Zeek gets a Reprieve Tonight...

The west coast grand kids came back home after Ka'mya's party yesterday to spend the night with Larrieann and I last night. They are both pretty excited about the new tree house I am building. The conversation went something like this...

Alex: Grandpa can we sleep in the tree house tonight?
Blaze: Heck why not, I'm on vacation. Who cares if I won't be able to move in the morning after sleeping on hard plywood?
Alex: Radical dude.
Larrieann: Count me out, I sleeping in my own bed.
Stacey: I'm sleeping with grandma.

As the sun goes down the new fire pit is lit and put into action. With Larrieann and I supervising, roasted marshmellows soon turn into smores as darkness settles over our backyard. With the stars twinkeling in the far distance and the half moon shining brightly over our world I break out the Search and Rescue gear, sleeping bags. I have a sleeping bag for every type of adventure. A compact light one for when we need to move fast. A real good one, for when it's below freezing outside. A couple normal sleeping bags for nights like tonight. Alex and I carry all our gear out to the tree house for the maiden sleep over. Finally I get him all snuggeled down in his sleeping bag with a pillow for his head.

Laying next to Alex in my own bag, Stryker forces himself between us. We lay on our backs counting stars with each other. I struggle to point out constilations to him through the tree limbs as I feel myself drifting off to sleep. A dog many houses away howls to the moon. 

Alex: Grandpa are you awake?

Blaze: ...yep

Alex: You hear that?

Blaze: ...ahh what?

Alex: That wolf howling.

Blaze: Alex we don't have wolves around here, plus we are in a tree house, in a fenced backyard, with a glowing campfire and Stryker is here to protect us too. Besides that, I would never let anything bad happen to you.

Two minutes of complete pin drop silence. An the neighbor dog howls again.

Alex: Grandpa?
Blaze: ...Yes
Alex: I'm going to go sleep with grandma!!!

He grabs the battery operated latern and heads into the house as I watch his progress as he trots inside. I'm too tired to even move from all the party activity that afternoon. Quickly slipping fast to sleep...
...birds are chirping the next morning as I wake up, alone, and stumble down the stairs and head across the lawn to the house. The next door neighbor yells down from his deck  "Morning Bill, you trying out your new tree house or did you get in trouble last night?" I think he's jealous because he doesn't have one.