BFF

I wonder if Ralph sometimes gets his nose out of joint since Michael came.  Yes, he's Celeste's brother, but she has chosen Michael to be her best friend forever.  She rubs up against him frequently during the day, flicking her tail under his nose.  The dog takes this unlikely show of affection with his usual equanimity.  I find it touching that when Michael and I go for a walk, Celeste will wait at the front door for us to get back, crying for him.  When we come in, "Oh, you're home!  You're home!," and really does a rub up.  When Ralph starts a rough-and-tumble with his sister, it's not uncommon now for Michael to get up, walk over, and give Ralph a nudge with his nose...just enough to let Ralph know, "That's enough now.  Don't hurt my friend."

Among the goodies that Lorraine brought when she visited, there was a bag of treats that Michael is particularly fond of.  They look like and are the size of a larger milk bone, but evidently have been steeped in a tasty broth of some kind.  They're very hard and difficult for me to break in half.  He only gets a half a day.  He carries them around like they are a kid's jawbreaker candy, licking and gnawing until small enough for him to finish off.  The only problem I have with this is that he hides them in the couch and in his bed and blankets until they're small enough to crunch.  I never know where I'll find them as he protects them from the cats.  Celeste may be his BFF, but he's not going to share his treats.

Helper Dude came by yesterday, particularly to cut down some high dry star thistle in the middle of the driveway.  I'm not so worried on the way out because the engine is cold, but after an outing I worry about that dry brush under a hot undercarriage.  He also cleaned the chimney.  With the drop in day- and nighttime temperatures, it's time to start thinking about lighting a fire.  We're not there yet, but it pays to be prepared.

Stay safe.  Be well.