You Otter Know

August 12, 2007. At 6:30 AM I heard a strange chirping or cheeping sound. It was quite loud, so I let out a soft little inquisitive bark. Tom got up telling me it was a bird or a squirrel, but I don’t think so. I looked out the deck door to show Tom what I meant.

He looked down and directly in front of the dock, between there and his boat, he saw the same three creatures I saw. I was quiet after my first little bark and Tom told me that they were lake otters. I watched the three of them frolicking and splashing around for about 15 minutes. It was still too dark for photos and besides it was raining hard anyway.

Tom found a combination for my breakfast today that I just whistled through and pushed my bowl halfway across the kitchen licking it clean. Tom told me that I should at least leave the chrome on the bowl. When we were in town, Tom bought a couple of cans of dog food that is pure beef chunks and gravy. He mixed some of that in with a half scoop of my dry food and it was awesome.

The rain delayed our morning walk until 10:00 AM when it finally stopped. Glenda headed out with us and as we walked past Perry’s we found that he had almost completed loading his truck for his departure. He is coming back next weekend when Karl arrives. We also noticed that Andi and Sandy had packed up and were leaving as well.

The poor weather convinced them it was time to leave. Teri is staying though. Andi has the same kind of luck with the weather that Tom used to have. The standing joke is that the sun would shine for weeks and when it would start to rain; people would say Tom was coming, and he usually did. Now that is what happens to poor Andi every time she comes up here.

Sure enough, by the afternoon, it warmed up and the sun came out. Tom came outside and played tug-o-war with me, which of course, I won! Then he took the tennis ball launcher and played fetch with me. This is even more exercise than at the park at home, because I have to run uphill to get the ball.

Not only that but sometimes the ball bounces into the bush and I have to use my search skills to find it. I’m usually successful, but, on rare occasions Tom has to come up and find it for me. After once or twice running down the stairs with the ball, I figured out another method of returning the ball to Tom.

I sit up the hill, on a big mound of dirt. Then I drop the ball and it rolls right back to Tom’s feet. It pays to be a smarty-pants like me. I still got lots of exercise running up the hill, but I saved some stress on my legs by not having to run down the hill.

Tom made me a wonderful dinner, the same way he made my breakfast. Wow, is this ever good. I think this is the first time in my life I have eaten two meals, on time and on demand. Not only that, but both times I kept trying to lick the chrome off the bowl it was so good. My bowl ended up halfway across the cabin both times. I hope Tom keeps making these meals, and I’ll keep eating them.