Roasted almonds

She said I smelled like roasted almonds.

I am feeling very toasty. Curled up on her bed (my bed) between the pillows and the doona and wearing my 100% wool cable knit jumper.

I feel snug as a bub in a rug. So maybe I do smell roasted.

It’s grey and wet and windy outside. “Not a day for walkies,” she said. Even I can see that. Does she think dogs don’t have eyes?

I am happy to stay here until she fetches my Greenie.

I do love Greenies. The vet said they are good for keeping my teeth clean and stops teeth staining. I just like them because they are chewy.

I always get a Greenie after a walk.

She plays this silly game and I play along with her because it makes her laugh.

She crouches down. I heard her telling Jan that if a human adult squats every day for a minute it will keep all the muscles around the hips and thighs supple. Little children squat all the time but adults don’t, although they do in China, so Chinese humans must have very supple thigh and hip muscles.

Anyway, she squats (trying not to touch the kitchen cupboard) and waves my Greenie up down right left around and around. She spells out L O C H Y in the air. My eyes follow the Greenie. It is fun. I have to guess where the Greenie is going to stop. Sometimes she slips the Greenie from one hand to the other without me seeing. But I can smell. I know where the Greenie is.

When her hands are up high I can stand on my back legs and jump which I like to do because I am very good at it.

When I was a puppy I couldn’t do it. My leg muscles weren’t strong enough, but when I became an adult I could. Although technically, I am still a teenager in human years.

When her legs don’t want to squat anymore she lets me have the Greenie.

It’s our little secret ritual. We both like it.

Today, no walkies but I know she’ll still give me a Greenie at around 10.30 this morning. Then I will go back to being toasty.