Day 128 Zoe’s Winter Nap GOODBYE, REALLY.

Day 128 Zoe’s Winter Nap

GOODBYE, REALLY.

Oh yeah, I like florida. And I had ta write about it.

But with all these daily jaunts to the beach, the run in the park, then to the lunchin spots, the errands, the studio work, the clarinet practicin...oy vey I tell ya...it’s all gettin me real tired. Wasn’t I was suppose to be takin a winter nap? Hibernatin? Lettin all my creative juices get replenished?

Somehow  I forgot to put this dang ipad away and my head down on a pillow.

So without further ado, I got to bid myself ado and goodnight for now. My paws is tired.

ZZZZZZZZZ you in the springtime.

Day 127 Zoes’ Winter Nap PINKY’S CRY FOR HELP

Day 127 Zoes’ Winter Nap

PINKY’S CRY FOR HELP

Good mornin or is it? I had a bad dream the other night.

It keeps pesterin my mind like a pesky nat.

I dreamed cousin pinky was in trouble. I was in a car, crossin a old rusty bridge in pixburg. The winda was down, and I was lookin out. All a sudden I sees the word HELP in big red letters. It was writing itself across a cement wall. Like an invisible hand came outta nowhere and just started writing ‘help’. Right then I hears cousin pinky and she’s cryin and yelpin somethin fierce.

I look over to tell mischa we gotta go find pink. But egads! mischa wasnt there! No one was there! The car was drivin itself! There I was barrelin across an old rusty bridge in a car without a driver, while my cousin was screamin out for help!

Talk about nightmares! I musta ate tuna fish before I went to bed last night. That always does me in.

I had to rush over to the ipad and shoot pink an email.

“Pink” I said “pink is you ok?”

I heard back from her real quick too, because she werent really ok and she was mighty glad to hear from me. Apparently that cat who recently was installed in the homestead...is sorta out a control. She’s sleepin in the bed with the two moms and Pink!

Pink keeps tryin everything she knows to persuade her to sleep on the floor, but it aint workin.

She tried rollin over and accidentally on purpose knockin her over the edge.

But them cats is clever and they got claws.

So that cat just clung on them sheets and pulled herself right back up top.

Then when the cat was sound asleep...Pink tried snorin real loud right in the her ear, kinda growly snarly snorin. Dang cat dint blink an eye. She opened an eye, saw pink and then went right back to sleep.

That was insultin!

I said “Pink, what is it that cats hate more than anythin?” “They hate water!” “A little water accident might do the trick!”

Well that dint work out too good. On accounta Pink took my advice, which in hindsight...it was not enlightened advice. Pink positioned herself just right tryin to get her tail  to swipe dana’s water glass off the nightstand dumping its contents onto the cat. Only thing was that dang cat, musta sensed that water comin her way, and at the last second...she moved! Ole dana got the water right in her face!. Woke her up wit a terrible start. She hates to be jarred! Lee woke up too all upset. And poor pink got a little reprimand. Not a big one just a little one, but pink is awful sensitive...so even a little one was disturbin.

I sorta feel responsible for the debacle. Which is big of me really. But also I could say that ole dana dint really half to bring that cat in either now did she?

Well I gotta go do some penance for this. I’ll do some for dana too, just to be nice, and to cover the bases.

So for now...I’m goin to the chapel and gonna get humble...later.

Day 126 Zoe’s Winter Nap ANOTHER DAY ANOTHER BEACHWALK

Day 126 Zoe’s Winter Nap

ANOTHER DAY ANOTHER BEACHWALK

I don’t know why we do it, but we do it several times a week. We walk through the dunes and then on the beach. Some of us find this invigoratin and full a visual interest. Others in our party find it downright boneshakin. Why? There is things out there that tests a girl’s nerves.

First there is the ongoing dilemma of the water. Now I gotta admit, I’m slowly climbin over my fear of the water. But it’s against my will that I’m doin it, just sayin.

Water’s cold; it moves in unpredictable ways; you can’t drink it even if you’re facing the ‘final event’ on accounta thirst. There’s things livin it that nobody knows what they is or what they is capable of. And sometimes, but rarely at the beach, alligators come out of it!

Second there’s the hot sand; burns my little foot pads; its full a left over sea creatures that either evacuated their shells or got eatin alive, either way it gives ya the creeps and the shells hurt!.

Third there’s the leerin pit bulls at the dog beach which don’t give no one no solace.

Fourth there’s the crabs! Egads, why do they want to take a leisurely walk amongst arachnids from the deep dark recesses of the ocean? They walk sideways, so ya never know which way to move if you’re tryin to dodge em, which I am forever tryin to do. And if one should decide that you crossed in front of it, they reach out and pinch ya!

Fifth and final...there is the mystery beast. Now here’s somethin that will drive ya straight around the bend. Ya think ya see em, then you’re not really sure. So ya think ya see em again, but wait, was it?....Don’t know.

Then outta the corner a your eye ya spot em again, or did ya? Somethin pops outta some hole and ducks back into another one, in the blink of an eye. It’s a ghost crab, kinda white kinda translucent, on their tip toes! They prance around suspiciously with their arms up in the air in the white sand, white on white, holy mother a saw grass, they are scary! And tryin to elude a ghost is tricky business, let me tell you!

The whole beach experience is a trial, people. Oh how I wish we could wheedle them visits to the beach down to maybe on a week. I could handle that. I am hopin winter might put a dent in their beach walkin interest. One can always hope, otherwise, I might half to see a doctor about my issues with the elements. Because maybe it’s me that’s not right. Oh drat. I never thought a that before!

That’s deep. Deep indeed and causin me to feel a little weak in the knees. I’m gonna need a little re-fuelin to get me through this...so...later. 

Day 125 Zoe’s Winter Nap THE DIFFICULTY OF GETTIN GOOD SHUT EYE

Day 125 Zoe’s Winter Nap

THE DIFFICULTY OF GETTIN GOOD SHUT EYE

Now shut eye, or sleep as it is commonly known is a universal activity. Pretty much all creatures go in for good shut eye. Its primary purpose bein to keep us refreshed and sane. Then there’s dreamin which should never be underestimated, for both its entertainment value and also its psychological insights. As far as I can tell whoever designed us set it up so that shut eye, would happen on a cyclical basis. It would be one of our indisputable routines, like breathin!

That apparently was up until the invention of machines.

Since that time it has been a constant war. A battle being waged in every home across the globe (except where electricity has yet to cross the doorstep).

In my house as I have mentioned and kevetched about on previous occasions, we have many likely noise makin suspects. But by far the most ubiquitous, the most annoying is the vacuum cleaner. It may well do what it says i.e. clean, but in the process it unnerves every pup in its path. In fact it makes neurotic if not psychotic puddles outta us. Why? Because not only is it loud, noisy and pure torture on a dog’s ears...but...IT MOVES! It follows you wherever your’re tryin to go and hide, it’s right behind ya! And sometimes if ya aint careful and if the operator aint careful it snatches things up into itself, like tails, ears, collars, moustaches! I tell ya the invention of the vacuum cleaner was a plot against nature!

Rocket ships don’t make that much noise, and they dont chase pups around the house neither.

They go up circle around, maybe make a pit stop at the space station have a cocktail or two and come down.

But vacuums no they get drug outta the closet at irregular intervals, but always when somebody’s tryin to get the shut eye, and they start. Whinin and buzzin in pitches that dont even really exist. They drive me crazy.

That’s why yesterday I spent the better part of the day outside on the patio with my paws over my ears for extra protection. “A little asylum over here” I said to mischa. And she left me alone.

And it was quiet out there too. Just me and them deer.

When I woke up I was surrounded by a family singin home home on the range. Good news was no antelopes showed up, they can be jittery.

Anyways all that cleanin had a happy endin. It was a total surprise to me, but when the machine in question finally got put back into the closet, the moms ran out the front door and left me all alone! I wasnt prepared for that and it hurt my feelins but I dealt with it and decided to take another nap on my real bed.

I was no sooner snorin than I hear the key in the lock, which is my cue to start barkin, which I did, and hoppin. Next thing I know ole shekina pops her head in the door, and she is loaded down with biscuits for me! No one told me she was comin! What a fortuate turn of events! And shekina she never skimps when it comes to pups so they was the whole foods’ top of line biscuits!

That sure did help put an end to the bad vacuum cleaner memories. Like they always say, life’s fulla ups and downs, gotta learn to ride the waves. Good thing I started stickin my toes in the water, I think I got a lot to learn about surfin...but for now...I hears the first breakfast bell ringin, so....later.

Day 124 Zoe’s Winter Nap FRENCHY’S Nov 11 2013

Day 124 Zoe’s Winter Nap

FRENCHY’S Nov 11 2013

I guess it’s a requirement or like a rite a passage in this family. Goin ta Frenchy’s restaurant seems to be part of the weekly landscape. And now, mischa is especially pleased to learn that Frenchy opened another joint right next to our favorite beach, and very close to home! Ole b is luke warm on the whole thing but she goes along with it, cause when mischa says the word ‘frenchy’ her whole being lights up like lightening has just struck in the car. That’s what happened yesterday when she made the discovery of the new joint, except it was more like an a-bomb went off she was so tweaked. So there was no question, we was goin there, and that’s what we did.

The girl who stands at the pulpit when ya first get in the restaurant...the one who always looks like she’s preparin to give a sermon except she forgot what she was tryin to say and just says ‘’may I help ya?” instead, that girl greets us with a little glare down at me. And with no beats skipped... mischa blurts out “service dog!” while delivering a smile to the sermonette girl.

Apparently that was like sayin ‘open sesame’ cause the girl waved us on through to a delightful table for three on the deck.

I was thirsty too, and she run right back to us and brung expressly for moi, a lovely and cool glass of water. 
Mischa had a corona and b had an ice tea. Then the groupers started bein discussed. I dont remember exactly when mischa took the first dive off the vegan wagon, but she is eaten up fishes like they’s goin outta style. Ole b even has a bite a one here and there too. Alas and drat though, there is no red meat to be seen, hardly ever. Once mischa had a meatball when b was still in seattle, but that seems like eons ago now. I am settlin for things like potatoes, tortilla chips and breadcrumbs....like that...just tiny morsels of blandness, but...that’s ok...it’s somethin.

That beach was steamy hot today. I had to put my toes in the water to cool off. I made it look like I was tryin to save the mom’s from drownin. They was proud a me for gettin in at all, since I do have a reputation of bein a waterphobe.

Oh pink all yer relatives was out in full force yesterday, just a sun bathin and linin the edge of the water with them big jaws and flashy teeth. Hey I dont mean nothin personal but yer cousins can be kinda off-puttin if ya know what I mean. Mischa said they was remindin her a alligators on the banks a the canals just sittin real eerily still and leerin down at ya. One lady had her pup on a leash that she was just danglin on the edge of her big toe! That scared the all the cheezes outta us, cause the lady weighed about 90 pounds and that old dog weighed about 190. Mischa said 100 a them pounds was in his cheek muscles! B told us to stop worryin so much.

That’s when mischa said “hey let’s go to frenchy’s!”

I guess that was her tryin to turn her negativity into somethin good. That works for me.

Anyways right now it’s coffee-waftin-egg-cookin-toast-poppin-breakfast time at the hacienda...so....later.

Day 123 Zoes Winter Nap YIKES ANOTHER CAT

 

Day 7 Zoes Winter Nap

YIKES ANOTHER CAT??????????????

Ok Pink, what a big catastrophe you have on your hands eh? Your moms went out and got another cat? Ya gotta wonder what they’s thinkin, dont ya. Now I know you loved that little butchy who use ta live with younz and younz was all sad when she left. BUT no one ever uttered the word cat, since that day, and you have been grateful for it, I know.

You askt me, if I had any advice for ya. Well, as a matter of fact, I do.

One day my moms came home with not one, mind ya, but two cats! I was married back then to the pekingese. And we were both a-ghast at the news. Which by the way was delivered in a kinda devious manner. Just sayin. First off we wasnt allowed out a the house without a leash strapped around our necks... for about a week. Then we wasnt allowed in mischa’s studio, at all for antoher week. Then we hears all this loud discussion back and forth between the moms. It was about doors and time, and smells and waitin and not waitin. Turns out one a them was anxious to get all us animals together and the other one was exercisin extreme caution.

So the next thing we know we’s thrown into a lions den with two wild cats who was screechin and leapin and splayin their claws out. Man it was  mayhem. Then me and the pekingese lost it and we started barkin like crazy people. Well I started barkin, the pekingese was makin his normal unusual and horrific sound of a baby bein strangled. Well that scared the three wheezes outta all six a us. Then we was all runnin around the room like headless hens. The  sound musta taken ole mr o’grady who lived next door right over the edge, cause we never did see him ever again.

Anyways mischa got us all separated out again. I calmed down. The cats went and hid under various large objects for about a week to ten days. The pekingese was never really the same. Anything on four legs, other than me, drove him around the bend after that.

But finally someone let the cats out and someone let us out and we all chased each other around the yard for an hour or so until we got whatever it was, which we never really knew what it was, outta our systems.

Generally speakin though, to answer your question, in terms a cats, what I have learned over all my years with em, is that each one’s different.

So my advice to you in short is, gotta wait and see how the cat’s gonna play it.

If she’s a good cat, she’ll defer to you on all dog issues; keep a low profile; she will not usurp your standing with the mothers; she will look adoringly at you

when you walk into the room; she will not occupy your bed as some other four peds have been known to do. If she, on the other hand, is a bad cat, I would suggest

lookin deep into your canine ancestry and pullin out some ferocious animal behaviours. That should dissuade her from lingerin. If not, call me in the morning and we’ll reconnoiter the whole dilemma.

Right now I cant concentrate too good on acccounta breakfast is in the air, so...catch ya later.

Day 122 Zoe’s Winter Nap WOOD STORKS

Day 122 Zoe’s Winter Nap

WOOD STORKS

Who knew birds could be so friendly? They apparently aint like squirrels who is all about teasin people and runnin around like crazy nuts, leapin from thin little tree banches and ridin huge palm leaves to the ground. Birds operate with alot more confidence. I met two wood storks at the park yesterday and they was not afraid a me one iota, nor was they interested in torturin me with any kinda antics.

Mischa took a picture of em for me. Them storks come right up to you and put them long beaks in the ground, next thing ya know they got them selves a tasty morsel. Pretty slick trick. Not only that, one a them poked that ground so many times, she left a hole big enough for me to bury that dang bone in. The one that mischa tried to force on me, the poor little elk antler. Only problem was, ole mischa saw the whole thing transpirin and dug that bone back up.  Cheez pitzzas mischa!

Speakin a pitzzas, we had a slice yesterday and it was good. Mischa scrapes all her cheese off the top and I watch carefully where the excess is deposited. No complaints. Just sayin. I like pitzzas, it’s them bones that got me all in a knot.

But back to them storks...they are kindred spirits with me. I was talkin to em yesterday and they said they can down about 400 pounds a fish durin the breedin season. Now that is some impressive eatin. I dont know much about breedin, but eatin is my specialty. Now the sotrks fancy fishes and frogs but nibblin on insects is not beneath em. That’s what they was after in the park, and all their eatin prayers was answered. Also they was mister and missus, as it turns out them birds is into matin for life. They said they dont have no lawyers in their flock and therefore, cannot get no divorces either. None a them seems to mind much as they spend most a their time eatin, and not too much time disagreein about much.

Well now that sure is different than humans aint it. Dogs too for that matter. We all get into lots a tangles, and we dont mate for life much either. Maybe it has somethin to do with bein able to fly and do acrobatics  thousands a feet up in the sky, while gettin that broad perspective on life down below. Whatever.

All this talk about eatin’s got me cravin a little somethin, so    later!

Day 121 Zoe’s Winter Nap THE BONE

Day 121 Zoe’s Winter Nap

THE BONE

Well let’s just say...”give the dog a bone, except, don’t include zoe in the category of dog when the bones is bein passed out.”

I’m not sure how many times I gotta run the other way when mischa approaches me with a bone, before she gets it. I hate bones! Bones scare me.

But despite all, mischa brung me an elk bone yesterday. First thing I did without even thinkin about it when I seen that bone, was I put my nose down to the ground and started to dig up the earth so as I could bury the dang thing and get it the heck outta my smellin range.

Let’s think about this in a broader perspective people. Bones....are bones, of some thing, thing here being a euphemism for a once living but now dead creature.

I don’t know about your mind, but mine works backwards lookin for origins of things. You know I am a descendent of greeks, and mischa says we greeks do this as part of our genetic engineerin or somethin like that. We go bakcwards, think backwards, and linger back in time too!

So it aint no stretch of the imagination to see the poor elk who gave up this here antler that mischa kept tryin to get me to chew on all day.

It had to be a baby elk at that. And it smelt like it had been sawed right off em?

Cheez weezils people, leave em antlers on the elks, they need em, dogs don’t!

At least this dog dont. I find bones very upsettin as is noticiable in the picute mischa took of me today. She kept movin that ole anlter all over the booth tryin to get me interested in it. “No mam, no way, no how” I told er, but she werent listenin.

I heard her tell b about three differnet times,  “hey this bone cost $10 and zoe dont want it!”

Hello, yes, that’s right, your little butter butter sweet sweet sugar cuttie monkety monkety chickee little baby dog...dont want that antler! And further more I hear you, you paid big bucks, excuse the expression, for the antler. Let’s put that all behind us and move on, can we?

But no. Dint we get home and unload the car and guess what fell right outta the bag?

Huh uh, hmm imm....the bone! She brung that thing home. Is she gonna just keep on tryin to make me chew the thing? They should change that expression “a dog with a bone” to “a girl with a bone” seems like it be more appropriate.

I know what’s goin on too, I hear them talkin...they think I got bad breath!

I’m thinkin, let’s go get real food  instead that canned mush. That’d improve my ole breath real quick. Why. Cause a well fed dog is a happy dog and a happy dog is a dog with sweet smellin everythin, includin her breath.

Easy fix really...but wait, what is it I hear in the back ground. Just what I was sayin, listen...it’s the can opener! Oh well, they mean well. I gotta run and act like I cant wait to eat the canned delicacy...later

Day 120 WAKE ME WHEN IT’S OVER

Day 120 Zoe’s Winter Nap

WAKE ME WHEN IT’S OVER

Hola mojito...I’m sleepin here! Tryin to get good shut eye around this place is gettin down right out of the question. I had to go in the garage and crawl onto a shelf. Ofcourse I took my rabbit, she makes an excellent cushion, and she only squeaks when I bite er. Unlike some other people who will remain nameless for purposes of uninterrupted victuals, and who seem to be able to make all sorts a ongoing noises when a girl is tryin to sleep.

Yesterday there was hammers on metal!; weed-whackers!; juicers!; and saxophones! Them sounds was all emanatin from the moms. On the street the garbage men were all out in full force; some fool on a motorcycle was racin up and down revin everything he had and blastin his radio too. There was helicopters circlin overhead and them herons was makin them ridiculous croakin sounds.

Then we had the debacle with the dang squirrel family, who was havin a roman banquet in the date palm. Seems like they invited over too many fluff-tails and the whole dang palm leaf includin about a thousand nuts and just as many squirrels...plummeted to the ground, right next to where I was takin my mornin snooze. Talk about scarin the tree breezes outta ya. And further more I dint get as much as a nip a any them squirrels either. Not that I really care, as I did get a nip a one once and it turned me into a lunatic for a minute...I ran in the house and ripped open one a my squeak toys. Mischa was horrified. Also the squirrel I nipped whacked me, just sayin. There’s a first and last time for everything.

Anyways I’s still a little tired this mornin I hope they decide to ride them bikes or go for a swim and leave me home for a few hours, I could use some peace and quiet around here.  Later.

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which began July 2013

Day 119 Zoe's Winter Nap a girl's gotta dream

Day 119 Zoe’s Winter Nap

A GIRL’S GOTTA DREAM

Good good mornin once again and forever. Let me just remind myself of the great pleasures of sleepin in. Numero uno, dreamin. There aint nothin like dreamin. Especially them dreams that you get right as the sun is thinkin about risin.

Ofcourse, I would I have a lot more a them kind a dreams if ole mischa hadnt jumped back on the runnin bandwagon. She’s outta that sack by 430 in the mornin sometimes. And I am right snack dab in the middle of some yummy little reverie. I got to figure out how to jerry-rig the clock.

Also it is pitch black outside t that time of the day.

Cheez and slackers mischa getta grip, just another hour, I beg of thee.

Anyways last night I was dreamin about the wind in my hair, streakin down the highway, the dessert passin us by with all its red colors flarin, and all the packs of coyotes headed in the opposite direction and at the speed of light. So all the coyotes looked like noses and tails with blurs in between. I liked that part.

Hey aunt dana emailed me! She went on home to pixburg and her and leelee (the lady with the gun that shoots darts and lasers  an such at bad pitbulls) they got a cat!  I saw a picture of it!

Just between me and me, I aint so sure about that cat.

It had kinda an alarmed look on its face. And when them cats get alarmed they take it out on dogs! I know, I’ve been there.

I gotta get in touch with her and find out if that cat’s plannin on stayin.

You know...cat’s are sorta like the newspaper...they scare me!

Anyways dreamin is good, so I think I will stick to dreamin for a while and let that ole cat photo evaporate into the atmosphere.

Later.

Day 118 Zoe's Winter Nap it's the newspaper...it sacres me

Day 118 Winter’s Nap

IT’S THE NEWSPAPER, IT SCARES ME!

Egad, sometimes I wish I had not learned how to read and write. The newspaper, cheez tweezers, it scares ya to death first thing in the morning.

Today I will be ducking meteors as the threat has apparently increased overnight; I got to make sure my bacteria are in balance, otherwise I could be dead by friday; someone got hit with a hotdog at a ball game then their eye popped out; and there’s dinosaurs in utah; not to mention the typhoon headed for the phillipines.

Hey...if a hotdog hits a lady in the eye and you are not there to witness it, did it really happen?

If I stop readin the paper will all this go away?

Me and mischa is susceptible to suggestion and all this bad news got us twisted in a knot.

One good thing did happen this mornin though, ole mischa got up before the dawn got up and took me for a nice long walk, but not before she fixed me a big bowl of real chicken and dog morsels that was exceptionally delicious.

That brisk walk did temper the anxiety-provokin news, I admit. Them ender-fins was just the ticket. Mischa says I can get em goin by eatin spicy foods or fallin in love too. Yeah them ender-fins makes ya feel like yous been invited into an opium den for a minute. Nothin the matter with that.

Speakin a which, I think I could go for a little shut-eye right now, so ...later.

Day 117 Zoe's Winter Nap saying goodbye

Day 117 Winter’s Nap

SAYING GOODBYE

Egad, am I gettin tired, must be the change in the weather. Some body should alert Harold Arlen, cause he has an affection for writin all them climate related songs: stormy weather, over the rainbow, it’s a twister, ill wind, spring fever, come rain or come shine. I guess sometimes people get obsessed with a subject and just dog it until it’s spent.

I feel like that right now. I feel like I been doggin the subject of my ‘self’. Doggin it real close for too many days in a row now and I need to get refreshed.

We were talkin about takin a silent re-treat. I think that’s like gettin a second cookie without anyone mentionin the fact of the cookie per se. But I’m not sure.

Or a silent retreat could be like backin up far enough that you forget all your words and so you can’t talk no more. I am assumin that is a temporary condition, cause, eventually I am sure I will want to resume chattin my self up.

Speakin a chattin and speakin a harold arlen, ole dana left us yesterday, we was all miserable about it too. She said she had to go back home, who knew! We thought she was livin with us. And it is quiet in here, eerily quiet, cause aunt dana can chat with the best a them. In fact she might be nominated for an academy award for her chattin skills, that’s what mischa said. Also the music has stopped, cause mischa and her played music a coupla hours every day, and they loved them 40’s songs, with arlen and the gershwin bros at the top of their list.

Mischa’s gonna have to settle for playin her clarinet with the bazooka players in greektown. All them minor melodic eastern type scales could push us all over the edge, with the short days, and the cooler weather headin our way, I hope she don’t get obsessed too.

Also I notice in the winter times, it seems like all the sad things that ever happened to you or to yours has a way of floatin up to the surface so as you got to have yet another look at em, poke at em, stab by em. Winter, if you can hear me, any chance you’d think about shorten your stay?

Well I got a meal to beg for and a walk to take, so as far as today goes....later.

Day 116 ALLIGATORS N SUCH

Day 116 Tue Nov 5 Zoe Can’t Stop Talkin

ALLIGATORS N SUCH

Ok  aunt dana’s been here twice now and for a total a over six weeks. She keeps tellin mischa that she has never seen an alligator. In fact she’s been tauntin mischa, sayin perhaps there is no real alligators left in this part of florida and perhaps they is a filament of mischa’s vivid imagination.

This makes mishca madder than a hatter and she always gets kinda puffed up around the edges when dana starts in on this line a conversation.

So today mischa declares is alligator huntin day and they is goin out and not returnin home without spyin themselves at least one gator.

So goodie for me, we were off to the quote un quote alligator park first thing this mornin.

Before ole mischa was  even outta the car (on accounta she always is the last girl outta the car, no matter what) dana and b and me spotted a gator motorin right across the canal headin straight for us! Oh mischa was wishin and hopin she had made a bet on the gator sightin, but she had not. She had to be content to gloat.

Which she proceeded to do for the remainder of the afternoon. Everybody put up with it cause before the day was done, we seen ourselves an alligator here and an alligator there, until we counted up to ten. Plenty for one day, and for a pup my size plenty for a lifetime really. Them gators has been known to eat pups for a snack.

I was, therefore, on a short leash for the entire park experience.

But gators, you know they is wiley creatures, they moves real slow. They moves so slow ya think they’re dead but they is anything but dead. They can rise up before you can blink an eye and snatch a turtle right off the top of a rock. A sweet little mindin-her-own-business-turtle. And that’s not all. Them gators will eat just about anything, and except for them thousand footlong pythons some idiot dumped into the evergaldes, there aint too many creatures that is left on the earth can or would dare eat one a them gators, except for another gator.  Them boy gators, they eats their own babies when they feels like it. Of course, as I may have mentioned prior, some greeks who will remain unnamed at this point, have also been known to make a meal outta their own babies too, but that is another story. Yeah them gators will eat a seven point buck or a little moor hen, they don’t discriminate when it comes to their dining options.

When they’s hungry, they eats. period. If yous in their way, they’d eat you...just sayin, best to keep a generous distance between your self and the bank where they love to sun bathe in the afternoon.

And so it was this afternoon when we spotted two examples, snoozin on the bank of the lake, and dana and b decide it is a bright idea to go have a closer look. Bein as they is both leos, they went. Me and mischa bein both chickens, we ran the other direction and hung out on a boardwalk.

Mischa called out to the girls that  the gator had opened his mouth real wide and they better be careful. Dana and B just pointed at us and laughed.

But the next thing we knew that old gator slid himself right off the bank and right down into the water. He left his eyes up on top a the water though, cause he was navigatin. Yeah he was navigatin his way right to where me and mischa was standin. Mischa kept mesurin the distance between the water and the bottom of the boardwalk. I guess she figured we was safe cause we held our position.

That dang gator came right up to us, just about a foot away and just stared and stared. Mischa said he was waitin for us to toss him a morsel. I said I hope she dint consider me a suitable morsel. And she said “oh zoe, now dont be ridiculous, I love you so much I’d let that ole gator have a bite a me before I’d let him get anywheres near you, butter butter cream cream sugar sweetie sweetie, you cute adorable dog, don’t you worry!”

As we left the park I heard one a them tryin to make what they call a joke.

I think it was ole dana, she looked over her shoulder as she climbed back into the car

and said ‘’see ya later,”  then there was like a five second pause and she said “alligator.” I heard mischa and b groan and saw them twist there muzzles all into a knot.

Last thing we saw was one a them anhingas sittin on a branch airin out her wings, like they do, for hours....and then we saw her snackin on little insects that was in her wing feathers. Mischa tapped dana on the shoulder and asked  “is that what they call eatin on the wing?”  This time all three of us groaned real loud and somebody even grimaced. Speakin a anhingas though, them gators snap them up for appetizers too.

Cheez pastas, nothin’s sacred around them reptiles.

Anyways despite the close up and personal view a the food chain today, which included some turtles, a few hawks, a kingfisher, several herons great and small...

we made it home safely and dana, to pay ole mischa back for the bet that never really got made in the first place, is makin us a big risotto diner.

I have no idea what that is, but I know if dana’s makin it, it is sure to have lots a butter in it and guaranteed, some cheese. So until we meet again, my self...later

Day 115 MAINSTREAM BLISS

Day 115 Mon Nov 4 Zoe Cant Stop Talkin

MAINSTREAM BLISS

“Zoe” mischa asked me as my eyes opened this a.m.   “what to the marine corps and the huffington post, rupert murdock and general mills all have in common?”

“I give up” I said, cause I really dint know any of em well enough to venture a guess.

“They are all into meditation, now!”

“No way” I said.

“Way” she said “it’s all over the new york times today, this is good news!”

I guess she’s figurin if more people got into meditatin and mindfulness then maybe less people’d be ineterested in bein bossed around my their minds. Also they might learn how to listenin to somebody in addition to themselves.

Both them things  drives mischa straight up the nearest tree.

I watched her on sunday while she was workin in the bauble booth. Sometimes ladies come up who dont want to look ya in the eye..then that sets a real bad tone for the rest of the interaction, unless mischa throws her head down right on top a them baubles so as the lady cant see nothin but mischa’s eyes. She dont do that too much though.

Then them same ladies often times... want to start prattlin on about whatever until they got themselves into a complete knot. They dont even seem to be breathin while there doin it either.

If mischa tries to help them by offerin them a way out a their knot... they just keep right on talkin while she’s tryin to talk. Or they might stop and listen  for a second and then just pick right on up  doin what what they was already doin which was creatin a big pile a chaos right in the middle a our bauble booth.

That there drives mischa into paroxysms of displeasure.

When them ladies leave , she always turns to me and mumbles about deep breaths, patience, and alterin some kind of state.

Mischa says everybody’s got a mind that nudges at em all day long.

Some people nudge back at their mind and this starts a nasty duel in which the mind always wins. And it aint pretty.

Some people hear their minds yakin away about non-sense and they get so confused they just start spewin the non sense out into the world without bein able to stop themselves. That aint pretty.

Some people dont seem to be bothered by the crowd that forms in their mind and just follow all the voices in all the directions until they realize they are goin in circles all day long. Then they get scared and confused and start havin one a them meltdowns. And that aint pretty.

This is why ole mischa is a big promotor of meditatin. She says it puts an end to the

all that.  She says meditatin is like givin your bossy mind a big old hug and shusshin it back to sleep.

Speakin a sleep, ole dana just woke up and she reached  down to give me some pets. I of course, dutiful like I always am, went belly up. She was rubbin me and says “hey aint you got a little somethin extra today zoe?”

I hear mischa say “are you talkin about her belly?”

Dana nodded and twisted her head till her eyes landed right snack dab in the middle a my belly.

I was mortified!  Then I heard mischa say “She’s just a little cute...we’ll walk it off this week, won’t we butter?”

That made me feel much better and also I felt a rush of relief, cause it was breakfast time, and now I was pretty sure nobody was gonna get the bright idea to weigh and measure my food portions, on accounta I have a powerful hunger this hear mornin. Speakin a which, I gotta oversee the delivery of morsels, so.....later.