Luna

After weeks of longingly staring at each other across the width of Dave’s yard, Holly and Luna finally got to play in the backyard.   Luna had gotten loose and came across Dave’s yard to the fenceline, wiggling her butt and nose to nose with Holly whose tail was wagging so hard it was kicking up dust.  Aaron was tugging on Luna trying to get her to turn around and return home.  I through out the invite for her to come play for a bit and Aaron was all for it.  Once Luna came through the gate, the fun began.  Chase turned into Keep Away which turned into Tug which turned into any of the above.  There was no butt sniffing or cautious glances while turning from side to side.  The two of them launched immediately into rousing play and their faces revealed pure joy as they were doing so.  Marissa & Aaron came to the fenceline to watch the show and then there were three smiling adults to join the two smiling dogs.  Both Luna and Holly knew they needed to take rest breaks and somehow they were always in agreement when that time came.  Then with a twitch of a foot, it was game on again.  Saying good-bye was tough for both of them but it seems now when they sit and stare at each other across the yard, there is this acceptance and understanding that they will get another turn soon.  So true Luna!  So true Holly!

Holly had more unexpected visitors when Daphne and Ivy showed up at Grandma and Grandpa’s house next door.  Ivy ran straight from the car to the fenceline, then to my backyard.  Daphne did make it into the house to say hi to her grandparents before joining Ivy, Holly & I.  The girls have mixed feelings about school starting next week.  They feel school interferes with their trips to play at their grandparents house.

Visits from the girls are so good for Holly.  When they approach they fence, she becomes this live wire that shakes and shimmers out of control.  I have to literally shake her and force her to sit still and get her breath, then try to gradually bring her up to the girls.  In time, she settles in but those initial minutes are wild.  The girls have learned to run to the deck chairs and sit down until Holly gets her wits together.  That’s Helen’s time to collect all the attention.   Once Holly settles in, she does fairly well.  I was surprized, and proud, to see her respond quite consistently to the girls commands – sit, down, stay, shake a paw.  She zig zagged for heel and did not respond to their command to ‘come’ though the perpetual motion of the girls could have confused her.  It pleases me to see Holly learning commands and share a language with me – and to see her respond similarly with children brings immense pride.  Holly’s view of school isn’t too much different than the girls but apparently she is learning something!

Holly’s love for play is her steady diet in life.  Today I started some Fall preparation and began changing batteries in the Mr. Beam motion lights.  There’s a few of them, multiple batteries are needed for this project.  The covered firepit serves as a nice workbench and resting spot for project items, like extra batteries.  As I’m chatting with Diane over the fence,  we notice Holly doing her bucking pony jump around the yard with something in her mouth.  I left to investigate and found she had a Class D battery in her mouth with a few more already on the ground, indented by toothmarks.  Holly knew I was serious and didn’t launch into a game of chase with me.  Diane’s comment was classic, said with a big grin – ‘does Holly run on batteries?’  Sometimes I wonder.