Happy Herman's Hideaway

Subhead

The Awe of it All

Image
Body

Hello there, my sweet San Saba friends, and how are you? I missed you last week. And I am not quite sure what happened because I wasn’t absent, and yet I was! I wrote my article as usual, sent it in, and yet pulled a disappearing act in the paper. Who knows, perhaps I will appear this week.

We have had a busy week or shall I say the parentals have had a busy week and forced me into their activities. I have had two baths, had to spend more time barking than my throat wished because dad has been redoing my backyard play area, ignoring me when I sit right in front of him asking him to share his food, and literally watching mom sling paint like a madwoman! Now do not misunderstand, except for the baths and dad not sharing food, the activities are good and productive. But when do I get to say what is planned for the week?

I spent some time speaking to Skippy and Rowena; they are squirrels who in live my backyard. I think Skippy must have eaten too many pecans because he is as nutty as peanut butter! Hey, perhaps that is why his name is Skippy! I just now put that together, and it makes so much sense! Anyway, I will ask Skippy a question and he will say… “I don’t know about that; I am on the fence about it.” I look at him as if he is crazy because he actually IS on the fence! That is like asking a jockey a question, and him saying… “Well, I don’t know, I am on my high horse about that!” I decided it is easier to talk to humans, even if they are parentals, so I came inside to talk to mom. And boy was I shocked because she looked like one of the Blue Man group! Yep, that is what I meant when I said she had been slinging paint! I wanted to run away, but I had no place to go!

I can be a bit sneaky; I shan’t deny it. The other evening while the parentals were watching television, I very quietly and without fanfare walked into the living room with a friend…another dachshund. My little friend was quite a bit smaller so I picked her up in my mouth, carried her down the hall and thought we could spend some time playing. Dad can be a real tattletale! The minute I got to the living room he tells mom about my friend, gets up and grabs her from me! Mind you, she wasn’t complaining, not even a little, because she is a cotton mouth dachshund…the silent type and stuffed! My fun was over before it even began: no chewed eyes, tail intact and no cotton shredded! Dad looks at mom and says… “I just prevented a murder!” He thinks he is so funny!

I want to thank you, my San Saba dears. So often my words are a bunch of dachshund silliness or mundane news about my family life, and yet each week you open your hearts to listening. You are a gift to me, a present of being present…of caring and engaging. It is so easy in this day and time to ignore the being standing next to you or walking toward you… to lower your eyes rather than gaze at a face with which you are unfamiliar. The miracle is, though, with a tilt of the head, a mere glance and spark of recognition…great friendships can be born and a difference made. I hope you have a wonderful week, my sweet friends. Until we speak again, thank you for being!