The Photograph Dream

It was such a short and simple dream. As I was in the kitchen, I froze with a question in my mind, did I dream that or imagine it?

Walking back through thoughts, I eventually went into my office. Sitting there, dream fragments surged forward.

I’d dream that I was with a group of people. I think we were at a flea market or something, as tents and canopies were set up. The place was very busy. It sort of reminded me of a flea market I visited in San Jose, California.

Walking around, I’d found a number of old photographs piled on tables. Most were in color. I didn’t see anyone I knew in the photographs. They were photos of people at holiday dinners — Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc. — vacations, and birthday parties. Some seem to be retirement parties or celebrations. Everyone looked happy and were raising glasses. Most were of different people but as I looked, I recognized some that were the same people in different photos.

I wondered how the photos had come to be there, what had happened to the people? Photographs of such happy-looking people, and here they were, collected on a table. As I held a photograph and thought about that, I looked out from under the tent and saw people outside taking selfies or photographs of one another as they held things.

The dream ended.

March 5, 2020 0

Heard at the Door

A man was standing with two standard gray and white poodles. One was a head taller than the other.

A woman walking past said to the man, “Are your dogs related?”

He replied, “No, I adopted them.”

As both laughed, he apologized, explaining, “I’m sorry, but I just saw that on Facebook, and an urge to say it just seized me.”

March 4, 2020 0

Is It…?

He was coughing, a dry cough from the bottom of his throat’s well.

Is it the coronavirus, or just the flu?

His nose was running (it hadn’t been this morning).

Is it an allergy (spring is in the air), or just a cold?

He was embarrassed because he couldn’t stop coughing (though he drank lots of water and sucked on a cough drop), thinking that the others were eyeing him (and several people had left).

Is it because of him, or is all of this just in his mind?

March 3, 2020 2

Variation

They’d been doing together since they were wed forty-two years ago. “Everything that we can do together, I mean, of course.” She felt some things weren’t possible, “But we tried to do everything together. We were never apart from one another for more than a day or two, maybe three, tops.” She’d been a nurse, but was now retired; he’d been, and was, a doctor.

Travel was required for her to visit her father. “Dad’s really well for ninety-three. It’s easy to forget he’s ninety-three because he looks so good and does so well. But he is ninety-three, so I worry about him. Especially since he’s down there and I’m up here. He’s a retired engineer, and very particular about his habits. Everything must be done certain ways. He eats the same foods for the same meals at the same times every day, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There’s no variation.”

But this was about her husband. “He didn’t want to go with me to Southern California. Dad always watches Fox News. He’s completely apolitical, he’s not a Trump supporter, doesn’t have a MAGA hat, or anything like that, but he watches Fox News all day long. Henry just didn’t want to go, and cited that as part of the reason. So I flew down there alone.

“I’d been down there for a week when I received a phone call from Henry. He was frantic.”

“I’m out of clean underwear,” he said.

“Well, wash some.”

“I would, but I don’t know where the detergent goes.”

“It goes in the drawer.”

“I can’t find the drawer.”

“When I thought about it, I realized that it was the longest that we’d ever been apart.”

When she returned, she discovered his clothes in the washer. They were moldy, wrinkled and almost dry. She thinks that Henry just tossed the soap on top of the clothes, wasn’t satisfied with the process, and just quit.

They haven’t spoken about it, yet, but he does have some new underwear.

March 3, 2020 0

Floofschach Test

Floofschach Test (floofinition) – Process animals use to access new objects and creatures to determine the best response.

In use: “With many animals, the Floofschach Test begins with an alert glance and sharpened listening, followed by sniffing and a mental appraisal. Some, though, employ an abbreviated Floofschach Test, seeing something and deciding, nope, I’m gone.”

March 3, 2020 1

Floof-effect

Floof-effect (floofinition) – 1. The weather impact on fur or feathers.

In use: “The air temperature was thirty-seven degrees but the sun was shining, so the floof-effect was fifty.”

2. Impact of an animal on a mood or atmosphere.

In use: “Everyone was quiet and pensive, waiting to see what happened, until the floof-effect of a cat sauntering in changed everything.”

March 2, 2020 0

Always That Way

When he came in, none noticed him. He drifted from table to table, touching others’ food and drinks with impunity, giving them little “Boops” on their noses like he was playing with children. He hung around awhile as others came and went, not doing anything but loitering, and not taking up much space.

They didn’t know him then but they soon learned who he was. It was always that way with a virus.

March 1, 2020 0

Infloofherent

Infloofherent (floofinition) – Lacking normal clarity or intelligibility in behavior or action in an animal.

In use: “Kitties and puppies were great joy to watch because they seemed so infloofherent, jumping and pouncing in one direction, threatening and attacking another before racing off as though frightened. The little girl loved it, the beginning of a joy she’d have for the rest of her life.”

February 29, 2020 0

Floofmarine

Floofmarine (floofinition) – An animal who likes to burrow under things.

In use: “The dog proved to be a regular floofmarine, stealing under the covers and finding a space alongside their legs as soon as they were in bed and the lights were off.”