She Who Whispers in the Direction of Wolves

Dora Expressing Her Inner Wolf

There is nothing quite like shopping on an empty stomach after a long day at work for making me cranky.  By the time we got home after 7:00 last night, I was ready to growl at little Dora, who never does anything bad, or even Sally, who is my Best Buddy. 

So, poor Sally is searching the yard while I'm out collecting bowls for dinner and is unlucky enough to find a poopsickle.  I yelled at her to drop it, threw a bowl on the ground, stamped my feet, and called her a bitch.  (Well, she is, right?)  That calmed everybody but me down instantly. 

Back in the house, the dogs were all quiet as I prepared their salmon.  Even the cats were more patient than usual and Scott stayed far away.  Declan and Tweed set me off again when we went out to the dog yard with the bowls.  Tweed quit barking when I said enough.  Declan prefers to run in circles around me barking hysterically.  I don't think he hears me then, so I yelled NO at him. 

He actually listened this time and they all sat in their obedient little semi-circle, waiting for me to put down their bowls and release them so they could eat.  As I stood there, glaring at Declan, the sweet, tenor voice of a wolf called to me from the forest.  It was the first time I've heard a wolf and it was very calming; it brought peace.  The wolf told me that everything was alright with the world, that I am where I am supposed to be right now. 

I ate my own dinner on the front deck, listening for more wolves.  I was rewarded not only by more than one wolf, but also by two owls.  Life is good in the north woods.