TidBits
Mood:  cool
Now Playing: nobody told me there'd be days like these
Topic: Reilly
Yesterday began February vacation for Raye. So to kick things off on a proper note, we drove to Yale to see the dinosaur bones- any first grader's dream! Of course the exhibits held far more excited children and weary adults than it was designed to hold and we became worm out and sick of people after a short time. Happily the dinosaurs were the first hall and we spent lots of time in there before the place became not fun to be in anymore. I am SO happy my daughter is almost 7 and doesnt scream in crowded museums.

Most first graders will matter of factly inform people of my generation and older that there is actually no such thing as Brontosaurus anymore, that there was a mistake and Brontosaurus ("thunder lizard" we hardly knew ye) is now called Apatosaurus ("deceptive lizard"- not as inspiring). This museum holds the only fossils named Brontosaurus in the world. The Yale scientist who collected and named Brontosaurus had only a few bones to go by at the time. Upon recieving a big box of more bones, he realized that this was actually Apatosaurus after all and that it was the same species exhibiting a phenomenon of bone-fusing as it matured and not a separate dino after all. Interestingly, one can name individual fossils, so the skeleton at Yale is Brontosaurus the Apatosaurus.

Interestingly, fossil dino tracks have their own names, independent from the name of the creature that made them. So if Brontosaurus the Apatosaurus walked across the mud flats of contemporary Connecticut, his tracks are not called "Apatosaurus tracks" but "eobrontes" or something like that. I am not sure what the names are because our tour of dinosaur places-to-go was cut short when we discovered that dinosaur tracks state park was not open on Mondays.

This week Raye will be joining Reilly and I at the field for a Pack of Three. Even though it was below freezing today, I heard no complaints out of the girl the whole walk, because she was hurrying about, playing that we were under a swamp.

When Rei and I went to the field on Saturday we parked in the lot near The Building- plenty of spaces. We noticed a bright red hummer pull ON the grass IN the field, just inside the gate. the driver got out, let his dog out - a Keeshond? -fluffy grey spitz type- and stood next to his vehicle talking on his cell phone. He did not walk around the field. He did not drive around on the field. He just put his shiny truck on the grass enough to show that he could, and furthermore WOULD, but wasn't interested in the community. The dog sniffed around, neither of them interacted with anybody, then they hopped back in their ostentatious vehicle and left.

I thought about how hard those of who use the field daily try to keep it picked up, and observe the courtesies of community and sociability. This Hummer guy drove INTO the field solely so his dog could leave a pile and nothing more. He did not have to park with the commoners, nor did he have to risk conversation and connection by having to walk from the parking area around to the gate into the hayfield. He did not pick up. I am appalled.

I feel a strange relief that Mitch failed the good dog test. I feel at this moment a security that even if some days are boring socially, that Reilly has it very good and is quite fulfilled as an only dog. She has me. Even if I can't wrestle as well as a dog, she doesn't care one bit and wants to play with me very much anyway. It kindof hit me when I reread a page in one of my dog books: "Don't get a second dog as a companion for the first, or expect that you will need to play with your dog less because he has a companion- it's YOU they both want."

I was worried that Rei would become less my Familiar and just one of The Dogs. I don't know if that would happen, but I really only have enough alone time for each Jeff, Me, Raye and Rei and a minute of two here and there for each cat. I cannot have two Familiars. She is Chrys' Dog, Reilly. and I am Reilly's Owner, Chrystal. I did not want to compromise depth of connection with Rei for a larger pack. I did not want to change the things Rei and I do together, the places we can go, the quiet way we can communicate as we hike, or that she sleeps at the foot of my bed. (Jeff points out that 2 dogs in the bedroom is too many for him.) I think Rei is just the right number of dogs for us. We will go camping this summer and Rei will come with us, and I have great confidence that she will be trusty and good and we will all have a good time sleeping in the tent.