NIMBY

  
    There is someone new in my back yard. A puppy named Kira.
    Before Kira came along I used to pour a glass of wine and wander around the yard looking at the same old trees and the same old bushes. Now I see my yard in a new way.
    Crickets are fascinating. Low flying helicopters are terrifying. There are holes to be dug, sticks to be chewed, vines to be tugged on, thrown objects to be fetched, and Outdoor Kitty needs to be chased.
    When Kira is exhausted from teaching me all these lessons she doesn't lie down. She hurls herself to the ground so that it sounds like someone has dropped a pair of tennis shoes.
    If she is frightened she races across the yard, barrels up the steps, and hits me like a linebacker.
    Kira is bright, and like Little Kitty, she can be taught almost anything with cheese as a treat. But don't expect to see any photos of Kira leaping up onto our cabinet tops.
    To see her running in excited little circles in our yard and rolling on her back in the grass is very gratifying. At her previous home she was tied to a tree. One more lesson learned. Resilience.