Did you know that the Chinese have, for centuries, been classifying 

foods on the basis of the types of energy they contain? This classification 

is a part of the Chinese way of explaining the universe and everything

in it, called  Feng Shui (Fung Shway.)  In this system, there are five 

types of energy, called the Five Elements.  All foods are said to

contain one of these five types or phases:

Wood  *  Water  *  Earth  *  Fire  *  Metal  

 

Memories of Oz

 Blue sky, blue sea, bright sunshine, clear air

 

One Wintry Day with Puppy Cash

 

 

-!-

Early Morning

 

The lights on the opposite mountain glitter in the pre-dawn darkness, a light breeze plays in the chill air, stirring the ends of my scarf as I sink lower into my coat and clutch my gloves, not worn yet, as I need flexibility to control our leaping dog.  He skitters over the frosty surface of the driveway and stumbles into the patch of grass that separates the pavement from our retaining wall. This wall, built slowly over three years by my husband, divides our house from the brush-tangled earth that drops steeply to the tall trees in the valley below.

Our young Border Collie races joyfully around the grass, stopping every few minutes to sniff traces of the animals that roam our yard at night.  Almost as an afterthought he stops to sprinkle his urine every few yards, as a declaration of ownership.

I urge him on with the hopeful cry of the human at the end of a leash:

"Pee now, please!  It's cold, let's hurry up and go back to the warm."

He takes his own sweet time, roaming here and there.  He's not cold and it's delightful checking everything out, he seems to be thinking. Not a moment too soon, he agrees to be led back into the house, where the action will now begin.

Good, my face will not freeze and crack into pieces today, at least. 

 

 

Crisp air freezes my face as I stand and wait

while Cash runs gaily down the drive to sniff out nightly smells

before he deigns to do his daily tasks

 

 

 

 

-2-

 

Breakfasts

 

Breakfast, for one dog, two cats and two humans, is now the order of the day. We humans have to work quickly, so that all the animals will be eating at about the same time.  If the cats are fed too long before the dog, he will start whining and whimpering, telling us in no uncertain terms that he is close to starving to death because we're making him wait too long, while we're paying attention to the wrong animals.  In desperation, he will proceed to tear up and eat the sheet we're using as a base for his ExPen (crate, to non-dog owners.) 

 

After their breakfasts, with the first hurdle of the day over, we can make our own breakfasts and sit with our coffees for a brief while in peace, while dog and cats are quiet, digesting food eaten at the speed of light.  The peace will usually last for about six hours for the cats, who will groom themselves, do their business outside in the cat run and then find some cozy place inside to have their daily siesta.  If we're lucky, the dog may sleep for about an hour or two.

 

 

 

breakfast prepped while anxious animals look on

in high excitement cats and dog devour delicious food

then peace reigns in the house for several hours

 

 

 

-3-

 

Midmorning

 

 

For that brief hour or two we focus on human stuff, until he wakes and realizes he is cooped up and needs to pee and then run, run, run. Unfortunately, he is also inviting one of us to come out and run with him.  Our days of running are over but we try to entertain him, for ten minutes in cold weather, or a bit longer when the air is warm.  One of us, the tougher, braver human, may take him out for a walk along the street, for exercise and fun (for the dog, at least) before succumbing to exhaustion and urging the dog to return to the house. In the meantime, I try to tidy up his messy crate which he has decorated in special puppy fashion with bits of torn up sheet and toys scattered everywhere. The ExPen is a model of coziness for perhaps half an hour until his return, but I'm fighting a losing battle. Sometimes I take a photo of it to remind myself that this tidy space is how the home of a well-behaved, grown up dog might look in the future. 

 

When puppy Cash returns to his ExPen, he romps around, gnawing on sheets and throwing toys around for several hours. After that he's ready to chow down again on some lunch. He has an inbuilt clock which tells him when it's time for lunch. We should have trained him to think that he only needs two meals a day, not three. The cats do fine with morning and evening food only.  Ah well, too late now.

 

prancing dog is hungry for his lunch

anxious eyes survey the food being put into his crate

three seconds for the meal to be inhaled

 

 

 

-4-

 

Afternoon

 

Lunch is now over for one dog and two humans.   Now it's time for a siesta for everyone.  Right, Cash?  He buys it for about an hour, then decides to whimper and whine to get out of this prison, into the nice chilly air to run around.  One or other of us lasts outside for a while, then we try a game which involves not going outside, but up and down the stairs in a chase for a never-ending supply of tiny treats.  After paying attention to him for an hour or two, we see that he is falling asleep.  Great!  Silence reigns now and we can do our own thing.  For some hours we can sit at the computer, exercise, read.  Catch up on all the tasks put off while we handled our canine teenager?

 

peace reigns in the house for just two hours

tlll Cash begins to whine to be let out to play with us

up and down the stairs he races wildly

 

 

-5-

 

Evening

It's 5 pm and time for the cats' dinner.  Cash stirs out of a deep sleep on hearing the sound of cans being opened and spoons being clinked. Aha, he thinks, more food coming.  Alas, it seems the humans have forgotten that there's a hungry canine here, ready and waiting. Mommy's wasting time giving the furry ones food, instead of him. Where's Daddy?  He'll understand that I need my dinner NOW, he seems to be thinking.  Daddy is oblivious in another room, deep in thought in front of a computer.  The focus shifts back to Mommy.  He whines and whimpers till a hefty portion of meat, veggies and kibble are delivered to one dying dog.  At last!

 

After dinner there's a satisfied, sleepy silence from the three animals, as

we humans prepare and eat our own meals and relax for a precious hour in front of the television.  All too soon, it's time for bed for all of us. Even though the cats are drowsing the dog ha a different idea.  Like a human three year old, he's now ready to play. One of us must take him outside, in the dark and cold, so he can run up and down the driveway until exhaustion sets in and it's safe to assume he will sleep through the night.  Back inside, tucked in, cozy and warm in his chewed up blanket nest, he drowses into the night. We tiptoe around, preparing for our own 7-8 hours of sleep.

 

 evening meals' consumed, dog's content 

cats and humans quiet and ready to sleep the whole night

with luck we'll sleep till maybe 6 am

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Our Animals, 

Cash Jr., border collie mix, Carrie, torbie cat and Charlie, tiger striped tabby

Little guy, sweetie pie,

if left alone, the dog will cry.

Our cats are very different,

if left for hours, they'll get by.