The Saga of Biscuit!

This is my narrative of my run of the 7^th January. The regular followers of my post would have noticed and must be curious about the change in the title. Biscuit (my four year old Labrador for the uninitiated!) has become jealous of the humble sunflower and is grudging them the footage they are getting in my posts and wants his rightful place in the narrative. He probably feels, he deserves more for his early morning wake up calls sojourns with me, before my early morning runs. So, today let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start!

Our day, Biscuit’s and mine, usually starts at 3 AM. Between Biscuit and my alarm on the mobile they ensure that I am up at the usual time. Biscuit catches up some more winks while I complete my morning rituals, set the kettle going for hot water for green tea and soak Daliya for breakfast. He joins me in the Hall and lazes on the sofa keeping an eye on me while I hydrate myself for the long run with green tea. The TV plays old hindi songs on Active music channel of TaTasky initially and is switched to Active Darshan in time for the Bhupali at 04:15 AM. I spin on the spinning wheel while listening to TV and consuming green tea. Today I spun 164m of yarn; spinning is like meditation and generally indicates the way the day would go. On a day when I am at peace with myself, the thread does not break and comes out evenly. Biscuit meanwhile takes a round of the house and ensures that all is well. The Bhupali ends at 04:22 and is a signal for me to stop spinning. Biscuit hears the snapping shut of the spinning wheel case and rushes to my side knowing that it’s now time for him to take me for a walk. By now mostly the usual quota of Green tea has been ingested, however, as was today, about two cups were left. I left it for finishing after my walk. I change into my walking jeans and take out the garbage bag for dropping at the garbage bin on my way to walk.

Biscuit and I set out for a walk after locking the door from outside, unlocking the main gate. Biscuit is now in his elements, leading me to his favourite trees and lamp posts for urination and in between rubbing against my legs for approval. The guard at the main gate has just opened one gate and is preparing to take his last round of the colony to assure the sleeping residents that ‘All is Well’. Our walk is mostly in the Golf course inside the colony, but, the main gate to the golf course opens only at 06:00. We take a side gate, and after emptying the garbage into the municipal dump, start our walk. Biscuit takes the lead and inspects each spot to know what transpired since his inspection the previous evening. I cannot but admire his enthusiasm and thoroughness is inspecting the same favourite spots twice a day, and having inspected applying his seal of approval with an ample sprinkling of his pee. Maybe, it’s his way of reclaiming what would have been claimed by his quadruped friends in the intervening period of his two visits. It is pitch dark and he sure-footedly negotiates the trail led by his acute sense of smell. He tries to interest me in his discoveries and must be taking me for a philistine for not getting excited with his seminal discoveries.  With the discipline of a professional golf ball chaser, he avoids walking on the greens, even though there is nobody else to enforce the ‘Do not walk on the greens’ sign and he surely cannot read it. He carefully chooses a spot to poop, there is a method in his search; he alternates between a few chosen spots and follows an eco-friendly way of disposal by spreading dirt over after finishing the act. A lesson for the higher order mammals, I encounter on my run; who dirty the footpath along the highway. Having completed the purpose of his morning walk, he takes a few minutes to roll in the grass and fully refreshed, purposefully leads me back home. We meet our regular band of early morning walkers on our way back. After removing the lock from the main gate, washing the plastic cover for replacing on the garbage bucket the next day, I let him in. He promptly goes and snuggles next to my wife on the space vacated earlier by me. He knows he can take a 15 minute nap, till I finish the remaining tea, change into my running gear, fill up my water bottle and start for the run. He comes to the main door and lets me lock him in from outside. Surely with so much of active contribution to the preparation for my morning run, he was right in claiming his due footage on the World Wide Web. I will separately post my run experience of today.