I am a primatologist who spends twelve hours most days in the company of a thirteen year old chimpanzee named Bow. I am also an editor with Inverted-A Press.
Yesterday, when Bow was napping after breakfast, the calm and quiet of our world was shattered by an alarm raised by the two dogs, Brownie and Leo, concerning an intruder. Now this was not the usual barking, like when a squirrel passes over the backyard on a tree branch, and Leo just can't let that go. It was not like the barking when an occasional deer or rabbit get too close to the house. This was serious stuff. This was a real intruder. I got Bow's permission to go out and investigate.
The rays of the rising sun obscured the dog, but there it was, and its presence was infuriating Leo and Brownie. If anyone tells you that property rights are just a human invention, think about how attuned dogs are to the crime of trespass. If you think that dogs don't understand boundaries and property rights, ask yourself why intruders, including dirty cops, always kill the dog first.
I was willing to find out more about this stray dog, but it was too scared to stay. Then when I went back in, I found that Bow had been so upset about this whole thing, he had overturned his potty. After we went through the entire discipline and cleanup routine, I asked Bow why. Why did he act out, when on many other occasions he allowed me to go outside and stay much longer? Was it just because there was a stray dog out there? He answered yes, but then he added. "וגם הטלפון." --"And also the phone."
It turns out that the phone rang while I was out there. Bow could have tolerated a stray dog. He could have tolerated the phone ringing. But having the phone ring and ring while I was out there dealing with a stray dog, that was intolerable!
Yesterday, Bow turned twelve. We had a small and exclusive party for him. The only guests were Lawrence and his youngest daughter Lori. Sword was out of town visiting her grandmother, so besides myself, those were the only guests.
Bow knew that it was his birthday and got progressively more excited as he saw me making the preparations. We celebrate his birthday every year, so he knows what to expect when he sees a birthday cake and a balloon and presents.
Bow's uncle sent Bow two boxes of the finest pears. (Ordinary pears would simply not do!)
Among the presents from me was a helium balloon.
When the guests arrived, Bow was happy and well behaved. He even made it nicely through a weird rendition of the birthday song. Usually I sing the Hebrew song first, then everybody else sings the English song. (They do not have the same melody.) But this time Lawrence and I sang at the same time, even though these were different songs.
Then the dogs announced that there was an intruder on our property. It was just that Australian shepherd from across the road. We had not seen her in all the cold winter months, but in the last couple of days she has made a renewed appearance. Bow gets very upset when someone is trespassing on our land, and we almost had to send Lawrence out to deliver the dog safely back to its owner, but at the last moment, Bow calmed down and let us help him blow out the candles, and then he had a piece of cake.
The neighbor really does not understand how disruptive having that dog on our property is. She thinks the problem is mine and not Bow's. But it's Bow who will not suffer strangers on our land, and for him a dog counts just as much as a human.
But there was cake to eat and a guest to play with, so Bow made the best of things.
Normally, after eating cake, Bow will open his presents.
But this time he was less interested in the presents than in playing with his birthday guest, Lori.
This video only represents a fraction of the time that Lori and Bow actually spent playing chase and getting to know each other.
After the guests left, Bow decided he wanted to try one of his birthday pears.
He ate the pear with great relish and so speedily that it seemed to disappear right before my eyes.
The pear proved quite satisfactory! And it was gone in the blink of an eye.
There was also the birthday balloon. It was of short duration, but still worth the effort.
Bow enjoyed the balloon while it lasted, but did not mourn its passing.
Bow got many other gifts, including a light up toy from Lori, and a set of paints from Lawrence, as well as a picture of himself and Lawrence together. But for Bow, the things that really count in life are good food and good company. He does not value material objects nearly as much. He enjoyed his time with Lawrence and Lori, the birthday cake and the birthday pear. Life is good!
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