Quiet Moments Out-of-Doors

Yesterday was warm and pleasant. Bow spent so much time out of doors that he became mellow. and there were many quiet moments in addition to the usual displays.

The concrete floor was so dry that Bow felt comfortable lying down on the stoop.

One hand held on to the swing, while the other lay over his folded legs. Can you see how happy and relaxed he is?

Later Bow went to sit on his bench.  See how mellow he looked?

 The dogs were there doing their own things. Leo had found a nice spot to dig in. Brownie was lounging. Bow watched them silently from his perch on the bench.

Later, Bow and Leo enjoyed a quiet moment together.

Leo wanted Bow to exercise some more, but Bow just wanted to commune with him through the grid.

Today is a cold and blustery day. They say it may snow again. Bow and I are staying indoors this morning, and in the afternoon Lawrence will come and play with Bow. But it was nice that we had yesterday!

Outdoors and In

With the weather becoming more hospitable, Bow has been enjoying several outings per day. Yesterday, he even had his three o'clock snack in the outer pen.

This morning, before lunch, Bow got in a vigorous exercise session with the dogs.

After exercising to his heart's content -- and believe me, this is definitely aerobic exercise -- Bow enjoyed just hanging out.

I didn't get a video of this, but Bow traversed the entire width of the ceiling like this.

When he was done with his outdoor exercise, Bow was much more quiet and subdued. First he groomed my hand.

Then he asked for his blanket. And once he had the blanket, he sat down on it and was very quiet for a long, long time.

When we get enough opportunities to be rowdy and cut loose out-of-doors, we can also have many quiet moments indoors.

Bow Identifies Muppet Emotions

Today, Bow went out several times. The last time, he invited me to join him outside by patting me on the back in a friendly way and gesturing toward the pen where the ice on the floor was rapidly melting and turning to water. But I had no shoes on and wanted to finish something on the computer, so I said: "Thanks for inviting me, Bow, but I really don't want to go out right now."

After I finished what I was working on, I scanned the Facebook feed and saw a Sesame Street parody of Les Miserables.

I started watching the video, and Bow, who was lounging on the bench outside, was attracted by the music and voices from my laptop. He asked to come back in, and after he was in the inner pen he led me to the glass and spelled:
                                           תני לי לראות
                                           "Let me see."

I took the laptop in and played the video for him.

Bow had no trouble identifying the emotions of the muppets on the screen.  He could tell who was sad, who was happy, and what music was good for a rousing march. When Cookie Monster decided to share the cookies with everyone, Bow looked pleased.

Bow is definitely not autistic. He has a theory of mind. I can no longer watch serious movies with him, because the feelings of the characters in the movies upset him. But this version of Les Miserables  was just short enough and at the right level for a happy and successful viewing experience.

The Snow is Melting Slowly

It's warmer now. The snow is melting -- slowly. In the outer pen there is still snow on the ground. But this did not prevent Bow from going outside a couple of times today.

The routine is simple. First Bow gazes longingly at the outdoors.

There is much to see out there.

Next  he jumps onto the bench without once setting foot in the white stuff.

 Then he surveys the scene. Afterwards, he relaxes on the rim of the bench, while the dogs are vying for his attention.

Afterwards, when he determines that it is almost time to go back in, he decides to depart in style.

He lets out one last mighty cry before he leaps back inside, without ever having gotten his feet wet.

Bow Knows What He Wants

We have been snowed in for the past couple of days. The amount of snow is not that great. We've seen far more snow this winter, but the temperatures have been unusually low. Bow has been bored.

Yesterday, I made him some tea. You can read more about that in The Feast Before Us.

But today, Bow only asked for water. He did not want tea. And eventually, despite the cold, he asked to go out again. I knew he probably wouldn't really want to step out, but I humored him and took him down the hall to the airlock that leads to the outer pen.

I opened the sliding glass door and unlocked the metal door. Bow looked outside for a moment, and before I knew it, he was closing the glass door by himself. Then he took my key and tried to use it on the door leading inside, back to the warm and snug inner pen.

Bow knows what he wants and how to get it.

Bundling Up

The weather is trending colder again. Today the sliding door to the backyard was frozen shut, and I had to let Brownie out through the garage.

Yesterday, Bow stayed in almost all day. We looked at pictures, read books, and tried to keep ourselves occupied indoors. Bow especially likes looking at children and babies. When he heard me exclaim that So-and-so's little boy was so cute -- as I was going through my Facebook feed -- Bow insisted that I show him, and he looked for a long time with great interest at the picture. "You remember so-and-so," I said. "You knew her when she was a school girl, and now she is all grown up and has a little boy." Bow nodded.

We also looked at other pictures, the kind we have hard copies of. Here is a shot of Bow looking at the big picture of himself and Lawrence that he got for his birthday.

The green blanket got full usage yesterday, sometimes as rug to lie or sit on, sometimes as a blanket to cover Bow up as he napped, and at times it served Bow as a robe.

Bow refuses to wear clothing. He is very stubborn about that, even outside in the snow. But he sometimes seems to reinvent the idea of clothing, in the way he uses his blanket. In the summer he will sometimes tie a blanket round his waist. In the winter, he looks like a robed sage.

Then, just to show he does not take himself all that seriously, Bow will stick out his tongue.

Or he will pout.

But for long periods of time, he looks like a wise patriarch who has all the answers.

Toward the end of the day, Bow asked to go outside. I let him out, and he made a brief but impassioned display. The sound of his voice echoed through the woods behind our house. Then he rushed back inside.

Sometimes you just have to let it all out, express what you need to express, then hurry back to where it is safe and warm and snug.

Warm Day Out

Today was one of those beautiful warm days that need no justification. Bow enjoyed every moment, going outside and staying there for long periods of time.

Bow would have been happy to relax on his perch atop the bench, but Leo insisted that he get up and play.

Happy to oblige, Bow played chase with Leo.

After running back and forth and displaying and chasing, Bow became a little tired, so he sat down on the stoop to rest.

Leo tried to entice Bow to play chase some more, but Bow decided against it. He got on his swing, instead.

The swing was very relaxing, but Leo wanted Bow to play some more.

Bow got up from his swing.

Then the game with Leo resumed.

Even Brownie joined the fun.

After a vigorous round of chase and displaying at both dogs, Bow was almost out of breath. He sat down to rest a little.

He had to sit down quietly for a while and consider the situation.

What ought he to do now?

Should he play with Leo some more, the way Leo wanted?

Bow looked at Leo for a moment, but Leo seemed all tuckered out, too.

Finally Bow decided that the best thing to do was to go back in. So we went in. Somewhere between going in and out all day, I also managed to write in my other blog, the one about Theodosia. Bow waited patiently for dinner. And after dinner, he was ready for bed. When you have had a day full of exercise, you don't need an excuse to go to sleep.

 Today was a wonderful day, not because of anything that happened, but just because. And after dinner, we were presented with a memorable sunset through our front door.

Some days don't need a reason to feel good. They just are.