Chapter One

In the distance, I could hear the alarm going off. Brrank, brank, brank, brank - like some kind of injured goat.
In the kitchen, Brownie and Major got off their matching pillows, stretched and yawned, then went to stand by the gate. I stayed on my pillow for a moment longer. She never comes running straight from the bedroom to let us out. She goes to the bathroom, brushes her teeth and then she comes out with that annoying little dog at her heels.
Peanut. More like Pain-in-the-Butt. He's the most recent addition to the family and has really been soaking up the attention.
I can hear her coming through the living room, so I move into the kitchen to stand beside Brownie - who's whining - and Major, who stinks more than usual this morning. It's still dark, so I can just barely see her outline, but I hear Pain-in-the-Butt's toenail clicking on the floor as he spins and twirls at her feet, doing that "cute" dance again. He might be tiny, but he's every bit as old as I am. I can't imagine where he gets the energy. I'm stiff again this morning.
She stops and lets the little dog outside first, opening the double doors in the living room to let him onto the back porch. The cats, Nulla and Sunday, bolt for the open door, bells jingling as they bounce outside. I heard them talking the other day about how much they hate those bells. The birds are starting to return and those "stupid" bells make it impossible to get close enough to grab one, said Nulla, the orange cat.
I watch her lift the bar that releases the gate and I step aside while she wades into the kitchen between us. I let the other two bounce around and step on her feet. Brownie always acts like a fool in the morning. Whining and whistling through her nose. Major doesn't usually make any noise. He stands on his back legs with his paws on the gate so that he can get the first pat.
She opens the back door and the other two fight to be the first outside. I hang back a little because if I play my cards right, she'll scratch my back and that is just the best way to start the day.
It worked. "Hey, old man. Are you OK this morning?" she asked me. I stepped forward and she ran her hand down my back. I guide her by shifting my weight and she hits that spot that I simply cannot reach on my own. "Tip, are you going to go out this morning or are you just going to stand here?" she asked.
I wish I could tell her I'd like the other side of my back scratched, but maybe another day. Besides, I really do need to hit the bushes.