
Sparky was barely paying attention during our morning fellowship. I asked him to contribute, and he couldn’t even make it through one bawdy limerick.

Sparky was barely paying attention during our morning fellowship. I asked him to contribute, and he couldn’t even make it through one bawdy limerick.

Ever since we returned from Findley State Park, Sparky has been happy and smiling all the time.
Sparky turns 13 years old this month. I wonder if he is growing senile and is only comfortable in the familiar environment of home. Or, maybe, at his age, he has gained a sense of gratitude and appreciation for the little comforts of home.

The weather can change quickly, so get out there when it’s just right. It would have been perfect if Sparky would have gotten me a beer. I’ve shown him the old commercials where the dog fetches beer, and he wasn’t impressed. Sparky said he could do that, but right now he had to keep an eye on the chipmunks.
Three hours later, and a thunderstorm is rolling in. Sparky is anxious, but he can sit on his own damn lap. I’m going to get a beer.

It’s still early, but I was tired of lying in bed, so got up. If Sparky gets tired of lying in bed, he goes to a different bed. He isn’t ready to get up, but being a good dog, is always on call.
If I lay down on the couch, Sparky would have to get out of bed, come over and jump up on the couch to keep me company. I don’t know why, but that’s what would happen.

Science Alert: We Now Know When Dog Brains Shrank – And It Might Be Our Fault
Dogs have far smaller brains than their wolf relatives, and now a study led by researchers in France has plotted a timeline for when this shrinking – sometimes considered a mark of domestication – might’ve begun.
Sparky says that his brain shrank when he met Chumley.
Scientists say that dog brains shrank during the Neolithic period, at least 5000 years ago when humans started farming and domesticating animals.

When I woke up from my nap, Sparky told me that he wants to be a scientific dog. He said he’d be a good scientific dog because he can sniff and smell, et cetera, et cetera, etcetera.
As usual, I don’t know what the hell he’s talking about.

Sparky likes a car ride, so he wanted to come along to the mulch yard. It was a longer day than he’d expected.

Since Thursday, Sparky and I have been camping at Findley State Park. It was dismal, and Sparky was blaming me.

Poor Funkenhund1, he thinks that I’m screwing with him.
Before we head home, Sparky gets a Slim Jim. That’s the deal when we go on a car ride.

After our workout, my brother came by for lunch. Sparky was a charming host, so didn’t get to take his nap. At the same time, a rain storm blew in, putting Sparky on high alert. He wants to be close to people, smiles like a maniac and pants like he’s going into labor.
When the storm had passed and the visit was winding down, Sparky was wiped out. He never takes a full on, eyes closed, nap.
Poor little fella.
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