CONLEY ENDS A STANDOFF

Late last night, about 11, I took Conley and Batman (Doc) out for their last evening potty break. This means I can sleep until about 2 in the morning before I have to take Doc out again.

On the way back into the house, as we were marching right along in the drizzle, a cricket bopped into our path.

Uh Oh! Doc says, what's this? What's this hoppy thing? Look! When I get close, it hops! Whoa-- watch out!

Conley is watching this. Shifting his weight. Staring at the door. He doesn't mind weather, but he is smart enough to know he doesn't need to stand outside in it, either. But Doc was in front and very busy making the poor bug hop. Hop. Hopp. Pawing at it. Oops, can it hop without that leg? A dog experiment.

How many legs can a cricket lose and still hop?

Conley sighs, heavily.

I am trying to distract the puppy whose attention span is normally that of a guppy. No deal. Then I try to catch the cricket but it's late and I'm tired and I am holding a flashlight in one hand and trying to grab the by now quite hysterical cricket in the other.

I hear a heavy sigh. It is Conley. If he could roll his eyes he would be doing so.

Boing boing. Doc tries to grab it but ducks back at the last second.
The cricket is kind of getting tired. So am I. I make a last futile grab for the cricket, shoving Doc out of the way. It makes an end-run around my foot to Conley who, in one smooth move simply reaches down, scoops it up and eats it.

Wait! Wait! Where's my friend?? What happened? Where did he go?

Conley is marching firmly to the house. I go with him. Doc trails behind looking over his shoulder. What happened? Where'd he go? We were having SUCH a good time!

Poor Cricket.
Poor Doc.
Conley is looking very smug.