Susie normally uses her own yard.

Normally Susie uses her own yard, although we discovered four piles on our lawn yesterday, not necessarily hers. This morning I found some on our back steps, presumably where one of us tracked it, then scraped it off on the edge of the step. I swept it. Then broomed the driveway to get the bits off the bristles.

My neighbor children, perhaps 7 and 8 years old, have a slightly hyperactive black labrador, named Susie. I wrote about her before. A few months ago I was up in the night , maybe 3 a.m., walking through our dark house to the back porch when I saw Susie in the dim light wandering around our backyard. The screened windows were open, so I silently walked across the porch until I was within a couple feet of her, then said in an ordinary speaking voice, “Susie, go home.” Surprised, she let out a little “yip” and ran home. Surprised, I gloated. I still do.

I’ve watched the boys walk up and down their yard with bucket, rake, and shovel to pick up after Susie. These brothers are fun! I snapped a picture of them several weeks ago. They were at it again yesterday. Susie was out and about and she didn’t bark at me the way she used to, so I scratched her head all the while requesting that she stay on her own side of the fence. Of course she didn’t.