Protected by the Terror

For the past three nights we have been kept awake with barking.

Loud barking.

Barking coming from our own backyard.

At every one of the wee small hours.

Apparently we are under siege and need protecting.

Because we can't save ourselves.

We're not tough enough.

Or, more to the point, loud enough.

Although our hourly screams of "Enough Noise!!" would prove other wise.

The command of "Bed Time. In your bed." Has not swayed the dedication to our protection.

The movement from outside to the laundry produced only panicked "but you don't know what's out there!!!" noises and scratching.

It's true.

We didn't know what was out there.

And in my PJ's I didn't feel kitted out enough to find out.

Released to continue patrolling, and barking, didn't leave us feeling safer but it did save the laundry door.

After many drift off to sleep-jolt awake to barking-yell at protector-drift off to sleep cycles it was late enough to get up and assess the terrors of the night.

Pumpkins.

21 of them. On the roof of our shed after being harvested on Monday.

He's been protecting us from pumpkins since Monday.

How very brave of him.

Now let's ask the question again:

Who is the real Terror in the Night?

Answer: not the pumpkins.

What does the Terror do when he hasn't slept all night because he was protecting his family?

Hugs a pillow.

{Note the eye open just a fraction. Wouldn't want a pumpkin sneaking up on you now would we?!}