This morning I wake up, a little later than usual today... the parents are finally home so I wasn't waking up at the crack of dawn to take Cory and Minnie outside and feed Zephyr - Charlie, the good boy, has learned to wait until much later to go outside and get fed... such as today. My door was open last night because I like the dogs to be able to come and go from my room as they please, and this morning it was still open even though mom and dad were up, and the dogs were already in and out. But Charlie remained on the bed - at one point, I guess, mom walked by and said "good morning Charlie!" because he was sitting up very alert on the bed, but he didn't budge. He just wagged his tail and she moved along, and he curled back up next to me. Very sweet.Anyway, so I got up and he was very excited and we went right outside so he could take care of all of his business... and I'm there stretching and looking at the field while Charlie is doing his thing, and I look back to see if he's finished only to see a big, gross, white WORM! I just hung my head and let out a slew of words that aren't appropriate for this setting.
So I go inside, and I have my cup of coffee and then call the vet - as it turns out, we need to get them all another round of flea and heartworm meds anyway. Now Charlie is on a round (well, it's only one round - it's powerful stuff) of Drontal. This poor guy...
Then this afternoon we enjoyed some wonderful, delicious bourbon reserve - 101 proof, aged 10 years - that my parents purchased on their trip. We went ahead and let Charlie join us outside off his leash so he could run and play with the other dogs, and he went exploring in the field, but he didn't go far. He just sniffed and sat and enjoyed the sunshine and the freshly cut grass. He looked so cute out there just hanging out in the field, surveying the land. I'm sure he's never had this before - he's able to enjoy the scenery and the wildlife without being on guard; he kept looking back to make sure we were in sight and earshot, and eventually he came trotting back up - though not before checking out a little toad hopping around in the grass.
Mom and I took all the dogs out once it was dark for one last trip outside for them. We strolled into the upper field and Charlie was on his leash, but even Cory started trying to play so I just let him off his leash - it was a rare thing to see Cory that playful and excited, and I love seeing Charlie run and jump and bark - things he hasn't done in such a long time, if ever. Those two dogs were growing and chasing and wrestling... and what was most adorable, is that they started playing hide and seek. They ran into the side bushes and hid from one another - peeking their little heads out every now and again to see if the other was still there. Cory ran away, but Charlie just stayed crouched waiting for him - once Cory was back within running shot and turned away, Charlie raced off after him and tackled him to the ground. It was so sweet to watch those two - mom and I couldn't help but giggle. 
We got inside and Charlie just couldn't settle down - he leaped on the couch with me and attempted to wrestle, but I had to calm him down. He didn't like that, and in the process he sort of nipped at me - not to cause harm, but to say, "hey! hey! c'mon! let's play!" but it ended up hurting quite badly and instinctively I whipped around and gave him a harsh tap on his haunches. In a very Matrix style moment, we both just looked at each other; immediately in his eyes I saw fear and a recognition of a familiar pain, and in mine I can only assume he saw how guilty and awful I felt at realizing what I had just done. I turned to my mother completely shocked, and she told me a story of how once she was holding me in her arms and she looked down at me and I looked up at her and promptly smacked her on her face - you know, how babies test to see what you'll do in a situation, and to try something new and unfamiliar. Instinctively, my mother tapped my face right back and that is the one and only time she ever hit me - and it wasn't even a true smack, just pure animal instinct to say "hey, that hurt, back off." These things happen, in other words. I turned back to Charlie and kept apologizing and and hugged him so hard - he cocked his head to the side and leaned his head way into mine and just pushed back on me and then just let himself fall into my lap and he just sat there - as if to say, "it's OK mommy, I'm sorry I nipped you, it's OK that you nipped me back."Dogs are so humbling and forgiving, it's just astounding.
So then Zephyr joined us inside, and Charlie loves Zephyr... I think she likes him, too, but she's a picky girl and isn't the playful type. So she just watched him try to play with her, and then she made her way over to the couch with me and curled up - Charlie was relentless. Bouncing back and forth, lying down then siting up, whining and then growling, nuzzling her and then jumping back. She just wasn't having it and now she's sleeping and Charlie has only sort of given up - he's lying on the floor just waiting for her to wake up. Silly boy.
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