Twinkle Time

To a child’s eye a lightning-bug outshines the brightest fixed star. ~O. P. Fitzgerald,Methodist clergyman, journalist, and educator

I Monkey here.

Every summer night, when Mama takes me outside for my Final Pee-Call, she stands around staring into the back yard.

What’s she looking for?

Turns out, she’s not looking for something as much as looking at something.

She calls them Twinkle Bugs, and they seem to bring out the giddy little girl in her.

Golly, Mama, bugs??

And sometimes she bends over and closes her fingers gently around one, watching as it slowly crawls out and climbs up her arm.

And she giggles.

Yes, I know. Mama hates bugs. But maybe these things really aren’t bugs.

Maybe they’re little flickering fairy lights with legs.

Shoot, I Monkey don’t know. My mama is a study in contradiction.

That’s probably why I’m not any better trained than I am. After all, how is a wee Monkey expected to tell the difference between an “icky bug” in the house that Mama chases down with a plastic swatting device and a “good bug” outside that she wants to play with?

Could it be the “inside/outside” thing? Or the twinkling?

Anyway, Mama says she doesn’t want me going through life confused, so guess what?

She’s signed me up for the next level of Puppy School!!

I Monkey am so excited I can hardly stand it. I LOVE Puppy School — especially all the treats! And the happy encouragement and the chance to strut my stuff are pretty grand, too.

I’ll let you know how I get on with it, okay?

In the meantime, all Mama has to do is say, “Puppy School,” and my entire back end starts wiggling, and I become as giddy as she does when she plays with the Twinkle Bugs.

Now, lest you worry that I Monkey am chasing the Twinkle Bugs, I assure you I’m not. Mama thinks I can’t see them once their light flicks off, but I’m here to tell you they don’t taste all that good.

Especially when compared to cookies or Puppy School training treats!