A Great Run During Primetime

While we watch a primetime rerun, my wife catches my eye in my recently ophthamologically affirmed peripheral vision. I can see clearly now.

She points to our old Chocolate Lab who lies on the big, stuffed, red chair and ottoman, half on the chair half on the ottoman.

In his dream he is running and sniffing along the Riley trails where we go to off road run and hike.

Run done, he swims in the little lake and climbs up on the bank and follows it around as we walk along — in and out of the water, in and out of the water.

He dives back in and plunges his head under water for what seems like forever. A lab, he is on the hunt.

More often than not he comes up with a water logged stick.  Gasping for air, he shakes his head back and forth proud of his catch. He brings us his prize and presents it as his present.  Good dog, Boomer, good dog; now drop it, drop it, drop it.

He twitches and jerks his limbs on the red chair and ottoman. He shakes off the water.

Suddenly he stops.

My wife quietly moves to the chair, kneels on the cushion and leans down.  She cups his head in her arms and caresses the old Chocolate. She kisses him on his floppy ear and then his snout.

He looks up into her eyes, surprised, raises his head slightly and then flops it back down on the cushion and drifts off to a quiet and peaceful sleep.

The hunt is done for now.