There's nothing quite like a high five in the face from a roaching greyhound's hind leg to inform you in no uncertain terms that more room is required on the couch, please and thank you, would you mind just "bunching up€ a touch more? Then there's my personal favourite, the rolled up tongue in your ear at 6 in the morning, just to let you know that it might just about be time to get out of bed and do something constructive€¦I know, how about feeding and walking us! Needless to say, Wizard and Lucy's means of communicating with us are many and varied, but they never fail to be successful.
I got new glasses this month as I have now aged terribly and find that I need to wear them all the time. Even at the ever so mature age of 8 Wizard hasn't succumbed to the need for spectacles and last night, while sitting on the couch next to 'Mum' he managed to express his concern and amusement at my new facial accessories. He first glanced at me, then at 'Mum', back to me and finally at 'Mum' again with a slightly concerned look on his face, whined once, raised an eyebrow and snorted. I don't know if it was approval but he has certainly managed to make his opinion known.
Wizard has also managed, after 4 ½ years of living with us, to find a voice of sorts although he only uses it when in serious need (this usually revolves around food and the need for more, more and more€¦and make it snappy human or I'll help myself). His 'feed me' voice usually consists of intermittent whining that steadily goes up an octave until someone answers him. I have recently learned that it is not advisable to talk back to him in "whale speak€ a la Dory in Finding Nemo as you will be rewarded with an extreme close up of Wizards face, complete with an extremely concerned look and a lightning fast tongue inserted into your mouth when you laugh. Delightful to say the least but it quickly taught me not to do that again.
Lucy on the other hand is ever the little lady and prefers to tell us that she's hungry through other means, usually by trotting in to the kitchen with her head held high as we're cooking and repeatedly nudging us, sidling up to us and rubbing her head on our legs, licking the empty bowl until it migrates in to the middle of the kitchen, or following us around the room in the vain hope that a complete chicken will miraculously do a double somersault off the bench and into her waiting mouth. Wizards other (and by far favourite) method of letting us know that meal time is fast approaching is to race at breakneck speed through the house, hurling soft toys around him with reckless abandon. Hardly a week goes by that we don't get hit in the face by a forcibly thrown teddy bear.
Wizard was a little bit ill recently, due I think to a nice treat in the form of some liver and bacon, and spent much of Sunday and Monday lying on the couch looking miserable and, when required, doing what can only be called "slouching€ through to the kitchen for a half hearted nibble. Never the less, we had no doubt that he wasn't himself thanks to the sorrowful eyes, dry nose and world ending flatulence. We knew he was well again when, at 4 in the morning, the neighbours cat decided to use our roof as a shortcut, which meant that Wizard had to tell us all about it by standing in the dinning room, staring fixedly at the ceiling at whining until one of us got up to let him out for a closer inspection of the grounds€¦at least he hasn't asked for a ladder and a look at the roof yet.
We also walk twice a day, rain (much to the delicate Lucy's disgust) or shine. We never miss a walk on any day of the week as neither Wizard nor Lucy are particularly backward in coming forward when informing me that it is time for one of their daily walks. They usually communicate their unending need for walks through the medium of nipping gently at my backside as I walk through the house toward the porch or lying in wait by the cupboard where I keep the bags and leads, leaping out at me when I least expect it and demanding that we go and 'check the mail'. Checking the mail for Wizard involves sniffing every other dogs scent, digesting what they've had to say at any particular lamp post and promptly over writing it with his own unique message. Lucy prefers to sidle up to complete strangers for free love and adoration. We have photographic evidence that what she is actually doing is checking their pockets and bags for any potential treats that may be hidden within.
Lucy, Wizard and I have also been known to have detailed discussions while out on our walks and will often, in the space of 40 minutes put the world to rights. There are days when I'm reasonably certain that it's fairly one sided conversation on my part, but they seem to have an awfully knowing look on their faces€¦I can only hope that my secrets remain secrets but, with all Wizard and Lucy ways of letting us know what's going on, of talking to us, at us and over us I don't think I'll ever be entirely sure. The main reason for my uncertainty is because they both keep looking at us and smiling, and I'm almost certain that they wink at us as well.