The little man of the house

Enrico is off on an 8-day backcountry trip. It's just me and the beasties for a week. I think Toby knows he's temporarily Man of the House, and he takes the job very seriously. He has an extra spring in his step, a look of proud alertness in his face.

He also has an ear infection. We spent almost two hours at the vet this morning just waiting for him to have his annual checkup and shots. They were running behind schedule because of an emergency. At one point I saw the staff carry out a beautiful brindle dog, looking weak but alive, with its puffy-eyed owner following behind. The vet assistants kept coming into our exam room and apologizing for the delay, and I assured them it was no big deal. We were once the emergency, and Nelly would not be alive today if we hadn't monopolized everyone's full attention that morning. I'm sure lots of people waited because of us. I do not begrudge the brindle and his owner an hour of our time.

I thought about rescheduling, but by that point we were an hour in and I expected the checkup to be quick. Toby is always incredibly healthy. His ailments tend to be self-inflicted injuries of various exasperating sorts - consuming a bag of chocolates in their wrappers, getting bitten on the face by a rat, worrying a flea bite into an oozing wound, gouging himself while hurdling a log in the forest.

But warm weather has brought swimming, and Toby is prone to ear infections. Now I have the joy of flushing his ears out twice a day, squeezing the liquid in and then squooshing his ear canal around with my fingers - squoosh, squoosh - and then leaping back, eyes and mouth closed, as he vigorously shakes it all loose. Boy, will Enrico ever be sorry he missed this!