October 27, 2021. Today began with intense thunder as a front arrived right as we were letting the dogs out for their morning release. Our young one, Ramble, is afraid of the dark (really!) but will (usually) go out with just a hint of dawn (having not been out since dusk the night before). This morning she balked. Enticed onto the back porch (porch light on) for breakfast alongside elderly companion Buttercup, I closed the back door and settled into the porch rocker to wait awhile.
Quite a scene ensued – our cat Brie had slipped out also. Brie and Ramble each enjoy teasing the other, and the whole back porch was rocking with their ruckus. Buttercup and I observed. And waited.
And I thought of Lilie (Tea and Toast with Kindness) who often posts Zen bits of wisdom and observation from early hours. I tried closing my eyes to “let it be” but Brie would not let it be! Thus, this poem emerged. Lilie, this one’s for you.
Image is from a prior somewhat-calmer togetherness. Clockwise from top: Brie, Buttercup, Ramble
stepsandpauses 
Enjoyed your poem about this morning’s early storm and your pets reactions. One of our dogs is a fraidy dog and used to hide under the bed or in the bathroom behind the toilet when storms came. But, he is just deaf enough now that he doesn’t seem to mind the storms. Cat and other dog don’t seem to care what is going on, although the other dog does not like having to do her business in the rain. Thanks for sharing your morning. Oh! I like the juxtaposition of “meditative” with “invigorative”!
(somehow I managed to sleep through the thunder and rain…my husband told me about it later and our rain gauge said we got 1.1″)
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I would not want very many mornings to begin like this one, but it did invigorate. Definitely woke me up! A dog afraid of the dark was new to us – our older dog has tremors with thunder, fireworks, anything loud. She was calm this morning, compared to the young one trying to break back into the house to get away from the dark. (Or maybe that was all a show to invigorate the cat?)
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Really enjoyed your poem and the reactions on the storm, from your furry family, that rolled through this a.m. Your poetry has such a wonderful flow, Jazz. Happy to always see your emails!!!!
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Lisa, many thanks – I’ll let my canine and feline mates know they entertained more than themselves!
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I’ve been saving this for a couple of days to read when I’m not supposed to be doing something else. Have concluded that’s not going to happen, so am reading it now instead of all the other things I’m supposed to be doing. Delightful poem and photo. Particularly delightful cat. I wish there were some way to persuade Inky and Truffles to be a little friendlier. Did you get rain again last night? We did, almost an inch sometime between 4 and 5 a.m.
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Thank you (but I just posted this today, so you may’ve missed the prior post, also with Vibrations in the title, but of a very different sort – a NM road trip reflection …)
We got right at one inch of rain total, and a LOT of that was between 6:00 & 6:45 am while I sat on the porch waiting for Ramble to “see the light” sufficient to go pee! The storm clouds kept it dark awhile.
I too have too many things on my do-this-first list.
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Pets and storms – always an adventure! They look like such sweet companions.
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Indeed, very sweet companions – thank you! I consider my porch a place for quiet reflection, reading, journaling, often with the animals close. But never before so rambunctious as this! A totally new porch experience – for all of us.
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Cute poem and cute dogs! Dogs rock! Dogs are descendants from wolves and wolves hunted a lot at night… so a dog that is afraid of the dark — that’s unusual! My Lola is afraid of thunder, which she had learned from our previous dog. Some fears, interestingly, are learned behaviors. 😲
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Tom, thank you – we find it most unusual, though I’ve noted that this chocolate Labrador vanishes when just a few feet away after dark – maybe she’s aware of that and spooked? Our advice from the dog trainer is that just like kids, a few dogs are afraid of the dark for no particular reason. She could outgrow this. Or not. We’ve grown into accommodating it. Interesting how humans and animals modify their expectations of one another as the bonds grow. We’ve given up expecting her to adopt Buttercup’s attitude toward dark as adventure hour. (We’ve had Ramble 8 months – she’s still 3-4 months shy of 2 years old.)
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Thank you, Jazz. You have a lovely group there. I enjoy seeing what day brings to others and what influences. We have a significance and hopeful it is that it’s entangled with all.
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Thank you, Lilie – I was sitting in the midst of the commotion thinking of your gentle morning reflections (but unable to settle my mind amidst the vibrations!) Inside after the storm passed, I settled myself through writing. (There is one more in our mix – a very old calico (Sketch) who rarely goes outdoors, preferring to sleep under the covers, center of bed, purring on and off almost all hours of day and night; I wonder what she may be dreaming that holds her attention so.)
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Thunder seldom bodes well in a house full of pets. Our fraidy dog shakes uncontrollably and has to be bundled like a newborn, lol. I could picture your scene and appreciate the impossibility of a zen moment. This too shall pass, is the best approach.
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And pass it did … yielding a poem in its wake. (Thanks for sharing dogginess … they are fascinating companions.)
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They sure are. Love them to bits
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What a great way to start the day – porch full of the juxtaposition of youth and old pooch, cat and dogs and the energy of a thunderstorm. Oh, I do love a good thunderstorm. Thanks for the shot of your furry buddies. I also like those two cat figurines in the top left corner of the photo.
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LuAnne, thanks – I have a too-many collection of feline figurines – years back I actively collected anything feline and attractive. Some has gone away over the years of sharing space with Gary, but the cast-iron door props stay – 4 of them – in the cabinet, steadily watching me at my computer. Brie often sits in front of this cabinet, and these may serve as moral support team when she confronts the dogs.
That thunderstorm was leading a cold front that brought the Monarchs! On their way south for the winter. Definitely worth the frantic disruption!
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Monarchs! What a blessing.
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