The Tale [Or Tail] Of An Unexpected Visitor
I wanted to sweep leaves off our deck, it being autumn and all, so I’d opened one of the French doors between our dining room and screened-in porch, leaving it open behind me, then I stepped outside into the screened-in porch.
I had a sense of purpose.
These are the steps that Cookie walked up.
Next I opened the door from the screened-in porch to the deck propping the door to the deck open. I began sweeping the leaves off the deck, attentive to what I was doing, when something from the yard, that had climbed up the stairs to our deck, dashed past me.
Like a black and white canine thunderbolt.
This is the deck that Cookie ran across going through the screen door that was open at the time into the screened-in porch.
I pivoted quickly to see Cookie, our neighbor’s Dalmatian-Great Dane mix, go running across our deck into our screened-in porch through the door I’d propped open.
Never expecting an uninvited visitor.
These are the French doors that Cookie walked through from the screened-in porch into our dining room.
Then faster than you can say “Jack be nimble, Jack be quick” while still standing on the deck I looked through the sliding door that leads from the deck into the kitchen or vice versa. This is when I saw Cookie, the happy-go-lucky goofball, inside our house looking out at me.
Through a locked door.
This is the spot in our kitchen where Cookie stopped moving, choosing instead to stare outside at me still on the deck.
So I ran across the deck into the screened-in porch, through the dining room, around the corner into the kitchen where Cookie was patiently waiting for me to feed her. Or so I assume.
What did I do?
This is Drags pretending to be Cookie so that you can get the idea of what I saw inside my house, on the other side of the locked door, while still standing outside on the deck.
Welp, I conned her out of our kitchen through the foyer toward the front door by shouting “WALKIES” and she fell for it by following me. I opened our front door, she stepped out, and I instructed her to “go home” while pointing in the direction of her house. And with that, slightly confused but obedient, Cookie trotted off.
To her home sweet home.
Deciding Where You Belong
I stumbled across the OECD Better Life Index. The index is a simple little online gadget that allows you to determine which country would best suit your personality.
Apparently I belong in Norway.
It’s easy to determine where you belong by following the link provided above. You’ll be asked to slide some doodads around to indicate how important 11 variables are to you. Then *voilà* you’ll learn which countries are where you’d find other people vibing with your values.
Your soulmates, I guess.
Questions Of The Day
Have you had a neighbor’s dog come for an unannounced visit? If so, how’d that go? What boss move did you do to get said dog to go home?
Upon opening a door to go outside do you immediately shut it behind you— or are you lax about shutting it sometimes?
If you tried the Better Life Index, which countries do you belong in?
Do you feel Drags needs to be featured here more often? I admit I’ve drifted away from using him, but doesn’t he just make you smile?
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Because I’ll read just about anything that talks about color (names, descriptions, history), I read 
THE SPECTACLED BEAN 