My backyard is my little hideaway… long-time readers are aware of Turtle World and the numerous other wildscapes I have created. After fighting traffic or dealing with morons – or just when there is nothing particularly interesting on the television, it is nice to kick back outside… listen to the crickets, the running of the water, and the birds – especially with this cool weather. Lou often sits out with me and does his darndest to keep the squirrels away.

He sits and looks through a hole in the fence at squirrels and warns them if they come too close. They often tease him by running along the top of the fence, apparently aware that he cannot reach that high.

After he is sure that he has secured the perimiter, he usually joins me in the chair (whether I have a book or laptop in my lap – he finds a way to appropriate that spot) and we sit and watch. Well, I sit and watch, he sits and sniffs at the various scents flying by. Life gets downright cool when you are watching lizards and bumblebees go about their business, listening to an audiobook on the iPod with man’s best friend curled up in your lap.

I challenge anyone who thinks life sucks to come sit for an hour on a cool evening… I bet I’ll be shoving you out the door three hours later when I want to call it a night.