Nikki and the Thunder Monsters

Nikki listening for Thunder

Our dog Nikki, a black Lab/Chow mix, is now a sweet little old lady of 10 1/2 years old, supposedly 70+ in dog years. She's had canine diabetes for the last 2+ years and gets her daily Vetsulin shots twice a day. She has cataracts in both eyes and now is almost totally blind, except for a little peripheral vision and she sees light and dark. But don't tell Nik that she's disabled. No way, Nik thinks this is the way of all dogs. She's happy and content with a perpetual doggy smile on her face, sporting a white goatee, and her tail in a rotary wag. She takes "cat naps" because in reality we've always thought that Nik thinks she's a cat. In her first adopted household she was "raised" by a cat until the age of 7 months. So Nik "talks," arches her back like a cat and often winds around your legs and furniture.

Anyway, Nik's one fear is of Thunder Monsters. This isn't a fear that came about after she became blind. No, she's been afraid of thunder for all the days she's lived with us, from 7 months old until now. Perhaps now that Nik is blind her hearing is more acute? She can warn us of the approach of those Thunder Monsters long before we can detect them.

Her general modis operandi is to hide out in the hallway, all bedroom doors closed, the bathroom light on, and her comforter/bed in the hall next to the bathroom door. She must instinctively know that's the safest part of the house. Most times she's content to hang out in the hallway by herself, or with our other dog, Shani, the 100 pound Collie/Shepherd/Chow mix who is now 8 1/2 years old. Shani is a big enough barrier to protect 46 pound Nik from all Monsters.

For the last four days, Friday through Monday, we had incessant rains and lightning/thunder. All told 9.67 inches of rain over those four days. Nik could probably tell you the number of claps of thunder. One squall line of thunder would come through and Nik would about shake herself to death. She'd crawl under a bed, hide under a table, curl up beside us on the bed, and eventually would settle peacefully into the hallway. She'd finally venture out into the living room or kitchen, only to have those Thunder Monsters return and she'd have to repeat the whole process all over again. This went on for the four straight days, until we were all exhausted.

Today the sun is shining and we're back to those cerulean blue skies that normally grace Florida this time of year. Nik is sound asleep at my feet, probably dreaming of dog biscuits or rawhide chews. The Thunder Monsters are forgotten for the moment until the next time they come around.