My Backyard

I’ve noticed over the past few weeks that the light has been changing in and around our house. Nothing very drastic, mind you, but changes none the less, in very itty-bitty ways. I’ve tried to pay attention, to see if there might be an explanation for my discovery, but so far nothing has turned up. Our schedule hasn’t changed, and Her alarm clock is still going off at the usual time on weekday mornings.

The news people who talk to Her as She makes Her morning coffee are the same ones we watch all the time. Cars that I am used to hearing come and go on our street are still coming and going as they usually do. It’s just that it appears to be brighter and lighter as these everyday things happen in our day. I am a creature of habit, and to me, timing is everything; so when something changes ever so slightly, I notice. And this daylight thing has even affected the humans who live with me. How exactly have things changed? Well, for instance, I have noticed that She-Who-Is-In-Charge has been playing with the curtains on our windows, and the Big Grownup has been playing with the timing of my walks around our backyard, all because of the light.

She is pretty picky about Her curtains, insists on closing them most of the time, blocking out the dark and the cold temperatures that are just outside the panes of glass. Sometimes the Big Grownup has been unhappy about the cotton wall that She puts up between the inside and the outside of our house, but he gives in and lets Her have Her way anyway. Occasionally when She is gone on Her way to Her day, he will slip around the house ever so quietly and open up the view without Her permission, only to close it just before She comes back in our door.

But now the curtain game is different. Not only does She open up the view from our front windows, She often flips open the blinds as well, pulls the cord and lets them roll to the top of the window frame. The darkness that I am used to, our front yard usually shadowed so early in the morning, is gone now. In its place is delightful sunlight, and it almost blinds my eyes as I peer outside to watch the neighbors.

I’ve noticed She is happier too, seems to enjoy the beginning of each brand new day more than She does when the curtains stay closed. The Big Grownup is happier as well, is more likely to take me outside earlier, and stays outside longer as the sun lifts itself into the sky. He does not put his jacket on anymore before we leave our back door, grabs his phone instead and drops it into his pocket in case he gets a call while we are playing around.

In this new light of day, everything seems more interesting, and I like to take my time to sniff things out and find my way. Sometimes I just sit down right where I feel like it, even if it’s in the middle of the street, take some time to let the sun warm my brindled fur while I am watching the day go by. The Big Grownup doesn’t seem to mind, lights his pipe and talks to me about all the things sprouting up in our path, introduces me to silly-sounding words like violets, begonias, and pachysandra.

Instead of heading back indoors because it is hard to see very many interesting things in the dark, we now get to meander along at our own pace, visit each nook and cranny along the street and neighbor’s lawns that I can find with my brindled snout. Occasionally I have even managed to scare up a real live bunny or a white-tailed deer as we enjoy the added daylight in our back yard.

He warns me every so often to mind my “p’s and q’s”, says he is worried I might poke my nose in the wrong place and scare up something he refers to as a skunk. This added light makes everything seem more exciting, from watching the clickety-clacks that scamper up the trees when they hear me coming, to chasing the robins that flit from branch to branch looking for something to eat.

Nighttime arrives later every day as well, which means it is still light out after we finish dinner. So I get to go out for a walk later each night and revisit my neighbors long past my regular bedtime, which used to be right after I finished my supper.

Now I can watch the kids playing around in the street, some of them on bikes, others on funny shoes with wheels on the bottom before I have to turn in for the night. I can tell the kids like this new outdoor lighting arrangement as much as I do, seem to be happy just hanging around outside before their bedtime, too. Maybe one of these nights all of us can stay out late together, maybe even plan a sleepover, pitch a tent and wait for sunrise? I know the Big Grownup would like to join me. I’ll let you know how it goes!