the mysterious world of headless max pants

good old max is still motoring around, using his rubbery legs as recklessly as ever. we've adapted to the changes in his abilities as much as possible. because his body shows only minimal interest in healing, he often wears a vest-like bandage wrap with gauze underneath to keep his various little skin eruptions from exploding/getting infected/falling prey to guthrie's predatory snacking (i know. horrifying.). he has a chair of his own in the house, an old recliner, a place he feels safe and comfy. because he can't get up on his own, we put him up there in the morning before we leave. because he is almost always cold, we wrap him up in his own stripey fleece blanket. generally, guthrie hops up there and keeps him warm, or sometimes jim.

because he can't get down on his own, but does not seem to be aware of this, we have a pillow below the chair with his very thick plaid dog blanket draped over it. this way, when he ejects himself from the chair (i don't know how else to describe it. i think he closes his eyes and leaps.), he lands gently on the blanket-covered pillow below. or sometimes on jim. then, if he doesn't get lost going to get a drink, he wanders back and spends the afternoon on the pillow/blanket combo until i come home to take the dogs outside a bit.

but once we're home max is not content to sit on the pillow when he knows quite well one of the people he owns could put him right back up on his soft cushy chair with the back he slides into and the sides that keep him from rolling off and out and away into nothing. but he does not always remember that he needs to tell us. this happens often with max these days and although there is some sort of sadness in it, i suppose, it's also fascinating to watch his brain trying to explain to his body that everything is cool and they should both just act normal. this can be particularly difficult when you're a 17 year old dog whose brain may or may not be harboring two different, but equally sarcastic, sorts of tumors. these things are taking turns grabbing the steering wheel of max's brain and driving him into the ditch pretty regularly, or taking him on scenic excursions he doesn't have maps for. to his credit, he seems to take these trips in stride, finding nice things to do along the way, as long as they eventually bring him back to a soft lap or a warm bed.

so today after a little visit to the outdoors, too cool for late may, miserably gray and with the kind of misty rain that lurks all across the top the little towns flanking niagara falls, max wandered around a while, got a drink, walked around some more, got another drink, meandered into the bathroom where he got stuck behind the toilet, then, after i redirected him, stomped his ever shrinking self as directly as he's ever been able to move over toward his chair. purposeful is not a word used often with max. excessive, yes. persistent, yes, but purposeful, which tends to go with the other two, is just not max. except today. and he got himself all the way across the floor to the blanket/pillow. then he stood himself directly in front of his chair. he fiddled around a bit with the stripey blanket he'd dragged halfway off the chair during an earlier airborne moment. he likes to be covered, and like many young children, believes he is covered if he can't see out of the blanket.

then he stood there. he stood a while. i know because i looked, but did't really pay attention at first. i thought he was settling into the blanket on the floor. but after a few minutes his butt legs decided to rest and he sat. he fell asleep. i know he fell asleep because it took me about ten minutes to get the camera out of its new and not quite right case. he never moved. and the kind thing would have been to have picked up my aged dog, given him a little kiss on the head, then put him up on his chair. but i didn't. because although i know he's where he is because he's falling apart, it's still funny. and sweet. and that's just fine, i think. so i took the photos first. then i picked up his crazy skeleton, gave him a kiss, and put his blanket-wrapped self into his chair.