The Eyes of Tatum

I hear mom stirring.  Is that the alarm?  Yay!  It’s morning!  I’m so excited for the day…  wag, wag…  stretch…  wag!  Hi mom, “morning”…  I’ll jump up with two paws on the bed to get her attention… are her eyes are open?  I’ll jump up again.  I hope she’s ready to get up.  Oh, shoot, not the snooze button?!  Her eyes are closed, but there’s a voice… “go back to your bed”.  Darn it.  Okay, I guess I’ll try again in 10 min.

Better look around the house to see if we’re dog sitting…  whew!  Just me.  No sign of house guests.  Don’t have to fight for attention or share my toys.  I wonder what day it is?  Will we go for a run with our friend, Sharon this morning?  I hope mom doesn’t have to go to work.  Maybe it’s a weekend and we’re driving to the mountains for a long hike.  Oh, I’d love to swim in the reservoir.  I’ll just lay here ‘til I hear the alarm go off again. 
                                                                                                                                             
It’s time!  I love waking up mom…  here’s my stuffed animal monkey, aren’t I cute when I carry around stuffed animals in my mouth?   Outside…  outside… can’t wait any longer.  Run in circles around mom to the front door…  wake up, pay attention.  Open, Open!  BAM!  I’m out…  I smell squirrels, I hear birds, oh, is that the neighbor walking by with that annoying little brown mutt?  Bark.  Bark.  Check the yard for intruders…  I’m hungry!  Breakfast.  Can’t wait…  run full speed up stairs…  the faster I run circles around mom while she’s preparing my food, the faster she’ll get the bowl down.  I’m getting dizzy.  But oh so hungry!  Gulp (30 seconds later) tasty.  Can’t wait to get outside again.  Door’s open…  here I come! Hello world!  I’m awake.  Smells good out here….  Sniff Sniff.  Oh, squirrel…  I know I can climb this tree to get him.  OUCH, branches in my way.  Plow through the woods.  So close.  Prickles from the rose bush.  What’s a little scratch?  Okay, yard looks safe. 

Where’s the leash?  Leash?  Where’s my mom?  Oh, she’s going for the baseball hat… a good sign.  Picking up running shoes.  Yippie!  I don’t see Sharon yet, so this must be a walking morning.  That’s okay.  Walks are good too.  Where’s the leash?  Walk towards the door, mom.  Get the leash!  No, not the harness… wiggle, wiggle.  If I squirm she can’t clip on the harness, but then no walk.  Fine.  Let’s go.  Nothing worse than being held back by a harness.  I’ll pull hard to let her know how much I don’t appreciate being on a leash.  Open the gate.  Open it! ———————-

YES. Out the door!  We’re walking.  We’re walking — fast.  Squirrel in that tree?  Sniff sniff…  pull.  Pee break.  Another pee break.  This is my territory… pee, pee, pee.  ALERT!  Cat sitting on a porch 1 block away.  Quick…  try and catch him.  Damn leash!  Trees with squirrels.  We’re walking, I’m leading… stop tugging me from behind, mom.  Walk faster mom!  Is that a butterfly?  Jump, chomp.  No luck.  Walking…  starting to get warm.  Wish I had some water… panting.  Thirsty, but no time to think about that since there are SQUIRRELS!

We’re walking…  I own this neighborhood!  Ouch.  Stop trying to get me to walk closer to you.  Stupid leash.  Getting thirsty.   I smell home.  Done.  Is that it?  Get this leash off me.  I’ll sit and look sweet.  But, get it off.  All of the “Good girl Tatums” must be for me, which means I get a treat!  Gate opens…  run through the yard, fast perimeter check…  sprint, leap, smell, dive bomb woods, done.  Open the door.  I’m thirsty.  Open. 

Water bowl here I come…  Gulp.  Dribble.  Thanks, mom, thanks…  dribble, slurp, ahhh!  Where’s my treat?  I hear the cookie jar.  The lid is opening…  so hungry for a snack.  YAY!  Is that a Eldora Energy Cookie?  My fav!  Me, me.  Sit like a good girl, look at me.  Aren’t I cute?  Gulp.  Yum!  Okay, gotta get  more water.  Open the deck door.  Open!  Yes…  sun.  Ahhh…  where’s my monkey?  Need my monkey to sunbathe with me.  Oh, and a bone…  maybe two bones… and a Kong.  Toys, check.  Sun, check.  Know mom’s where-a-bouts (in the shower), check.  Relax. 

Must be a weekday…  I hear news on TV.  Mom’s picking clothes from the closet.  Lay on her feet and roll over…  pet me, rub my belly.  Don’t go to work.  I wish she was opening her workout drawer instead.  Darn it.  I’ll follow her around ‘til she gets dressed… circle, circle, you can’t put your shoes on with my head in your way.  Back to the bathroom.  My favorite.  The hair dryer!  Take a break from the sun to lay on the bathroom floor…  hot air.  Awesome!  Rub head on mom’s leg.  Hey, don’t aim that thing at me!  Ahhh…  sniff sniff.  Oh no, she’s getting ready to leave.  She’s really leaving me, all alone.  Get closer…  follow, look sad, make her trip over me.  I’m here.  Don’t leave.  (big sad eyes)…  okay, I’ll lay down, but can you put on some music or something?  She’s heading toward the stereo.  NPR, hmmm?  Not my favorite, but it’ll do.  Yes, mom, I’ll sit.  One last ditch effort…  paw.  You’ll be right back?  Okay, then. 

Well, I’ve got the place to myself, what should I do first?  A nap sounds good.  Mom’s bed sounds even better!  She’ll never know… 

I hear a car.  Mom?  Is mom home?  The gate’s opening… wag, wag…  I can catch a glimpse out the window of the front door.  Jump up.  Jump…  wag…  jump…  it’s her, it’s her!  Here she comes.  Keys  in the door.  Whalla!  HI MOM, Hi!  I’m hungry.  It’s so good to see you…  circle…  here’s my monkey…  circle…  do you love me?  I’m so happy.  I missed you.  I’m hungry.  Gotta pee, but don’t want to loose track of mom.  She’s heading upstairs.  I hear the Tupperware bin opening.  DINNER!  Pee faster.  Thump, thump, up, up and away…  upstairs full speed.  I’m so hungry.  Full bowl of food… GULP.  Outside…  gotta search the yard… .is that a cat on the other side of the fence?  Scratch, jump, scratch.  Darn.  Fence is too high.  Can’t reach him.  Okay, where are the squirrels?  I smell them.  Sniff…  sniff.  Yay, mom’s home!  What’s the plan?  Better get back inside to see what she’s up to. 

  Cling clang…  pans are out.  That means only one thing.   Baking treats!  Where are the ingredients?  Yum.  Where?  Pant…  pant…  circle…  get the carrots.  I see the food processor.  Carrots!  Carrots!  Yes, a carrot piece on the floor.  Mine!  More carrots.  Applesauce…  just one taste.  I’ll stand under the counter.  Crumbs…  fall off the counter, crumbs…  floor tastes good.  Lick.  Drop something else… wag, wag, circle…  I’m here.  Stop spilling flour on me.  Flour on the floor… lick… hmmm?  Where are the carrots?  What’s next?  FLY!  Ahhh… chase the fly.  Jump, chomp.  What’s going on outside?  Guard the house from the deck.  Clear view from here… stare at the trees, keep a watch for squirrels. 

Is that the dresser drawer opening?  The one with the workout clothes?  Yay!  Yippie!  Oh no…  I hope she’s not going to the gym.  Run, Run, Run…  I want to run!  Circle…  pant…  she’s going for the shoes.  Run!  Come on…  leash, leash?!  I’ll lead the way downstairs.  Yikes…  almost tripped over my own feet.  Too fast.  Get the leash!  Oh boy, circle, circle…  tie your shoes already.  We’re OUT!  I’ll lead the way.  Oh, goodie…  we’re heading toward Highland Tap & Burger.  We’re walking…  we’re walking.  Yikes!  Dog!!  Scary dog!  Mom…  protect me.  He’s mean.  Barking on the other side of the fence.  Don’t like him.  Walk faster.  Protect me, mom.  Whew…  keep walking.  Sniff, sniff.  Oh, there it is!  Highland Tap & Burger.  I see runners.  We’re running!  Can we start now?  Lots of people in running shoes.

                                        

Let’s go!  Mingle…  circle…  sniff…  where’s our leader?  Can I lead?  We’re off…  pull, pull, faster, down the hill…  people everywhere, where’s my mom?  Okay…  on the other side of my leash.  Pull…  we’re running.  New smells.  The park, I love the park.  The trail, the creek…  sniff, sniff.  Ducks?  I smell ducks.  Birds.  Faster, faster.  We’re running.  It’s hot out here.  Can we run back now?  Pant…  pull…  I’m not tired.  I never get tired.  I’m leading.  I smell dinner…  steaks grilling.  Yum.  Is that a squirrel?  Up that tree?  Get him!  Pull.  I’m thirsty, very thirsty.  It’s a hill…  we’re turning around and up the hill.  Snort, snort.  I’ll pull mom.  Come on…  faster.  Thirsty.  This is it.  I see our final destination.  I smell food.  It’s right there…  only two blocks.  Water bowl.  I’m thristy.  Faster!  Sprint!  Made it.  Gulp, burp, splash, water…  yum!  Gulp, slurp, ahhh…  someone splash some on my back.  There you go, thanks, mom.  Oh no, do you really have to tie me up?  I won’t go anywhere, I promise.  “stay”…  like I can leave!  Okay.  Too tired to fight it.  I’ll stay on this side of the metal gate and watch everyone eat  & drink on the patio.  There’s mom.  In site.  Slurp, slurp.  Almost ready to lay down.  Feels good to rest & catch my breath.  Where’s mom?  I can see her.  Eyes getting heavy.  I can see mom…  Good to lay down.  What a great run.  I’m so happy…  Eyes are heavy.  Zzzzzz’s….

Mom’s getting up.  I know I can sneak out from this leash situation and clean up some of the crumbs on the patio before we leave…  making a break for it.  Ugh.  Stopped in my tracks.  Untie me!  I got one!  A crumb!  “Time to go Tatum, say good-bye to our friends”…  crumbs…  crumbs…  everywhere!  I love visiting the other side of the gate.  This patio rocks!  Pull…  lick up scraps.  Bye…  see you next week.  Give me one more pet, Ann.  Ahhh…  just one table scrap, Savannah?  Please!  Attention.  People.  I’m here.  Thanks, Brian.  Attention… love attention.  Ahhh…  petting…  happy! 

Homeward bound.  I love going home.  Home is good.  Pull…  sniff…  let’s go home.  It’s getting dark out here.  We’re walking… we’re going home.  I hope I get a treat when we get there.  Yikes!  That was a big truck.  Scary!  Almost tripped avoiding the loud noise.  Where’s mom?  Behind me…  we’re going home.  It’s dark.  Stay closer to mom.  I’m thirsty again.  Hope I get a treat. 

Open the gate…  Run the perimeter…  Check for squirrels.  They’re all asleep.  It’s late.  It’s dark.  No more birds.  Yard looks good.  Ready to go inside.  Where’s my treat?  Whiffs of carrot treats in the oven… sniff sniff.  Open the oven door, mom.  Open!  Mmmm…  warm treats.  Can I have one?  I was so good.  I’m a good girl, I am.  I really love the treats you bake.  I’ll sit and wait for one.  Gulp!  Yum.  I’m guessing that’s me you’re talking to… “Good girl, Tatum, did you have a good day?”.  Yes, mom.  It was good… lay down to roll over for belly rub.  So good!  “Time for bed”.  That’s my cue.  Where’s my monkey?  Can’t go to bed without the monkey.  Ahhh…  cozy bed.  I guess I am tired.  Where’s mom?  I’m ready to be tucked in!  Rub my belly…  ahhh…  so happy.  I love my mom, I love my bed.  I’m sleepy.  Keep petting me.  “kisses”, “good girl”.  Good night.  Ahhh…  I’m a good dog.  Life is good.  Fall asleep, so relaxed.  So happy.  Can’t wait for tomorrow!!

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