My Life…
My sister said she would be late for our scheduled video chat this morning, so I thought there would be plenty of time to wash my hair and still grab that first cup of coffee before our call. When will I learn?
I had just poured shampoo and lathered up when all hell broke loose. The dog was screaming, the cats were yelling, and it sounded like there was a riot going on downstairs.
I turned off the water, grabbed a towel, and raced downstairs to see that the cats were having a fabulous time. One was chasing the rodent they’d brought inside, crashing into furniture and knocking over everything in his path. The other was simply sitting in the middle of the room and LOOKING at the dog.
Meanwhile the poor dog was desperate to run upstairs to tattle on the cats, but clearly terrified of the tiny furry bundle of sharp bits. When she saw me, the dog bravely ran to the corner of the room, slinking under furniture until she was safely behind me.
This wasn’t our first rodent rodeo, so we keep a rescue kit on hand (plastic bowl with stiff cardboard that doubles as scoop and lid). Given my amount of recent practice, it only took a moment to bowl up the rodent. The cats complained bitterly as I shut them into the laundry room so they couldn’t see where I was taking their great new toy.
With congealing sudsy lather slithering down my face and into my eyes, I dropped the towel and shrugged my wet naked self into my raincoat with the broken zipper. The vole and I headed uphill to a small stand of trees, as my hair dripped. I clutched the raincoat closed with one hand, tried to keep the cardboard lid over the bowl with the other, and prayed none of the neighbors would happen to look outside to see my impression of a flasher wannabe. I released the vole, who seemed unfazed by its near-death experience and wandered nonchalantly off. Somehow, I have a feeling that vole and I will meet again.
Returning home, I headed back to the bathroom to start again on the hair washing,while all three pets sat outside, scratching on the bathroom door and demanding to know what I was getting up to in there.
And the worst part? This all occurred before I had my first cup of coffee.
Finally, I made it to the video chat, many minutes late. “So,” my sister asked, “How is your day going?”
“Oh you know. ” I sipped my coffee. “The usual.”
Darlene said:
Sounds like you are having a normal day there! Nice to see the new puppy. I was hoping he would teach the cats a thing or two about unwanted visitors. Continue having fun. xo
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barbtaub said:
That poor pup is terrified of the cats.
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Darlene said:
Oh dear!
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beth said:
thanks for making me cry with tears of laughter before my first cup! glad you got it all sorted out
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barbtaub said:
See, this just proves my point that we should never attempt to do anything before we have our coffee.
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beth said:
Validated again and again
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Judith Barrow said:
Barb, hilarious!! Even more so, since I can now envisage your home and garden – and cats. And you have a new dog!!! Wonderful!!!! Do keep posting “The usual”, in your house every day. You crack me up.
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barbtaub said:
Thanks Judith! The cats are interested in the dog, as long as she understands her position at the bottom of the household hierarchy. (I told the dog we got her so I could move up a place.)
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Judith Barrow said:
Hahaha!! You are so funny. Hope you’re enjoying your promotion in the household.
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barbtaub said:
The Hub is worried about where he ranks. (He’s right to worry…)
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Judith Barrow said:
Hahahaha!! Poor man. LOL!
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Judith Barrow said:
Reblogged this on Judith Barrow and commented:
Only Barb…
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barbtaub said:
Thanks so much for the reblog!
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OIKOS™- Art, Books & more said:
Gosh! Lol (Sorry!) But have a closer look. Your cats are caring for themselves on having the playtoys they wont. This on an isle, right? Give the rodents the chance discovering the beauty of Scotland. 😉 Best wishes, Michael
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barbtaub said:
The rodents can discover every beauty spot on Arran as long as they don’t do it inside my house!
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noelleg44 said:
Nothing abnormal there! I’ve done it myself – and while my husband would yell “Why didn’t you just kill the *%(&^$(& thing,” I always rescue any survivor. Besides, it was a cute vole! Loved your animal’s reaction!
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barbtaub said:
I don’t think I’d ever written the word “vole” before. (Or run semi-naked up our hill.) See how pets broaden your horizons?
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noelleg44 said:
🙂 🙂
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Teagan Riordain Geneviene said:
Absolutely hysterical… Once a fireman banging on the door got me out of the shower, but that’s got nothing on this tale.
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Judith Barrow said:
Barb sees the funny side of life in so much, Teagan. I love her posts; they always make me giggle. Hmm, just wonder if you manage to grab anything before answering the door to the fireman?
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Teagan Riordain Geneviene said:
Lol. Just a towel. Fortunately for him I was in my 20s, so the sight didn’t scare him to death.
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Judith Barrow said:
Big towel? It would need to be a big towel for me!!
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Teagan Riordain Geneviene said:
Ha. Like I said, my 20s. They call the kind of towels I use now “bath SHEETS”.
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barbtaub said:
Let’s just say I would need a MUCH bigger towel than I did in my 20s. Although… I had an apartment in Tiburon, above the San Francisco Bay and the bathroom was a wall of glass facing the water. Forget a towel — I couldn’t bring myself to even use the toilet without steaming up that glass wall first. Good thing hot water was included in my rent.
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barbtaub said:
At least he knocked instead of chopping his way in. Small blessings…
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Teagan Riordain Geneviene said:
Ha! He banged on the door for so hard that it sounded about like an ax.
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Cathy said:
You have a new dog? Is that her/him in the video clip?
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barbtaub said:
Yes. She’s a 2-year-old Border Collie who went off sheep. And boy dogs. So she’s come to stay with us!
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Judith Barrow said:
She’s gorgeous – nothing wrong with going after boy dogs – as long as she knows it’s all right just to look.
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barbtaub said:
Actually, the problem her previous owner had was that she does NOT like boy dogs, so puppies were apparently not going to be on her agenda.
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Judith Barrow said:
Good. Clever dog.
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Cathy said:
She’s gorgeous 😍
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barbtaub said:
We’re pretty smitten!
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Lynette d'Arty-Cross said:
She’s lovely!
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Lynette d'Arty-Cross said:
Hilarious. 😁 Congratulations on the new dog! Your video shows him going carefully around the kitty. No question who’s in charge!
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barbtaub said:
TBH there was no question about who was in charge even before we got the dog…
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Bridgesburning Chris said:
Oh Barb that is hilarious!
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barbtaub said:
Thanks Chris!
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JT Twissel said:
Coffee first! Always!
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barbtaub said:
Right? It’s all about priorities.
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Jennie said:
This was hilarious!!
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barbtaub said:
Thanks Jennie!
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Jennie said:
You’re welcome, Barb!
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alexcraigie said:
Wonderful images – from that great one in front of The Scream to the one of you fresh out of the shower. The best ones, of course, are the ones you’ve left to our own imagination! Does that beautiful dog have a name?
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barbtaub said:
Thanks Trish! Dusk adopted us a few weeks ago, and we’re absolutely in love with her. (She’s a working dog, so one of her tasks is to hang out under my desk and help me write.)
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alexcraigie said:
I don’t think I could concentrate with that bundle of gorgeousness at my feet!
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Judith Barrow said:
Inspiration indeed, Barb. She is so gorgeous!!
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barbtaub said:
We feel so lucky!
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Kiki said:
Well, that explains the new puppy….. 😉🙃 she is super cute.
Your beginning of a normal day sounds about right. But I wd have weighted the bowl with something heavy and finished my shower/ hair washing first, before freeing the rodent… I hope you have no immediate neighbours.
Hilarious and ‘normal’ indeed. As far as I conceive you so far! And my puppy would run after everything as long as it ran away from her, but all hell broke loose when said ‘thing’ stopped and turned around. Then my hero dog would run off herself and hide somewhere….. gotta live them!
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