Lyme Life ~ Dawg Daze

It’s summer and the dog days roll on. Dawg Daze, if you like. For Lymies, it passes by too often. A few days of activity often means a few days of incapacitation. We push through, right?

Dawg Daze

Yesterday, I finally pulled the weeds from the small front garden. The grass was taller than my dog. She sat by my side as I struggled to clear the unwanted vegetation. I imagine what she might be thinking:

“Humans are a wacky bunch. Here she is pulling out grass. I did that last week, to make sure we kept the game going, I chose a spot in the middle of the yard, so everyone could play. They got all irate and told me to stop. Sheesh, talk about playing on their terms only!”

I sat on the stone wall to catch my breath. She anxiously sat up.

“Can we go for a walk now? Huh? You seem to be completely worn out. Let’s stagger through the woods and see what we can smell. Are you ready?”

There is a snake that lives under the rhododendron bush. I watch as it moves away from the patch of grass that I want to uproot. The dog is at full attention. She has already dug a hole big enough for me to climb in under there, in her attempts to eradicate the snake. I tell her to stay.

“Oh, I’ll git that for you. Leme atta. I’ll git it. I’ll git it.”

Dunzo

I’m dizzy and weak from the heat and bending over is hard. So, she decided to comfort me, leaning against my thigh. I don’t know what she could have found to roll in, but she stinks so bad, I’m gagging.

“What is your problem? How can I help? I bet if I lean right up against you and rub my shedding fur all over you, you’ll fell much better. How about if I lick you? It really helps. Especially right after I lick my butt. So good, really, you’re gonna love it.”

So, now, I’m covered. The dirt, bugs, and dog hair are sticking to my sweaty skin. Yuck. The garden is clear of weeds and I am off to the shower. She looks at me, tilts her head and in my dawg daze I imagine her inner voice.

“What the heck? Where are you going? You’re outside! I thought you were out here to play with me. Oh, I know. I’ll steal your shoe. Got it. Ha! Bet you can’t catch me! Oh, I know you are a weakling, so I will stand just out of reach and then run like a jet when you get too close. Come on! Ha!”

You can have the shoe. I need a shower.