Protector

It was a grey, drizzly morning, and it was early. Ray was sleeping in Gregg's chair, the cats were pacing, waiting for me to open the dog door, and I was sitting on the couch choosing random photos to post to the blog.
Without warning, Ray leapt from his chair and trotted into the kitchen. Thinking that it was a little odd that he needed to go outside immediately after eating breakfast, I got up and went to slide open the dog door. Immobile, Ray stayed standing in front of the kitchen door, the cats, however, happily disappeared through the escape hatch.
I sighed. All that money spent on the large-undisclosed-amount-of-money-dog-door-project and here I was expected to act as Ray's majordomo. I opened the kitchen door for the hound and stepped back.
"After you," I said to the big dog sarcastically.
Ray stepped to the opening and stuck his head out, ears deployed in Dumbo mode "looking" to the back fence. He didn't move. I felt the hair on the back of my neck prickle. I could count on one hand the number of times that Ray wouldn't go out without backup. I went to get my shoes. The dog waited for me, unwilling to go past the threshold without someone to cover him.
As soon as I walked through the door, Ray was with me. He stayed nearby for a few steps, then charged to the fence, the hair on his neck standing at attention. I looked around the yard but didn't see anything out of the ordinary, so walked to the bench situated toward the rear of the yard, climbed up, and peered over the fence into the yard behind. Nothing unusual there either.
Ray let loose with a couple of yells. Not his usual generic yell or his "I found something" yell, but the one he uses when there is a warning coming down the pike. I heard dogs down the block pick up the cue and send it on. The dog telegraph was working well.
"Good job, Ray," I congratulated my hound, "Let's go inside."
His duty carried out, Ray immediately turned from the fence and returned to the house.
I had no idea what was lurking in the early morning grey, but I felt well-protected. Even if I did have to provide back-up to my own blind bodyguard.


And now for the photos that I was going to post...

And then I said to her,
"But I don't want to get off of the flowers, just leave me alone."

zzzzzzzzzz

Waiting for Godot

Rainy days and Mondays always get me down

Excuse me.
Would you mind very much removing the straw from my face?
(taken at the Sheep and Wool Festival)

Juno, legendary bug hunter

If you listen hard enough, couches talk to you.

Dreaming of Stinking Bishop cheese

Hey Juno, you know that's only the BOX for the door, right?

Magic trick.
Watch Harvey...

…turn into Ray

Fence-sitter

Window-watcher

Harvey on his cloud.

Doggy Beefcake

Kitty Cheesecake 

Rainy day
#1

Rainy day
#2

Rainy day
#3

Almost done. Just give me a second and I'll have this out.

Well, that was exhausting!

On the trail...