K and the Pet Hawg

We walked yesterday and had breakfast and then I could tell K and J were headed out.  I watched them get ready and helped K tie his shoes, I stood in their closet and told J she shouldn't wear the red striped tank top if she was going to tuck it in (too broad, not to hurt her feelings, but really, it was).  I love, love their bathroom. It's cool on the tile and warm on the rug, and oh, the smells! 

I was right, Buzz and I got a tiny rawhide (the flavored kind) and were patted and put on the deck. I went right out the dog door and to the gate, to watch JK drive away. I can see their faces in the rearview mirrors, and if I listen really close I'll hear J say, "Bye Maxie" -one last wave, and then they're gone.  Usually I race to the other side of the yard to get one last glimpse, but yesterday I just took it in stride and went to do some chewing.

They were gone a long, long time. At about our dinnertime, J came back - with two Chick Fil A sandwiches-- but she was alone! No K? I looked all over.  It made no sense!  J is great and so is K. But JK is how it is! The pack must stand together!  I have to admit I felt a little dejected, but I felt better when J said, You guys want to come with me to check the mail?  The mail! Oh, the mail! Biscuits all around if we bring in the mail!!! Buzz always gets the important letters and he trots in as if he were delivering a winning lottery check. J gives me something she calls "flyers".  I think because I fly so fast back to the house with them after I shred them on the lawn. I love getting the mail.
But then J did something really, really weird.  Right there in the kitchen, she changed her shirt to one that she had in a bag! What the heck!

Then we headed to the front door. I raced out, down the steps, and zipped over to the mailbox. I was nosing around the trunk of the mailbox (four new dogs had visited) when I heard a loud chuffing noise. Loud. 

High alert!! I stared down the street. A weird rounded-headed thing with two wheels stopped to talk to J.  She showed it her shirt and the round-headed thing gave her the thumbs up. chuff chuff chuff...and then it turned and came up our driveway!!!

I tell you, I went nuts.  I haven't barked like that in a long, long time.  J was laughing and the round headed thing actually broke apart from the wheels.  Call him. J said. The round headed thing held out his hand to me.  Hey Max. Come here, buddy. Oh, right. I was having none of this.

The chuffing noise stopped and the round-headed thing...was K.  He held his round head in his hands now - and yep, it was K.  You could have knocked me over with a kibble, just when I think I have JK figured out, something else comes along that I have to learn about.  I got a little closer but I wasn't about to trust that thing. K was saying to J, It was fantastic! So much fun! and J was saying, in that dumb way she has- she purty, she a purty, purty bike. And so glad you had fun - I'm so happy for you - it is awesome!! Bike? I have run beside J many times on a bike and that was no bike. It was a hog. A snorting, snuffing HOG. And I didn't trust it, not one little bit.

But J and K seemed so happy about it, that I finally decided it is a good thing. If it makes K that happy, what can be bad. I know the big smile on his face in this picture is because he's so glad to see me, and pet me. And he's happy because I do think I really like his hog. It can almost out-chuff me. But I'm going to keep an eye on that thing. It better behave itself. And it can have the round-headed K. I like the other one better.

Later K took his hog for a run, and J and Buzz and I went down to the dock. I did some diving and swimming, and the world became sane again.

It was the perfect end to a really weird day. And the funny thing is, after K got home, right as late evening arrived and I was falling, falling into sleep, I heard K say to J as they chatted in their narcoloungers, It was the perfect end to a really great day.  Huh. I didn't realize he had seen me jumping.