one-handed affection

It's Saturday not Friday...

Our morning ritual is that as soon as I stir Zacchi is at the side of the bed, scratching at the blankets, begging me to get up. Sometimes I let him out and go back to bed. Other times I open the door and he doesn't go out. I snuggle back into bed and he continues his scratching at the blankets. I proffer the hand to be licked, pulled at, wrapped around. He launches hinself onto my arm and we have a little one-handed scratching affection session. He licks, paws, nips, I pat, rub or scratch whichever clean bit of the dog is within reach.

Yesterday he was very protective, seemed to sense something ominous. Twice he insisted there was someone behind me. He barked and barked. I couldn't see anything. I told him not to be silly, we have only friendly spirits in this house. Maybe he was wiser than I am. The day went downhill after that.

This morning after I had opened the house and snuggled back to bed he was pleading with me to get up or at least put the arm out from under the blankets.

Neither of us know how he did it. I don't know who got the biggest surprise. Suddenly he was up on the bed, completely bewildered! That's a first. It took a while for him to settle. He licked, nipped, generally wanted to stay excited. Eventually he settled down for a cuddle. I felt oddly protected by my scruffy companion.

Then it was up and bouncy again... you can see out the windows from Mum's big bed! Things look so different from way up here! Uh oh... it's a long way down too...

I wonder how long it will be before he works out how to jump up again?