The Arrival of Spring, 2011

It's finally spring. I can say this definitively not because the daffodils and rhubarb are growing, the bluebirds are back, or that the spring peepers are peeping. I know it's spring because Oscar is barking excitedly at the fireplace. In fact, she's spent most of the morning running excitedly from room to room, sniffling and snuffling in the corners, and then barking loudly to get my attention. As if I hadn't heard her the first dozen times. She can make an awful lot of noise for such a small dog.

This is a seasonal activity for Oscar, usually occurring in early fall and early spring. One day she wakes up and apparently decides, "Today's the day I'll drive my owners nuts!" Then she commences with the sniffing and the barking and the running from room to room. Upstairs, downstairs, up to the office over the garage, and then back down to the basement before wanting to go outside. It wouldn't be so bad except dachshunds weren't really built for stairs and sometimes Oscar gets scared and won't go up and down by herself. Then she really starts barking and whining until I help her. I go get her leash and clip it to her collar, which magically grants her the power of going up and down the stairs without any further assistance from me other than going up and down the stairs with her. It's cute and charming the first couple of times, but we've already done this three or four times this morning and I'm about to let her sort out her neurotic fear of the stairs by herself. That is, until I can't take the incessant barking and whining any longer.

Sure, last October it turned out that Oscar was chasing a mouse, but maybe we'll get lucky today and she's really chasing down leprechauns for St. Patrick's Day. I just hope I can get the leprechaun to grant me three wishes before Oscar gets a hold of it or we'll never find that pot of gold.

Is it up there?

Definitely something back there!

Yes, she's treed the leprechaun!