Here we are again in the midst of a lovely autumn. Call me a sentimental old drudge, but the changing seasons seem to bring to mind some of my favorite things, excluding snowflakes and kittens and warm wooly mittens. What I have in mind are the following:

Lovely Autumn

Our driveway and garage apron also serves as our dog run. It is a lovely, shady area thoroughly enjoyed by the canine part of our family. When autumn arrives, those colorful gold and red and orange leaves fall into said run. The end result of this fallout is that the walk from the house to the garage is very similar to walking through a minefield. Your heart is in your mouth all the way and on many occasions, your worst fears are realized.

Exciting Winter

The highlight of the winter season is, of course, Christmas. And part of any Christmas celebration is the totally excessive family Christmas dinner. In the course of post-dinner cleanup, juices and gravies from the standing rib roast ravaged by the family frequently find their way into the waste basket and run onto the brightly colored foil Christmas wrappings discarded earlier by the gift sharks. Inadvertently given access to the basket, our faithful companions are unable to resist the smells and tastes of such an unbelievable largess. They devour anything that even remotely smells like beef. The result of such a foray is, simply stated, two or three days of art deco stools.

Refreshing Spring

Spring marks the awakening of Mother Nature after a season of slumber. Smack dab in the middle of this great gettin' up season is Easter. Easter is, in our house, marked by an intense Easter egg hunt in the back yard, weather permitting. Weather not permitting, hunts are conducted indoors to the great unease of the adult Masters of the Hunt. Inevitably, several grandchildren feel our Boxers are not getting the proper nutrition, so they peel and distribute several hard-boiled eggs from their ample supply to our dear friends. The end result of these many kindnesses is that within several hours, our home becomes unfit for human habitation.

Glorious Summer

Ahhh, summer. The season of outdoor dog shows. You disclaim the need for a retirement nest egg and invest in that ultimate dog show requirement, a motor home. You drive for nine hours to park in a junior high parking lot, intent on settling in and getting a good night’s sleep. It is at that moment you discover that you are surrounded by Malamute owners whose dogs are heavily committed to the "Best of Baying" competition. Further, at three a.m., a late arrival pulls in next to you. It’s obvious that all members of the party have a hearing problem, compounded by the fact that they must back a travel trailer into the narrow space beside you. The effect on the Malamutes is astounding. Then the new arrivals set up their ex pens directly under your bedroom window. They would have to have St. Bernards - that's a given. Oh yes, glorious summer. God, I can hardly wait.

It would seem that much of this rambling is somehow tied to bodily functions. Perhaps in future efforts we should devote more attention to the cerebral and less to the visceral?....Nah!!!