I set Lester and Bubba next to their water bowl. I know it’s going right through their tiny systems so hustle both the little ducklings outside to lounge on the blanket I carry from the porch. We lie together mostly looking at the sun shining through the leaves dancing in a breeze that makes the sprites smile and this boy happy from the sweet smell of spring on a perfect day. Mastiffs easily find peace in nature and possess unshakable nerves until someone gets into our business. This brings the pesticides to mind again and I’m thinking Otto’s nose would be invaluable in sorting through the neighborhood to detect who is using what on their lawns. If it’s not a biodegradable product nontoxic to animals and bugs, we can set Otto’s bloodhound nose to find the nearest waste disposal station and set about moving their bottles and can in the dark. My mind rambles over to the golf course behind all our houses. It’s a wonder the coyotes are still alive what with a lawn unnaturally green and not a weed to be seen for miles. They probably use the strongest weed killer on the market. Now that I think about it, last year I saw a white skunk with a black streak running down its back, a disturbing mutation that caused me to check my paws for irregularities. Neat as a whistle but it’s not as though I leave my own yard much except to walk on the sidewalk to Living Greens and a few other places Kahu and I enjoy frequenting.