The sky exploded.
Flames and sparks and noise and smokey stuff.
Some huge, fire breathing monster that looked like it was going to eat the moon.
I tried barking at it to get it to go away, but it just carried on barking back.
I was obliged to beat a retreat… a tactical decision to defend the back of her knees. You never know, there could have been a stealth attack on her ankles…
Bonfire night, she called it. Fireworks. I’d forgotten ‘bout it since last year. Then there were only what she called ‘a few damp squibs’ going pouf in the night. Nothing much to worry about.
This year, though… Whoosh… fizz…bang…
All night.
I tried telling her about it, but she just called me a daft dog.
I had a burrow under the cushions, but she growled at me… something to do with the lump of brie I’d hidden under there I think. Well, I wasn’t really hungry you see, but I’m not going to pass up the last of the brie so I thought I’d save it for later. ‘pparently she hadn’t forgotten that little incident…wanted to know what I was up to now.
So I had a wander round the living room a bit. Checked under the tables. But there was still all that banging and I could see the dragons fireworks even through the curtains.
Eventually I thought I’d be better defending the little nook by the ‘puter. You know, right in the corner, under her chair. By her feet. Seemed a wise move. Apart from a vague hint of cheese… and I’m sure I didn’t bury any near her feet…
She, of course, didn’t appreciate my efforts and laughed at me… “Aw Ani, you daft thing…” I tried ignoring her, but she got the camera out. She has no sense of my dignity as an established writer, you know. None at all.
Mind, she has no sense of dignity full stop if you ask me… there are tales I could tell you that would make you howl… Weird that… we don’t howl for the same reasons, do we us dogs and you two-foots?
Still, we usually manage to make ourselves understood, don’t we? And unlike some four footed domesticated animals I could mention, we dogs usually listen to what you have to say. You saw the report thingy ‘bout cats, yes? ‘Bout how they do understand you but choose not to? Scientific proof of what I’ve been saying about that ginger tom next door for ages.
No… if I start on the whole cats thing we’ll be here all night… though I do have a friend of the feline purr-suasion, so to speak… SamCat the Ripper. We correspond. Even though he’s on the other side of the world as well as the other side of the dog-cat divide, he seems a good sort. He has problems with the dog next door, so we understand each other.
That’s the thing though… different countries, different species even… but we manage to be friends because we look more at what we have in common than at our differences. Yet the odd thing is, he looks awfully like that ginger thing next door… same colour and everything…
It is surprising how much difference it makes when you take time to get to know someone, isn’t it?
Anyway, where was I? Yeah… the bangy things… Seeing as she was laughing and hefting the camera, I thought there was only one thing for it. I climbed on her knee and sat there. Take up a fair bit of space. Bear in mind that I am a small dog only in relative terms… and my closest relatives are setters and retrievers a nice mix of breeds if you ask me… and dad’s not ginger. He is red-gold. That put a stop to her editing for the evening, and in the end she just curled up on the sofa with me and the vague aroma of cheese…
It’s about bedtime now I think… she seems to be doing stuff in the bathroom and after the past couple of weeks I need a place to hide… just in case.
Catch you later,
Much love,
Ani xxx
Sue Vincent's Daily Echo 
We used to have a dog who would go out and bark at fireworks … AND lightning and thunder storms. Talk about daft. Our current crew just stay inside until the noise stops. They aren’t afraid … just … cautious. Love the cushion picture.l
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Ani assures me she is not afraid… just taking care of me, she says 😉
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Lol! She’s very funny… and a surprisingly good writer!
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She gets all the fanmail in this household, Ali… she’s saving up the sales from her book to buy herself an automatic tennis ball launcher. 😉
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I’ve seen those… they’re brilliant! My Indi would love one too… although he’s nearly 5 and still doesn’t get the ‘bring it back’ aspect of the game, so it can be thrown again!
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Oh, she’ll bring it back… in seconds…
‘Drop’ is debateable though.
On the other hand she will clean up her balls… she carries them round in a plant pot. Sadly, she helped herself to it without asking if I needed what was growing in it first… 😉
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She sounds quite a character!!!
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She is 🙂
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Funny how they react differently. Mine are unfazed by fireworks and thunderstorms but when it’s hot air ballooning season, they’ll have nothing to do with those ghastly (or is it gastly?) shapes that waft closely overhead.
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Oh now those things she will see off in no uncertain terms… Ani does not approve of the invasion of her airspace, not at all.
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I don’t like the noisies either. Not at all. and one never knows when one will need a snackie so hiding a bit of brie makes sense to me. I was sitting on our back steps, minding my own beeswax and the git next door started barking at me, disturbing my meditation. I know you would be better mannered than that and respectful of that quiet time all of us four foots need, to get rest from the daft uprights, hey? Thank you for linking to me. And I like tea too, specially when it has lots of milk in it. Cat-ch you later, Ani!!!! ❤ SamCat the Ripper…
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Ah… those meditative periods are all important, SamCat… particularly when fuelled by cheese. I have a bit of a penchant for milk too… I have her trained. The kettle boils.. I get milk 🙂
Later SamCat… she wants me off here so she can get to bed 🙂 ❤
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They always want on the computer at the most inconvenient times!!!! Lately I’ve developed a fondness for gouda…. 🙂 ❤
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I shall have to try that if I can convince her to buy some. She is fond of cheese though so tht’s okay 😉
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Ani, I am sorry fireworks are so disturbing to you, but you’ve found some good hiding places. I like that your owner keeps your coat so soft and shiny. I know you don’t like being bathed. Looking forward to your next post!
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She does her best with my fur… even if there was the bald spot recentl. She still says it was my own fault for doing a Baloo on the corner of the sofa 😉
Much love, Ani xx
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aw, you poor thing. it’s hard to deal with all those crazy things that the humans do, i’m sure )
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You got it, Beth,,, very strange creatures… 😉
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My poor little doggies got so upset they both piddled on the rug in the corridor on Independence Day. They never do that. They use a doggie door and go outside at liberty. Worse…once they started (the smell, I guess) they kept doing it. I had to close the hallway off even after shampooing the carpet. That was four months ago, but I am afraid to open it back up for fear they will start up again.
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Oh dear…I can understand that, Susan. They do seeem to drawn beck to those spots, don’t they. Had that a lot when Ani was a pup.
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Reblogged this on theowlladyblog.
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Poor Ani. I had a cat who would disappear when he heard fireworks or thunder. @v@ ❤
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She’s not normally scared of anything much, but these were really loud.
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Dear Ani, Greetings from Acorn Oakmist the Red. I applaud your Good Taste in cheese. Myself, I am an aficionado of Tillamook Extra Sharp Cheddar. I have been disappointed in the human’s offerings lately but that, I cannot resist.
I realise quite well that you are a …well, DOG. Fate has its quirks. My brother Elfstone would likely Not Speak To You. He once came flying into the house wanting me to rescue him from a REALLY small dog that had come visiting from the neighbor. I ask you. He must have outweighed that dog by ten pounds. And then there was the time Elfstone went up a tree and wouldn’t come down when another dog set foot in our yard and was actually welcomed in by the humans with its humans in tow. He was up there for a couple of hours. Harumph. I, on the other hand, Own the Neighborhood. (I’m orange, you know. It’s a Redhead Thing.) Even at age 17 — and it’s so puzzling why my humans keep saying that like it’s a scary thing. Creak. Time for a nap. And maybe some cheese in a bit. Or chicken. One human gets it, anyway. The one I have designated The Other One. MY human, alas, is a bit dense. Anyway — Goodbye for now. Regards,
Acorn Oakmist
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Hello Acorn,
You may have picked up a whiff of me… I know your two-legses… Are cats’ noses as finely tuned as ours? Both your two-legses seemed fine to me… they brought me tennis balls when they came to visit. They obviously get it… even yours.
Chicken’s good. Mine never seem to do chicken any more 😦 Don’t know what’s got into her.
17 is venerable! I think mine must be getting on towards 17… she creaks too. Doesn’t know how to nap though so she’s not there yet!
Much love,
Ani xxx
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Poor Ani, two-leggeds can be so annoying. Just what is the PURPOSE of all that banging and lighting up the night? Doesn’t make a lick of sense. Sigh, but you must carry on taking care of them, especially from behind their knees. They don’t have eyes in the back of their head after all. You’ve heard the expression, “I’ve got your back?” Good dog!
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Hey Eliza,
There, you see…some two-legs do understand.Just wish we could convince them to chill out a bit 😉
Much love,
Ani xxx
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My silly sister (may she rest in peace – I miss her, really I do) was also very frightened of those loud bangs and thought they were dragons too. She would hide under the bed (before she got too fat and couldn’t fit there any more) and we wouldn’t see her for hours and hours.
I on the other hand am tough and brave and love to watch them – I get very excited and bark a lot.
By the way, Mum has that same warped idea about chocolates that you mentioned in another post! What is it with people and their wacky notions?
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Hi there! 🙂 Does yours have a problem with you hiding the bits of camembert under the sofa cushions to save for later too? They really do have some weird notions, these two legses 🙂
Much love, Ani xxx
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Camembert, bones, dead frogs – just try burying those in the bed and you’ll never hear the end of it. They just have No Idea!
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Tell me about it 😦 And they don’t ‘get’ the whole thing about fox poo and dead badger perfume either… sighs…
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