Outdoor time for puppy.
Spade sniffed the air. Autumn was coming. His backyard was starting to change. It had been a busy summer. There had been barbecues and soccer games, and many fun afternoons running through the sprinklers. Many evenings of romantic picnics on the deck and making love under the stars.
Spade had also spent many-a-days marking the edges of the property as his territory, and it had been a part time job keeping the squirrels away from the bird feeder. At least, that mean fat raccoon hadn’t come back. The flowers were in full bloom and starting to fade, and Spade had learned to keep distance from them. He had gotten stung last month, and he’d been so itchy afterwards!
With his survey complete, Spade padded across the yard, tamped down a good spot, and rolled onto his back. The sun felt good, making the rubber nice and warm. Spade cherished it. He loved playing in piles of autumn leaves, but he always hated feeling the heat slowly leave the air. Although he did enjoy cuddling with his Master inside by the warm fire as snow fell outside, Spade would always be yearning to romp outside.
Spade a mental note to check for any remaining blackberries growing wild along the back fence – he’d eaten the bush clean last week – when he heard a noise. Spade perked up and uprighted himself. Was it…? He walked up to where the backyard rose upwards. Oh, there it was in the distance! The mail truck! Master was expecting a package!
Spade began to bark and ran up to the back porch, pressing his snout to the glass. Bark bark bark!
Master came out of the back room, looked at him through the glass, puzzled. Spade turned his head. The house was on a corner and he saw the mail truck drive past. Bark bark bark bark!
His Master opened the glass door. “Was is it boy?
Spade whined and wagged his tail.
"Mail truck here?”
Spade barked with a nod.
“Good boy. The guy always leaves me a missed-package note even though I’m right here.”
He closed the door, and Spade waited. He watched through the glass as his Master waited by the open front door, collected his package, and then closed it. His Master went to the kitchen and came to the backyard with something in his hand.
Spade wagged his tail hard. What was it?
Master slid the glass door open with a smile. “I got my package. Good boy. Sit.”
Spade planted his butt on the deck.
“Up!”
Spade sat back on his haunches and put both paws in the air.
His Master placed a bone shaped cookie on his nose.
“Good boy. Wait. Wait. Aaand, eat!”
Spade shook his face so the cookie fell. He landed on his paws and snapped the cookie off the deck with his teeth.
By the time, he was done eating it, Master had gone back inside. It really hit the spot. Spade looked out over the yard. He could see his tamped down spot from here. No need to let it go to waste. It was the proper time for a nap.
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Captions are fictional.