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Inky & John The Saga Continues

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Santa Barbara
When a person gets older it is easy to become more attached to your pet. The pace of life slows down when the kids are gone. You take more time trying to understand what that pup or kitty cat in your lap means to you. You see their personality and their likes and dislikes more clearly. You become better friends. I have always been off the end of the diving board about dogs and all who know me are aware of it. I am especially close to the pups I write about because I try very hard to put as much of their personality into the story as possible. Pancho really is a flirt. He will jump up in my lap and make goo-goo eyes at me with those big brown eyes of his, then he'll see Libby in her chair and away he goes to flirt with her. Spots is characteristically quiet and reserved - - until you try to dislodge her from her permanent position next to Libby in her chair.
Inky takes center stage, though, because he is capable of displaying so many sides of his persona. He is funny, charming, very loving and very loveable. He knows instinctively how to win with me and he is not above taking advantage of that. Let's listen in on last night.
"I am very tired, Inky," I said, as I sat down in my favorite chair. "I have had a hard day, so I hope you don't have anything planned for me tonight."
Inky hopped lightly up into my lap and gave me a loving gaze and a nose kiss, and said,
"John, you surely don't think, just because I'm here with a big smile on my face, that I would want something, do you?"
"Inky, I know that look. I shouldn't do this, but I guess I will. What do you want?"
Inky gave me another nose kiss and a gentle head-butt (he knows how to wrap me around that little, black paw) "John, I wasn't going to say anything, but since you ask, here it is. We know you and Libby are planning a trip soon, and we would like to go with you."
My mind begins to delve through the fog that surrounds my memory. A trip? Does he mean to town? No, that's not a trip, he goes with me all the time. Then it hit me! He's talking about our trip to California! "Are you talking about our vacation? Are you? Those little wheels in your head are spinning a little too fast! No way I would take you to Santa Barbara! For one thing we would be going on a plane."
Inky looks puzzled. "What's a plane?"
Oh, boy, I'm in it now. I said, "A plane is like a big car that flies up in the air and takes people to far away places."
He gives me the evil eye "You mean an airliner!"
"Smart aleck! Nobody likes a wise guy. You knew all along."
Inky looks at me, then lays another nose kiss on me. "This is very important to us, John. We would like to go and see the ocean, too. Besides, Pancho thinks that is where Lassie lives and Spots is convinced she might be discovered there."
I thought for a minute, then I said, "All right, I'll talk to Libby, but don't be surprised if she says "No."
He hopped off my lap and said, "Oh, I'm sure she'll let us go if you use that old charm on her."
I think my wife saw through my "charm" about thirty dogs ago.