Without Permission

Bright Day

Dogs Left Behind

Yes, She Confessed

The Day's Sacrifices

Evidently I failed to gain permission to go into Sandpoint today.

Yes, the sun was shining like the warm glow of a kerosene lantern. You know that feeling, out camping and the light is bright but the air is cold? It was that kind of sunny today. Whatever the sun lacked in warmth, though, I soaked up its light.

But without permission.

You see, the two GSPs are particular about being left behind. Quite frankly, they don't like it. And I forgot to talk nicely to them, encourage them to be patient and forgiving. But they were neither. They were left behind on a sunny day and I went to town and they didn't. No matter that I hopped a ride with a neighbor and, well, no dogs allowed.

So I returned to the results of naughtiness--my punishment for abandoning two hapless dogs at home for four hours. They didn't care that I went to a Daughters of the American Revolution meeting, or that I picked up my manuscript at the publishing house of Staples.

They sacrificed stuff.

And not just any stuff. The ate my Douglas Fir lip balm (that's right--not only do I hug trees, I like to walk around as if I've been kissing them, too). They--feel free to gasp at this point--got my Kindle. My...Kindle...leather-bound...now complete with two toothmarks and one scratch upon supple green Italian leather. They chewed the workability right out of my wireless mouse. The battery cover now flops off, the wheel won't scroll a single page and it's ridged from chewing. And, they chewed the tip off of the toilet bowl brush and apparently tried to read my book on revision without putting the bookmark back in its place.

So when I wailed loudly to my husband over the phone, he reminded me that I forgot the permissions. Funny how everything they chewed up was mine, not his.