Bright idea

Jayne thought I should write about this, though I am a bit ashamed to share it. I suppose it shows the coldness of modern society or just exposes my general laziness. Either way, it’s unflattering but illuminating.

We have two dogs – a hundred-pound chocolate Lab mix (mixed with dinosaur, I believe) named Milo and a puppy that is part beagle, part Pomeranian and always a pain named Mischa. Anyway, I let them out in the fenced-in backyard when they need to go.

Here’s the lazy part: I used to walk Milo instead of just let him outside in the back yard, but after I injured my knee, I stopped walking him in the winter. I’m afraid I’ll slip on some ice. Also, walking both Milo and Mischa is a challenge. So, I now let them out in the yard and sit on the couch instead of walking them around town.

Here’s the illuminated part: In the fall, we got new neighbors behind us in one of the duplexes. These people have a large white dog that they sometimes let run free (no fence) or put on a leash on their deck. Either way, it drives our two dogs crazy when it is out. Lots of barking, digging and yelping. And then the dogs don’t like it either.

So, there is an unwritten and unverbalized arrangement between us neighbors that has developed. When the folks behind us have their dog out, they put on their outside light. The light goes off when the dog goes in. Same for us.

Now, isn’t this pathetic?

I don’t know the names of the people who live in the duplex. I don’t know the name of their dog. They don’t know us. Yet we have, without a word being spoken between us, come to this lights-on, lights-off system.

Maybe in the spring we’ll get acquainted. Or they may be moved out by then. I think we’ve had two or three residents in that duplex in the last year.

Thought: A drop of gregarious, an ocean of misanthropic.