Oh-Ghost is here!

Well, here comes August . . .
the 'Oh-Ghost' month.

The whole houndsinheaven were just too busy trying to adjust to the moody weather, erratic schedule and all, not to mention my keeper's frantic attempts to keep us sane and cool in this blasting hot-cool weather, and now . . . oh-ghost. . . we may as well stay doggo all around heaven. It is THAT humid!


The only cool thing about August are the sudden rains. Of course, this started in July but the weatherman said we will be having MORE rains . I hear these blokes crackling over TV and radio, and nope, I don't have them (radioactive feeds!) on my kennel, but these people in heaven are either hard of hearing or what, but those blasting tv/radio soundworks can be heard the whole of rainbow's block!

Tone it down keeper!

Anyway, the weather guys are desperately hoping for the usual rainy blues that may last for days so we can fill up the emptying water dam. Most of the dams are in critical condition (read: water supply drying up) that if this doesn't fill up soon, the whole freaking place will have no WATER. Holy Ghost! No water to drink every minute and no water to cool our furs every day. Waaah, Keeper!

But rains will bring in flood, Sweepy! And remember, to have several days of rain means that there will be storms and typhoons. Watch out!

Oh, that's great Keeper. Make me more gloomy.

But there's great news to all these rains. Sudden rain brings wild grass!
And wild grass mean more grass to feed the hounds. Ladidahdidah! What do you mean you don't know that we eat grass? Dogs eat grass, people! Grass detoxify our system and we need to chew some at least once a week!

And since we are not allowed to roam outside Heaven, the keeper is the one tasked to roam around in search of the grass. She goes stupidly around Rainbow Avenue, poking down at the neighbor's front yard with her scissors and plastic bags in search of the fresh grass variety. She gathers enough to satisfy the four hounds. When she comes home, we are all like vampires awaiting her grass loot! She scolds us to wait and create more suspense as she takes her merry time to wash the grass before giving it to us. By the time she does, we were all panting and drooling all over the place!

Rains and grass. Beast and ghost.
The hounds in heaven's world. . .

Fat Cat Oscar

There's a funny story in the newspaper today (http:newsinfo.inquirer.net) about a cat who can predict the death of terminally ill patients at a nursing home in Rhode Island by staying with them during their last hours.

I find this story amusing owing to the fact that up until now people can not seem to understand that most animals, like myself, have very sensitive senses. We can sense fear, sickness, danger a good distance better than humans. My keeper brags about this a lot:

"40 feet distance by land, and 40 feet underwater"

I can not validate this completely, though. What I do know is that I can locate my keeper and any of the houndsinheaven just by sniffing the air. I am not sure about water because I have not been anywhere near a body of water that is 4ofeet deep.

Keeper tells anybody who care to listen that dogs like me are perfect for rescue work since we can sense drowning victims or those trapped in a rubble. Wow! Now, that's what I call real heroes! This is the reason why keeper has been feverishly training us for years!

Well finally, this year she was able to train all the male hounds to go on a leash, stop, go . . . nope, we don't sit when she says 'stop', and we don't remain on 'stop' for a good minute. I know, I know, this may sound pretty moronic to anybody who owns a dog but you see, we were raised to go wild and free around Heaven until my keeper got tired hearing Dr.J and people complaining why the houndsinheaven can not go on leash!

So, finally after months of wearing that yucky, heavy, itchy thingamajig of a collar, and out of pity for my keeper who's practically reduced to begging and bribing the houndsinheaven, we did it. Now, walking around Heaven is part of our boring routine. And nope, keeper has no plans of taking us for a walk around Rainbow Avenue. Keeper will simply not allow us to step where "fleas, ticks, pollution et al" may be lurking outside Heaven. Ho-hum.

But keeper who used to own more than 20 cats before the houndsinheaven took over the rein, tells us that her cats can do better than fat cat Oscar. Keeper says her cats does not only sense death but also the dead like spirits, and the unseen like elementals. Like us, they can also sense when someone is coming armed with goodies for all the houndsinheaven to enjoy. And I can very well vouch for this claim . . .

Of Death and Rebirth

. . . like twigs we dry up
shed our leaves and lie on the ground
. . but it is not death
it is a cycle
the sacred dance of dying
of letting go,
of moving on,
but not away.
of leaving and of coming back . .

A part of Chicky died this week.
Chicky, our chico tree must
be trimmed of her dead leaves
and tempered of its wild growth . .
Keeper said it is necessary
for Chicky to maintain
her health and beauty. . .


And yet, I mourn
together with my keeper
as Chicky's twigs lie witness
to what Chicky and the rest of us
must go through to live and live fully.
Someday, a part of me
must be trimmed and tempered
much like Chicky
and my keeper will mourn
as she does the
rite of passage
of dying, of rebirth
of birth, of growth . .

Meanwhile, my keeper lits her incense
and its eucalyptus scent
wafts over our gloomy world
as our murmured prayers
assures and consoles us
just like my soft, warm pillows
on cooler nights . . .

Heroes

Yeah, that's me.
I am one of them.
My keeper calls me "my little Hero".
She also calls my big, brother Bogart "my Hero"
But my other keeper believes Sumo is a Hero
and so is Pica for her 30 puppies . . .

But what is a 'hero' really?
And more importantly,
what does "bagong bayani" (new hero) mean?

In a place fraught with imagined and created chaos
every achievements are heralded as heroic.
In recent months, I witnessed several events
which was the cause of great rejoicing:
A boxer winning a non-titled competition
(this same boxer later won in a titled bout
and much later entered politics but lost!),
a group of mountaineers reaching Mt. Everest,
somebody winning a beauty pageant,
somebody returning lost items,
and a lot proclaiming their heroic deeds
whether these were true or not . . .

In my wild, domestic world of survival
a boxer is not a hero, he is the hunter
awaiting and facing the enemy . . .
We do not climb unnecessarily high
and overly expensive mountains
not unless our survival is dependent on it!
We do not hold competitions based on looks
(and don't believe those silly ones
parading in costumes and pampered
by their vain, pathetic keepers),
nor do we feel heroic if we locate bombs,
or (aghast!) deliver our keeper's slippers.
Our duty is always above board.
No need to fuss about it . . . .

Keeper agrees with me.
She finds the houndsinheaven brave
for making sure that no intruders
would ever dare step inside heaven
without permission . . .
Er, ok, forget about the time
we barked ourselves hoarse
even when the visitor has permission
and still can not enter heaven . . .

But heroes and heroic deeds demand
the highest aspiration in my OC books.
For keeper, the much touted OFWs,
or the overseas filipino workers
are not the new heroes.
Keeper considers them the victims
of a country who can not provide
them a better opportunity to stay. . .

For keeper, the heroes are those who have
the opportunity to get higher pay abroad
but CHOOSE to stay to serve their country
and keep their families intact.

Heroes are not those gallivanting psychics on TV
whose mission is to save the world.
But real heroes are great psychics
who can see and foresee danger and pain
and choose to do something about it
without the need to be called special . . .

Well, I need not be called special.
I just am.

Pumapatak na naman ang Ulan!

. . . rain, rain, come again
and if possible, come everyday . . .

Yup, that's my keeper's mantra these days.
Well today, keeper goes on meditative mode
while fanning her hounds and in a few minutes,
the sky darkens . . . and the rains came . . .



. . . the fusion of hot and cold became
like somebody's audio gone haywire.
In split seconds, all the houndsinheaven
are safe inside their kennels posthaste,
shivering and plastered in their pillows
for comfort from all that blasted thunder.

Keeper, what's going on?


I ordered rain today.


Yeah, but must you order soundworks too?

Keeper tried to reassure our shivering bulks
as we tried to calm down
and slowly got out of our kennels
to watch Rainbow Avenue got soaked
in the cool showers of July.



. . . however, in a few minutes, the sun came out and dried everything again!

We are now in the rainy season but somehow,
with global warming and all, the heat
seemed more powerful than the rains!
The sun comes out in blazing heat
just a few minutes after the rain.
The wet rainbow avenue soon become dry
as if nothing happened.
We were back to sweltering heat again!
Keeper shook her head and started taking out
our towels, soaps, brush, tub and tabo (plastic water scooper)
and announced in her loud voice: "Bathtime!"

These days, because of the heat,
keeper gives us a bath twice a week.
She tells us DrJ recommended it.
DrJ also recommended a new herbal soap
to replace the dizzying madre-de-cacao variety
which keeper rotates with the sulphur soap
guaranteed to keep our furs free from ticks&fleas.
It works fine since the houndsinheaven
does not have those itchybitchy blues . . .

After taking turns giving the four houndsinheaven a bath,
keeper stretches her tired, aching self
and starts washing and drying our pillows and stuff
under the hot, moody July heat . . .


Our weekly routine . . .
as moody and boring
as the weekly telenovela . . .


. . .oh rain, rain, come again . . .

Bleak July and Affirmation Blues

My keeper has been watching me with an eagle's eye.
Gulp!
Should that scare me?
She told the other keeper
that I am always in my kennel
and because of that
it is not wise to assign me
to the graveyard shift.
Graveyard shift is anytime
from 9PM to around dawn.
Ever since the houndsinheaven@war
we can not roam heaven
all at the same time.

My keeper believes I am the best hound
for night duty since I bark at anything
and everything and so I am assigned
to man heaven during the graveyard shift.
By midnight, the other keeper gets up
and try to shift duty to one of the
black hounds (whoever is awake)
and I am escorted back to my kennel
for snooze time.

But lately, I find myself staying
inside my kennel most of the time.
Of course, I have my warm pillows,
toys and clean water, but the truth is,
the agonizing truth is . . . . July!


Yesh, July is here.
The 'itchybitchy' month!
Holy paws, watch out!
July is the dreaded month.
Not to mention the coming Oh-Ghost (August).
Maybe I should go on vacation or something.
Hie up to the mountains,
take a sabbatical or something . . .

Hold your drool, little one.
You are getting panicky!

Keeper, DrJ just gave us
our anti-rabies shot and de-worming tabs
too early for our usual September sked.
Now, everybody in Rainbow Avenue
is whispering about birdflu, dengue,
flu, warts, flabs and all. . .
I'm too wise not to notice that maybe
it is just coincidental that it is . . .
arf! . . . July!

Now I know you are frantic!

Keeper, I am always frantic.
It is my second name . . .

But keeper started humming her broadway tunes.
It talks about goody-goody "whistle a happy tune",
"never be afraid of the dark" and
"the good fairy will wash your fears with her lullaby".
The last song was her creation for a film she's doing.
Waaah!

Yes, I'm afraid, keeper!
I am pathetically, shamelessly too doggone,
tail-behind, ear-plastered hound in denial.
I know I am practically acting like a loser
but please spare me your fairytales, keeper!
Gimme a break!

Think of happy thoughts.


Okay, I'm not that moronic,
but hey, keeper is right.
I got up and shook my tight and scared bulk.
Took a deep, stale breath
(inhale, exhale, in, out, in, out . . .)
. . . tata! . . . my favorite things:

Raindrops on roses
and whiskers on kittens
avocados and chicos
and orchids a-blooming,
these are not exactly
my favorite things . . .


Okay, before I start getting moronic
my favorite stuff
are indeed around me
I could not ask for more.
When I get up
in the middle of anything
and my stomach growls
there's my favorite
locally-made chews
. . . . oh, oh, Keeper!
This bin needs to be replenished
as in NOW!



When I get tired chasing after the cats,
Bogart, and all the cutey-pies around heaven,
I look for my favorite squeaky toys
and start throwing them around. . .

Keeper thinks she's smart
because she buys my toy stuff
from the baby section of the store
because according to keeper:
"if it's safe for babies, it is safe for my hounds".
Plus, they are more reasonably priced.


When my teeth and jaws
need some firming up
I bark for my fave chews
which really drives
the boring blues away . . .






another fave chews
rawhide bones
in rainbow shades
colorful and yummy!








and this one
even cleans
your teeth
as you merrily chew . . .





and lastly, who can forget
the best snooze gadget
which keeper
discovered
to be sold in a
JapanHome shop
for only P55!
All the while
keeper thought she got
the best bargain at P99
and now here's a store
that sells everything at P55
(less than a dollar!)


and with all that treats
plus my two cuddly pillows
inside my yellow cool house
I should be quite OK.



I am purr-fectly cool and OK in July . . .