And thankfully we have just one puppy... one very large puppy who likes to splash in puddles and jump into the pool at the dog park. When I walk Savannah down our hill every day I just know she would take a flying leap into our pond given half a chance. And that's just not going to happen, given the population of snakes, ducks, turtles, frogs, and egrets that are always in and around that pond.
When it rains out here, all the ponds fill up and the fields are covered with massive puddles wherever the ground is not quite level. And the pastures have lots of 'not quite level' areas which are very tempting to Savannah because of those puddles. But, unlike the big pool at the dog park, the puddles here are filled with grass and mud, and Savannah's white fur would quickly turn into a glossy brown if she had her way. And I just refuse to let her have her way with the puddles after a rain here, which makes for a very tiring walk. Not tiring for Savannah, but tiring for me. As I type this, however, the Puppy Princess is stretched out on the sofa in the TV room, filling up that piece of furniture from end to end, and I can hear her snoring from where I sit in the breakfast room.
We didn't get to the dog park this weekend because the weather was either cloudy, rainy, or both. On a perfect day at that park, the sun is shining, it isn't too windy, and the temperature is not hot enough to be sweltering but just balmy enough for a light sweater. It will be interesting to see how much Savannah enjoys that park when the summer weather rolls in. So far, I've learned that Savannah doesn't mind the cold, likes to play in the rain, but she's not too fond of the heat. Her coat has grown thick and long (daily brushing required) and I would imagine that such a glorious coat keeps her very warm when the weather is cool, but I'm wondering if she'll feel as if she's wearing too many layers of puppy fur once the summer gets here. My guess is that summer at the dog park for Savannah will translate into more pool time and less grass time.
Savannah has been trying to play with Sweet Pea as if that cat is a puppy. Far from it, at a slim 14 pounds. Sweet Pea is a very long cat, and he's svelte and limber and his ability to jump still amazes me. Savannah tries to engage Sweet Pea into a rough-and-tumble roll on the carpeting in the TV room, but Sweet Pea is not interested. When Savannah gets a bit too demanding, Sweet Pea sits down in front of that puppy, waits for just the right moment, and then lifts his paw and bops Savannah right on her nose. No claws involved in that movement, but the smack on Savannah's nose is so loud that I can hear the slapping sound of Sweet Pea's paw. When that happens, Savannah immediately lays down on the floor as if I've given her the 'Down!' command, and then she looks at Sweet Pea with innocent eyes and her tails starts wagging, but that cat stands his ground and doesn't move until he is certain that Savannah is down for the count and won't get up. One good smack on Savannah's nose is usually all it takes for her to leave Sweet Pea alone. What follows is Sweet Pea's announcement that he is in charge here, not Savannah... and he makes that known by walking calmly to Savannah's bed and curling up right in the center of it.
I don't know how the thought processes of cats and dogs work... are they analyzing events and problems in their minds and trying to come up with a reasonable solution which ultimately results in their definition of happiness? Or do they just act and react solely by instinct and let the chips fall where they may? I have no idea how that all works, but at this very minute, there's a sleeping puppy taking up all the space on the TV room sofa, and a sleeping cat in a very big dog bed with lots of room to spare.
And me? I was going to vacuum this morning, but I haven't done that yet because I don't want to disturb the nap time for either Savannah or Sweet Pea. This may be my house, but I am not in charge.
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