ruh rho

keeping it simple because i am running on fumes right now. it appears, my beloved puggle, jack, was traumatized when the oak tree fell on our roof, and he now has a serious case of thunder storm ptsd. last night we had more lightening and thunder and temporarily lost power. and jack was having none of it. he wanted out of the house immediately (it was 2 AM).  he clearly now associates thunder with the roof collapsing. i hope this is temporary, but i fear it is not. jack is now 14 years old, and is getting more and more easily agitated as his eye sight and hearing fail him. you may recall, jack is a big part of why i started STILL in the first place. he was a puppy back then, and needed daily walks to manage his youthful energy. now, 11 ½ years later, i have to bribe to go on walks unless the temperature is between 45 and 75 degrees F. too hot or too cold and he is no longer interested–which i am choosing to see not as stubbornness, nor apathy, but as sensible old age wisdom. but it begs the question: is his new aversion to thunder, wisdom or runaway anxiety?

(possibly) cock’s-foot grass (Dactylis glomerata)