Okay. It was minus 11 this morning when the sun started peeking over the horizon and woke up Angelina somewhere around 5:30. I convinced her to go back to sleep — for about an hour — before the thump-thump-thump of her tail and the bright sunlight forced my sleepy eyes open. When we walked outside, the sun was really bright against the deep blue sky … but it was also minus six degrees.
Welcome to my world.
I don’t mind the snow or even the cold of winter. I welcome the bright sunshine. But we’re at the time of the year when Spring battles Winter. The days are starting to get longer. The temperatures are — believe it or not — starting to moderate. We’ll actually see the 40s next week — after, of course, a predicted 3-5 inches of snow this weekend.
It’s the “days are getting longer” that concerns me. As the days get longer, Angelina wakes up a little earlier and earlier. I’ll get a reprieve this weekend when we shift to Daylight Savings Time and today’s 5:30 will be 6:30. But I know that “extra” hour will be short-lived and it won’t be long before I get a wake-up call from my faithful friend back at 5:30 and even earlier as we march toward Summer.
It is sunrise that determines her sleep. One day last week, I woke around 4 for a potty visit. She remained curled up at the bottom of the bed completely nonplussed … until, of course, first light. Fortunately, she does lay back down when I tell her to — usually with her head on my knee or her paws resting on my back {I wish I could teach her to give a massage} — until her tail gets the best of her about an hour or so later.
This all means my daily routine changes. It will mean my afternoon nap will almost become mandatory. It will mean my attention during my Hallmark movies will be challenged {I mean, I had to watch a mystery three times — count ’em — three times before catching all the clues that lead to solving the crime}. It very well could impact my bedtime.
I love the little mutt. She brings me joy and is a good companion. But I wish she had a better sleep pattern.
Once we get back in after our morning walk, she’ll usually curl up on my lap as I check my phone and start my daily laptop routine. This morning, however, she was stretched out in a sunny spot on the rug. It took all I had not to throw something at her!
THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: You wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do. — Eleanor Roosevelt
The Light 
Labby used to live outside;
he’s a Labrador, you see.
But then a cold spell did betide;
and to the house he gained entry.
I think that he found it odd,
and oh so terribly loud
but he was not overawed
by our indoor canine crowd.
He’s by and large a gentleman
with one annoying habit:
he learned to play at 3am,
and he’s just got to have it.
Every night I hear the bark
for gametime with the landshark.
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They have a mind of their own.
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So true!
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Hi Joe
I’m one of those people has a deep love for animals and the things of nature. My last pet was a Maine Coon cat named Sydney. They are called gentle giants. It seemed funny hearing this little squeaky meow coming out of this big domestic cat. But he was my best friend and my buddy.
Unfortunately, he passed away around 5 years ago. I had him for 14 years. Since then, I have fed and taken care of the stray cats around here. We have Muscovy ducks here near the lake, and I feed them and take care of them too.
The downside of having pets is that we outlive them. I’ve had dogs, cats, birds, and other animals. It’s heart breaking when it’s time for them to leave this Earth, but if you give your heart to someone, whether they are animal or human, we run the risk of having our hearts broken. My advice is to enjoy the time you have with your little dog, even if the dog wakes you up early in the morning….LOL.
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I do. She’s been a good companion … just like those who came and went before her.
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