This is a story about furry friends. And not so furry friends.

Furry FriendsThey go to the back door.

They go to the side door.

boxersThey bark.

And woof in their doggie speak.

barking dog“Come out and play!”

“It’s time to romp.”

“Dude, what’s taking you so long?”

Meet Murphy and Shady.

They are our neighbors. Some of the friendliest ones we know. And they are Jake’s best buds. Who knows what these buggers are saying. All I know is, whatever it is they are saying, our dog, Jake, perks up and is eager to head out to play. He’s raring to go at the moment he hears the first bark. If I even mention one of their names, he’s at the window looking for them, wondering if he missed their bark.

come out and playThey are as regular as can be and I couldn’t be more happy to see their smushy faces each time they stop by. It’s what friends do. Something I could learn a lesson from. I tend to get stuck in my routine, distracted by my to-do list, that sometimes I can go days on end without leaving the house. I’m thankful for these furry friends and my not so furry friends that I get to visit with too.

I passed up on a coffee date with a few ladies on Monday because I needed to get caught up on work after a week of behind the scenes techy stuff (yes, again). But what I realize is that that techy stuff, along with the pile of laundry, the dust bunnies under the couch (and not so under the couch), and the oh so dirty windows are not going anywhere. My friends? Who knows. Life is short. Maybe that’s what Murphy and Shady are saying: “Hey Jake! Life is short! What are you waiting for? Come out and play!”

Yep, I bet that’s what they’re saying.

Smart dogs.