Merle's Door by Ted Kerasote

Author:Ted Kerasote
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Published: 2012-01-29T00:44:09+00:00

When I had come to Nebraska, it wasn't with the idea that I'd be on vacation. I was finishing a book, and Allison had her duties at the store. Unlike her, however, I could stay at home with the dogs and write. This was nothing novel for Merle, but for Brower it was a revelation—no more life in the crate, a new human for company, and a big friendly dog to play with.

I had worried that Merle would be standoffish to the little pup, but this wasn't the case. In fact, he took to his new role as mentor with enthusiasm, escorting Brower around the yard, excavating interesting smells with a poke of his paw, sniffing, then allowing Brower to sniff. Merle would raise his leg, squirt, and scrape, and Brower, not old enough to raise his leg, would squat. On they'd go: the big dog demonstrating, the little dog watching and copying.

I had also been concerned that Merle might go into one of his urban funks, the first appearance of which had made itself known when I had taken him on a book tour and we had stayed at a friend's home in Boulder, Colorado. Merle had lain with his head between his paws, staring at me while I talked on the phone and typed on my laptop, his weary look saying, "This is the most boring day of my life."

"I'm sorry," I told him. "We're in downtown Boulder. There are leash laws. You can't just roam around. Give me an hour, and we'll go for a walk." By way of an answer, he gave a great sigh, indicating, "Have I told you that this is the most boring day of my life?"

"Yes, you did tell me that," I replied. "Let me finish this and we can take a walk." The drama queen, he fell onto his side, letting his head drop to the floor with a disgruntled thunk. He gave another tremendous sigh, his entire rib cage expanding and collapsing. Holding my eye, his penetrating gaze repeated, "By the way, have I mentioned to you that this is the most boring day of my entire life?"

But suburban Omaha wasn't downtown Boulder. Allison's large fenced yard was overhung with oak trees, and they were filled with squirrels. Few other situations, I think, could have pleased Merle more at this time in his life, for he had become jaded with hunting ground squirrels around Kelly. In fact, he had begun to chase them half-heartedly, as if they no longer presented him with much of a challenge. And this may have been true, since he had become enormously adept at catching them.

Instead, he had set his sights on more difficult game: the red squirrels who lived in the conifer forests where we often hiked. Preyed upon by swift and stealthy pine martens, red squirrels have evolved into super-vigilant and exquisitely agile creatures who, at the slightest hint of danger, leap through the branches to safety. Merle would dash beneath their aerial

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