Tofino (the dog, not the town or the resort)

    Tofino, the boyish brindle boxer, follows me everywhere except when I do a certain thing. No, you people with those dirty minds, I don't mean using the toilet. He is extremely curious when I use the toilet; I can't say the feeling is mutual although I am usually ready with the plastic bag to preserve his output for eternity.
    No guesses? You might think it's when I am having sex but then you should know me better than that! The senior celibate years sounds semi-sibilant (look that one up in your Funk and Wagnalls*) but is fitting.
    It is when I play the guitar that he runs away in fright. Does the sound torture his poor ears? Is it all music (he was fine with music from Pandora) or just the guitar, or just my guitar playing? It's hard to know. If you have heard me play guitar and sing, maybe you feel some sympathy for the poor dog.
    Otherwise, the dog is by my side at all times, often nudging his frayed dog Frisbee into my thigh, gently reminding me that he still has energy to play. The poor thing must have been missing his family last night because I heard him whining and crying in the kitchen. I set out a blanket for him by me in the living room (I am trying to catch up on Amazon Prime shows like "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" and "Fleabag" since I refuse to be a Prime addict) and we snuggled and he seemed happier. He was partly sitting on my leg and that hurt. It made me realize he's a heavy dog, maybe 60 lbs.
   I took him to Fay Bainbridge Park today which wasn't that big and so then we went to the dog park which was nice, not too muddy, but the one dog was leaving and Tofino's winsome charms did not make him want to stay and play. Tofino is only 15 months old and can come on very strong. Eventually someone else came and then someone else and they played and played and finally  Tofino got tired enough to lay down for a brief minute under the bench where I was sitting. 
   Doesn't the dog owner (I know we are supposed to come up with a less onerous term than "owner" but what is it...big friend?) take the dog to the dog park just to get vicarious fun? Or is it just to get a moment's peace at night?

    You might think, well, at least she's getting paid for this. Nope, you're wrong. Housesitters America is free (except homeowners pay $40 a year).



*"The oldsters among you might recognize the phrase as a standard tagline on Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In, a youth-oriented television comedy show of the late 1960s." https://ricochet.com/515874/archives/look-that-up-in-your-funk-and-wagnalls/#post-515874