I barely slept a wink last night with all the gusting going on outside. In an attempt to calm myself, I tried something I heard from a dog trainer. Apparantly, when a dog is scared we should never try to comfort it the way we would a human. Like getting all mushy and saying "it's OK....don't be scared...". That just reinforces the scaredy behaviour. We should be firm and speak commandingly "LEAVE IT". (My friend Barb tried to teach me that when Xena was a wee puppy, but I was a brand new dog owner and found it very hard. I have come to know that she was right.)
So, anyways, as I was laying awake in bed last night with the roof tearing off and blowing away (in my mind) I figured "what the heck....give it a try". So I spoke firmly to myself "LEAVE IT". Be danged if it didn't help. How funny is that?
Speaking of Xena, and being afraid. I think she may now have a phobia about the Christmas tree. It is still laying out on the veranda and last night while she was standing at the door waiting to be let in, the wind caught the tree and sent it skidding towards her. I've never heard her scratch at the door so frantically. And she wouldn't run away because it had her trapped. I guess the needles are sharp and poke her legs because she won't step over or push past the branches.
Well, this morning the wind is still bellowing and a piece of the flashing (kind of a metal skirt around the house) is flappity-flapping and making one helluva racket. I opened the door to take a picture and the cats came along. It's like Blackie is asking "what the heck is all the hullaballoo out here!"
And then both he and Chickie see the tree and have to check it out.
They didn't stick around long, though. The commotion was too much and they went scurrying back into the house.
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