During his first couple months with me, Gej would steal his food dish and run off with it. He’d gnaw on it somewhere private, and sometimes he bring it back and sometimes he would. Days could pass before I’d find it. We originally had a couple of them, two identical blue bowls. One is still missing (though I like to think they’re entangled on a quantum level and so I might still retrieve it one day).

Gej likes to take his meals near the sliding glass door in the kitchen. It opens onto a deck, which in turn steps down onto a patio and the backyard. At this time of year, the dinner time includes a slow sunset through the trees and long shadows. A few feet away from his bowl placement is Gej’s doggie door, allowing a quick egress when he spies a neighbor or a deer (or a neighboring deer). At such times, dinner can wait, and he’ll bolt outside and defend his territory with a tirade of fierce barking.

This mealtime was quiet though. No need to enforce the peace. Just warm sunshine and kibble. It’s a dog’s life.