Forever friends

Tika and Mojo were sleeping peacefully when they were woken by something shaking the world. Tika raised her head and looked accusingly at her little brother.

"I told you not to eat before bed, Mojo!"

"Hey, that wasn't me," he objected. Then with a laugh, "I thought it was you."

And with the blame shared equally between them, they stood up, stretched, walked round and round and round until they finally settled down to go back to sleep.

After a few minutes, however, Tika had an eerie feeling that she and Mojo were under some kind of surveillance. Given their previous life in Winnipeg and their work at the canine detective agency, she had never been able to completely shake off her need to sniff out potential evil deeds and individuals - even up here in Doggie Heaven.

She stood up again and looked around until she saw someone looking directly at them.

"Hey, you," she said. "Get off of our cloud!"

With those words, Mojo jumped up to protect his sister, but as he rushed toward the object of her alarm, he realised the lost and forlorn 'intruder' with the distinctive grey, tan, white and black colouring had a familiar face.

"Wait, I know you. You're Huck. What are you doing up here?"

Ever since they arrived in Doggie Heaven, Tika and Mojo had been keeping a close eye on their humans, as well as Huck and Teddy, but they had totally missed this sudden turn of events.

Huck took a cautious step forward, and spoke just a few words. "I got sick."

Tika and Mojo figured out the rest of that story, and they knew that Huck would be feeling lost and alone. So they immediately moved as one to embrace and welcome him to their cloud - which was one over from Sydney and Annie, to whom they would introduce Huck the next time they were all playing together.

The heavenly members of the Brown family talked long into the night. Huck told them about Dad and all his bike trips, Mom and her favourite shows on Netflix, their family and friends, and Teddy.

"Oh, yes, the excessively hyper one," scoffed Mojo.

Tika gave Mojo the 'pot meet kettle' look.

Huck smiled for the first time since he arrived. "Hyper indeed, but I gave as good as I got." Then he admitted, a little more sadly, "But we really were great friends. I know he will miss me as much as I miss him."

To help put Huck at ease, Tika explained that it's tough in the first few days, and maybe even longer than that, but at some point down the line, he and everyone who knew him will remember the good times they all shared together.

"You will never be forgotten, and everyone knows that up here we're spending our time playing and eating and sleeping and having as much fun as we want."

The miniature Australian shepherd still seemed a little sad, so Mojo said, "We'll show around tomorrow and introduce you to all our friends, but you really should get some sleep now."

"It'll be okay, Huck," added Tika. "You'll be okay."

When Huck was finally asleep, Tika and Mojo sat together and thought about everything their new cloud mate had said.

"I still miss them, you know."

"Me, too," said Tika.

Then they turned round and round and round before settling down themselves. And before long, all three were fast asleep on their cloud up in Doggie Heaven, dreaming of the life they had, the people they loved and who loved them along the way, and the fun they would all be having together tomorrow.

Knocking on heaven's door

Knock! Knock!

“Did you hear that?”

Knock! Knock! Knock!

“There it is again.”

“Who would be knocking at this hour?”

“Just ignore it. They’ll come back when we’re open.”

“But ... we’re always open.”

“Oh. Right. My bad.”

“Are we expecting anyone?”

“Don’t know. The Angel Network has been down all day.”

And that’s when the singing started, causing everyone to instantly cover their ears.

“All my bags are packed, I’m ready to go. I’m standing here outside your door ...”

... followed by an even more insistent

Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock!

Tika slowly stood up and said what they were all wishing and hoping. “I’m going to stop the singing, if nothing else.”

The heavy doors opened by themselves as Tika got closer. At first, she couldn’t see through the swirling clouds. But the truth was she thought she had recognised the singing. It sounded familiar, like family, like ... Mojo.

And then she knew.

Mojo was knocking on heaven’s door!

Tika was stunned. “What? How? Why? When?” She simply couldn’t find any other words.

 Mojo dropped his bags and ran right up to her, hugging her with everything he had.

Then it was Mojo’s turn to be stunned.

“Wait, I just hugged you. How is that possible?”

“Lots of things are possible here,” Tika said with a sly grin.

Mojo looked directly at her. “I’ve missed you. A lot. It’s been almost three years, you know. All our friends from the ’hood are gone. Carli Crow, Alice Rabbit, Jonathan Bee, Madam Dragonfly, Adam Ant, Webster Worm, Mr Cat. And Harley and Copper moved away a year or so after you did. There are some new kids on the block, but it simply hasn’t been the same without you.”

A single tear ran down Mojo’s face, and he seemed lost in thought for a few moments.

“Thinking about Mom and Dad?” asked Tika. “They’ll be okay. It won’t be easy for them right now, but I’ve been watching over them. They’ll miss you.”

“Like we missed you,” said Mojo.

Tika nodded. “They won’t forget either of us. And they’ll be okay.”

Mojo looked a little brighter. “When I let them know it was time for me to go, they were sad, but still did everything they could to help me. It was tough to say goodbye.”

Tika knew exactly what he was talking about. “They’ll be okay,” she reassured him. “Besides, they’ve got Teddy to keep them company.”

Mojo burst out laughing. “Teddy? That crazy mutt? He drove me nuts. Mr Energy Pants! Always bounding around, barking his head off, demanding attention.”

Tika waited patiently for what she knew would follow.

Mojo stopped laughing and simply smiled. “Of course, I’m kidding. Teddy’s okay. He was good fun, quite the security guard, and will definitely keep Mom and Dad on their toes, that’s for sure!” He paused, then added, “Yeah, he was a pretty good pal. I just didn’t know him as long as I knew you, Tika. You’re my bestest best pal and sweetest big sister.”

“Right back atcha, little brother,” Tika said warmly. “Come on, I’ll show you around.”

She picked up one of Mojo’s bags. “What the heck do you have in here?”

Mojo chuckled as he picked up the other one. “Just a few memories from home.”

Once Mojo was settled in, the two bestest best pals went off to play, running like crazy around a huge lush green park that stretched as far as the eye could see. And afterward, they met up with a few of Tika’s friends.

“Do you remember Annie and Sydney? They lived just down the street from us. And this is Murphy, Bunty, Jake, Jet, Cooper ....”

Tika apparently knew everyone, which was exactly how Mojo remembered her.

“So?” enquired Tika, when they were on their own again.

“I like it here,” admitted Mojo. “It really is heaven!”

“Yes,” agreed his sister. “Yes, it is. And you? Are you going to be okay, Moj?”

“Yep. In fact, I think we’re all going to be okay!”

Goodbye, friend

It is with a heavy heart that I tell you all that just a short while ago, Tika left this world for doggie heaven. She had a very full life, and although she was sad to leave, it had clearly become too difficult for her to find peace and comfort in her every day. We are all a bit lost without her, but find solace in the number of people who knew her and loved her.

The neighbourhood responded in different ways upon hearing our sad news. On the home front, her people, Art and Sue, who took care of Tika and loved her every day of her life, received some kind words, beautiful flowers, and lots of hugs. Together we shared a few funny stories about Tika and remarked on the quirky antics for which she was known. We laughed and we cried and we smiled, and it will, no doubt, take time for all of us to adjust.

Outside in the animal kingdom, all was quiet once word got around, and I thought back to all the friends Tika and I enjoyed spending time with these last few years. Some of them have grown up and moved away, but I'm pretty sure that wherever they are, Carli Crow, Alice Rabbit, Jonathan Bee, Madam Dragonfly, Adam Ant and Webster Worm, and yes, even Mr Cat, will reflect on those days and remember Tika with unconditional love.

And while it is true that her people at home, those at Rover's Retreat, and her canine buddies Harley and Copper, will all miss her dearly, no one will miss her more than me. She was the bestest best pal and sweetest big sister I ever had. It's very quiet and definitely lonely without you, Tika, but I will follow your example and stay for a long time with Art and Sue in our happy little home where you'll always be in our hearts.

So rest easy, my friend. You have more than earned it!

Mojo

PS Do you have the internet up in doggie heaven? I was reading our blog and revisiting all those wonderful adventures we shared. Gosh, we had some great times! See if you can log on through the angel network - I guarantee, you'll laugh and you'll cry and you'll smile.

Who knew!

It was the most ordinary of days after two days filled with unexpected adventures and renewed connections.

We awoke as usual to the sounds of breakfast - always a thrill for us! And we spent the day sunning ourselves, exploring the yard, and sleeping in various locations.

After a snack or two in the morning, we settled down to wait patiently for something to happen that needed our attention. But all was quiet in our neighbourhood, and we despaired that anything exciting would happen at all.

Early in the afternoon, Jenny played with us outside for a bit until she had to go tend to some errands. But she promised us that when she got back, she would have Leon with her and we would all go for a walk.

However, that was when we got the biggest surprise of our visit here - Mum! Let me backtrack a bit.

When Jenny and Leon got home, they laid out a delicious dinner for us. While I was eating, I thought I heard Mum's voice, but concluded that was impossible, given that she was far, far away. After dinner, we were outside again with Jenny when suddenly, to our great surprise, there she was! Mum! Coming through the gate!

At first, silly M didn't recognise her - goodness, M, she wasn't gone that long! - but I knew who it was right away!

Okay, clearly she had played a trick on us, letting us think that she wouldn't be back until Friday, but I suspect that was a deliberate measure to surprise all of us by coming back a day early. Good one, Mum!

So, we gathered up all our things, bade a fond farewell to Rover's Retreat and headed home, where we will wait for an even bigger surprise to come. By my estimate, a mere 20 days until we are all together again. We are so very excited! Let the countdown begin ....

T

The best laid plans

Awoke to the sounds of ... nothing. Very quiet. No wind blowing, no birds stuck anywhere. Not even anyone walking around here or there. T was soundly sleeping and all was quiet upstairs. I couldn't quite see the clock from where I was, and with it being so dark in the mornings these days, I couldn't tell from looking outside whether it was moments away from sunrise, or still the middle of the night.

So, I took out the cards from the top left-hand drawer, and passed the time by playing solitaire. After several futile attempts to actually win a game, I gave up and began to read yesterday's paper. Nothing there that was news to me. At least nothing I cared about.

Eventually, I tired of amusing myself and settled down to sleep in my usual spot. Then suddenly, the light came on and we were being coaxed outside. Yeah! Everyone was awake - although I was the only one who seemed happy about it. It's no fun being awake when everyone else is sleeping!

The usual flurry of activity filled the air and our world was all hustle and bustle. Breakfast was served, lunches were made, and pretty soon people went off to work.

T was feeling very rested, although content to catch some more Zzzzzs, but I was super tired and looking forward to a deep and peaceful snooze. At first, everything went to plan, but then all hell broke loose!

Through the many open windows in the house came a loud, obnoxious, persistent noise. When it first jolted me awake, I tried to ignore it, then shut it out with my paws, but I finally couldn't take it anymore. I leaped out from behind the washing machine to find T still sleeping soundly.

I kicked her bed!

"Hey! What's the matter with you? Why are you still asleep? Can't you hear that?"

"I can now, thanks very much," came the sleepy reply. She listened for a moment before asking, "Where is that coming from?"

Well, duh! "From outside!!!!!!!"

"Yes, I figured that. But where outside? It sounds like it's coming from the direction of our home. You don't think anything is going on there that shouldn't be going on, do you?"

Oh, great. Now we were both in a panic.

So, I made enough noise to convince Jenny - who didn't seem at all bothered by the noise - to let us outside. And once we were successful in that endeavour, we called on our pal Alice, who had by now grown into quite the beautiful teenager. We almost didn't recognise her!

"Whatz the prob?" she asked. Teenagers and their twitter speak!

"We just need you to hop down the street a bit and see where that noise if coming from. We're worried that it's something bad happening at our place."

She screwed up her cute little nose in confusion. "This place?"

"No, our other place."

"Ah," she acknowledged, then smiled, as she turned toward the fence.

Alice disappeared down the rabbit hole - clearly she wanted to conduct an undercover investigation - and within a short time she was back with the news.

"All that noise is just the roofers at the second house from the lane on the eastern side of the street. Actually, it looks really good."

We were relieved. "Did you manage a look see at our place, just to make sure it was okay?"

"I thought you would ask me that. And yes, I did. The only problem is that the flag had fallen down - probably from all that wind yesterday. But it's okay. I got Sammy Sparrow and Claude Squirrel to open the latch so Harley and Copper could come in the yard and help us put it back."

What a relief. That flag is very important to us, and it simply wouldn't do to have it lying down instead of flying proud!

Suddenly, and humorously, my head was filled with a visual of Copper standing on Harley's shoulders to accomplish the task. I grinned. "And they didn't mind?"

"Nope, but they said something about you owing them tictacs ... whatever that means."

A knowing chuckle escaped my lips.

Alice stayed to chat for a while - she has a boyfriend, you know! - and then I finally managed to get the sleep I had been craving.

Despite the ongoing noise, which we quickly got used to now that we knew it wasn't a problem for us, we spent the afternoon sleeping inside and out, with the only interruption a couple of treats to keep our hunger at bay. The hours easily passed by until Leon came home and we all went exploring the neighbourhood.

Alice was right - that house does look good with its new roof. And thanks to our friends, our flag is exactly where it's meant to be!

M

Wrong way out!

Dear faithful followers of this blog ... all three of you,

You may remember my little mate M's explorations that led him to take up periodical accommodation behind the washing machine here at Rovers Retreat. Yes, the one with the mousetrap. Well, the mousetrap is no more, much to M's delight, and I can safely say that he has now decided to camp there permanently.

Oh, how he loves sleeping in that tiny, dark, cramped, not-so-secret spot. Better than behind Jenny's chair where he runs the risk of being squished like a ... well ... like a mouse in a mousetrap every time she tries to get up from the table.

M's lucky he has a hideaway from which he can come and go. Not so the unfortunate little critters that chose to hang out in the fascia surrounding our Retreat.

We first heard them around 8:30 am. A fluttering and a scampering, making a heck of a racket. I whimpered and whined until we were let outside to investigate, and after a quick auditory and visual exploration around the perimeter, we concluded that indeed, they were trapped.

'What can we do?' we both thought while trying to locate the source of their entry.

"Ah, there it is!" declared M. An access point so small that only a tiny little critter could fit.

After some discussion, we concluded that it was either birds, squirrels or chipmunks. And apart from ripping down the entire roofing, there wasn't much we or anyone could do to help them find their way out.

Nevertheless, we got the old gang together to see if anyone had experience with this find of thing. The general consensus was that perhaps the critters were on a mission, and given the lack of space up there, we would just have to wait and see if they found their way out again.

Not easy to do when you can hear their apparent efforts to escape throughout the entire house.

Then Carli Crow came by with her pals, E. A. and Cheryl, and set up watch at the access point. They speculated that if they could talk the critters out, it might be all they need to find their way through the maze.

And doggone it, it worked! Before much longer, the fluttering stopped completely, and Carli reported that all lost souls had found freedom. Cheryl told us later that on their way out, the two sparrows got some stern talk from Carli about staying out of other people's homes - for their own safety, and our peace of mind!

Sadly, or rather fortuitously, the afternoon and the evening passed without incident. The wind continued to blow, hard, and it was so cool that the heat came on!

Not that M noticed ... he was camped out behind the washing machine for most of the day as if nothing else in the world mattered!

T

Where the heck are we?

Judging by the outside temperatures, one might think we are either stationed in Afghanistan, or stuck in Nevada. A safe bet either way, perhaps, but we are apparently exactly where we were yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that.

Upon going outside at 5:17 am this morning, we were confronted by hot, muggy conditions that instantly led M to exclaim, "Where the heck are we?"

Yes, a real summery August day, thank you very much. A quick check on the computer showed that it got as high as 30C, and that for most of the day, it felt like 37C, courtesy of the 58% relative humidity.

Don't get us wrong. We are not complaining - simply stating the facts so you know that for today, at least, we can absolutely relate to the conditions in your part of the world. Yes, you two ... who have left us alone yet again while you gallivant to places unknown to us and without us. Tsk! Tsk! Well, take note - come September, it's all four of us on the wandering trail, right???!!!

Needless to say, with the 'hot as Hades' weather raving beyond, we decided to let the world outside take care of itself. Instead, M and I camped out in the cool back room where it was quiet and peaceful and free of noisy interruptions.

Safely cocooned inside, we were oblivious to the temperature dropping 6 degrees in a few hours, so when we finally ventured out, we were pleasantly surprised and refused to come inside - even to eat.

Eventually, though, we were blown inside when the wind whipped us around in the backyard. And, to be honest, all we remember is that we ate and then we slept, dreaming of cooler days in our future!

T and M