Buckley has a new obsession. Squirrels.

So Buckley the Beagle has always been intrigued by little fury animals. Cats and squirrels are some of his favorite. He likes to stop and stare with his one pointing paw up, mentally preparing his attack. DPS and I have joked about his attention to these little guys, often yelling "SQUIRREL!!" just like the dogs in Up!

But the day we moved to Denver that intrigue turned into obsession. OBSESSION. Buckley has become a new man. Instead of his days being spent on the plush couch or his comfy dog bed, they are spent glued to the window watching every squirrel in the neighborhood. He's the new neighborhood watch. He used to be the world's most amazing dog for the fact that he was king of sleeping in, sometimes until 11am on Sundays with DPS. Now he's up and at the window before dawn waiting for the sleeping squirrels to emerge. During the day if we're home he spends his days on the patio, staring unpateintly for a squirrel to somehow mistep and come falling on to our balcony.

Who knows if these new, and less appreciated (hello, who wants to wake up at 6am on a Saturday to walk the dog?), habits will remain as the seasons start to blend together and late summer becomes early fall - but I sure as heck hope they don't and our snuggling hound returns to his old lazy ways.

Buckley scaling the tree trying to track a squirrel...