Life sucks, and then you get cheese.

Poor Ghost.
Yesterday morning before shit-shoveling he vanished without notice or trace. This is very common behavior on Saturdays, when our weekender neighbors S&L are up. He’s been doing it for longer than I’ve lived here, and I’m not ever going to stop him.

You’ve noted that yesterday was not a Saturday. It’s quite a bit more rare on Mondays, and so I was a bit concerned. Still I had a good idea where to start looking for him, and sure enough S&L had decided to stay the week and work on their house.

(S&L are retired. In the case of S, that just means “Now I’ll start a business in a field I’m interested in. If I don’t get rich, at least I’m having fun.” So they’re not particularly sedentary people. This time around they stayed the week to build a big garden wall.)

So anyway, S&L were there are so was Ghost, reclining regally under a tree and supervising the work. He did not look overwhelmed with joy to see me, and I did not insist he get in the Jeep. We’ve been through this many times before.

This morning I came back with the Jeep trailer to haul off some stuff for them, and Ghost was a little more interested. S said, “We’re going to [the big town about 50 miles away] and we’ll be gone all afternoon and evening, so maybe he should go home with you.” I opened the door, and Ghost hopped in willingly enough.

But we’ve been through this, too. He gets his Jeep ride, and then trots right back to Auntie L and her wonderful kitchen. No sooner had I parked the Jeep next to the cabin than he was straining to get out. Instead, I reached for the second leash.

Betrayed! Let it be known that Ghost does the best “you suck” face in all dogdom.

But Uncle Joel does have cheese, which can heal a wounded heart. And it was late in the morning, when Ghost likes to nap in the kneehole anyway. So what the hell? He proceeded to eat his cheese and take his nap.

And three hours later when he wanted out, he’d apparently forgotten S&L were ever here. At least he didn’t rush off to the Wonderful Place.

Probably he will again tomorrow, if he hears them.

ETA: While I was writing this, Ghost whined to come back in.It’s not that he doesn’t like it at the Secret Lair. He just also loves his Auntie L. And sausage.