This is the view I see while preparing dinner. It occasionally changes as to which animals are present but the overall feel is like being swarmed by sharks. If you’ll notice in the doorway  there is a cat and another dog waiting for something to drop. Our dogs love fruits and vegetables. They love it if you toss them a piece of cucumber or bit of apple. They will take just about anything. The cats are slightly pickier. They prefer cheese, meat, or sauce from something that we have cooked. Trying to prepare dinner is rather like an Olympic event or an obstacle course. You must repeatedly navigate around bodies as you go back and forth from refrigerator, to stove, to sink. One of Phoebe the greyhound’s nicknames is Road Block.

Above are Shelby and Sassy the foster dog in prime begging mode. Shelby takes this begging work seriously as she does everything she attempts. You can tell from the grin on Sassy’s face that they are sometimes successful in their quest for bits of food. While dinner time would be easier without all these shenanigans, it would not be nearly as much fun. Life would get boring and empty for me without these furry assistants that help in my daily life.