He makes the rounds to each of us so we can give him our best pets, ear scratches, and belly rubs. If we go more than a day or two without seeing his sweet face, my kids and I remark on this, and the next time we see him, we always ask him where he’s been.
While Baffy is a favorite, meeting him was also an opportunity to meet a neighbor. We saw this dog and the woman who owns him for years before we said hello. I’m not sure why it took us so long – perhaps I was caught up in the madness of getting two little boys out of the house, or maybe the owner had other things on her mind and didn’t want to stop for us – but somehow my charming boys won them both over.
One day, my son turned to the curly-haired woman and sweetly said, “You know, we know your doggy’s name, but we don’t know your name.” She smiled and told us her name was Carla, and we introduced ourselves. Now, when we see them, we can greet them both, and my son is proud to make another friend.
So thank you to Baffy, Hobbes, Juno, and countless other very-good-boys and -girls on our commute, and to Carla and the other humans who generously share their furry companions with us daily. Even if more cats join our family, we’re grateful to love and be loved by all these glorious canines in all shapes and sizes.
Because even cat people can appreciate a wet puppy nose or two.
Photo Credit Alvan Nee