Chariots of the Dogs

C of course believes that as a kind of "Shanake" or Irish storyteller, I am given to flights of fancy, and ultimately the embellishment of stories. This leads her to often dismiss of some of my heart-felt beliefs.

Such is my firm conviction that our big, black, fuzzy, dog Maggie likes to watch airplanes passing high in the sky above her. C was sceptical:"Dogs don't look up and register highflying aircraft passing overhead..."

I nonetheless was convinced that Maggie was a 'skywatcher', having observed her sit and stare intently into the heavens whenever jets pass and watched her eyes follow the path of the tiny planes and their attendent white trails that traverse the blue skies.

All doubt, however, was about to be dispelled.

The Sunday of Mother's Day was bright and fresh and blue. Towards 5pm I started the barbeque and was walking to and from the house. Maggie was sitting outside in the backyard enjoying the green grass and young spring trees.

Suddenly she began to bark like a maniac. I went outside to stop her but she refused to cease despite imploring, discipline and treats and continued to bark furiously. I tried to pull her in, but she remained steadfast, her feet planted firmly on the ground and staring fixedly past the roof of the house and into the sky.

I finally turned to see what the hell she was barking at, and there, a long way away, was a large bright red and blue hot air balloon silently gliding its way toward our house. The closer it came, the more she was alarmed.

I ran in to get C and usher her out to see why Maggie was losing her mind.

As the balloon came closer Maggie began to jump in the air over and over to try and catch the balloon or maybe to ward it off. Only after it had long passed us by was she satisfied that the danger was gone.

So now we know that in light of Maggie's vigilance, we are protected not only from robbers who would breach our house from the sides, but also the Wizard of Oz, enemy paratroopers and of course aliens in silver space craft...