Too Cold Out to Play

Today is the first truly cold day of the season. Even the woolly worms have all disappeared. It's too cold to play out. But Bow insisted on going out, anyway.

He sat there for a moment under the swing, shivering, and then he asked to go right back in. Once inside, he asked for his rug, which at this point is a very small bundle of rags.

He sat there looking dejected and cold and sad. But then I had an idea that would cheer us both up on such a chilly day. Hot chocolate! I told Bow about my idea, and he immediately perked up. He kept cheering me on with positive grunts as I prepared the hot chocolate in the kitchen. I served it with a spoon and warned him it was still quite hot.

Bow took delight in every aspect of his hot chocolate, handling the cup and the saucer and the spoon with care.

He took careful sips with the spoon at first.

Later, when he determined it was safe to do so, he started sipping directly from the cup.

He was very delicate and careful throughout the process.

Bow drank his hot chocolate slowly and deliberately until there was none left. Even after he had handed me back the cup and saucer, he still kept on slurping contentedly, savoring the memory of the warm, sweet treat. He was no longer upset about it being too cold to play out.

It's Cold Out

The big thing Bow and I have been thinking about lately is a news item about Sue Savage-Rumbaugh.  We watched a video together in which Sue talked about the situation.

Bow took me to the glass this morning and spelled: "Sue is good." Then he asked to go outside.

It has been getting colder, so I was not sure he really would want to be outside right now, but when I opened the glass door and the mesh door that separated the airlock from the outdoors, Bow gladly went outside and stood there, his hair standing on end, probably from the cold this time. I realized I'd forgotten to get my camera, and I wanted to get a shot of him standing there like that, so I went back inside for a moment to get the camera. When I came back, he jumped right back into the airlock and would not come back out for anything. It was too cold out!

He lay on the concrete and rubbed the bottoms of his feet to warm them up. I tried to persuade him to come out for just a moment, and showed him that my feet were bare, too. But he was not moved. He did not find anything I said to be at all persuasive, and in fact he was kind of bored, which explains the big yawn.

We went right back inside after that!