The other day my person and I were walking along my trails. It was a snowy kind of day. Not enough snow to be good for playing in – just enough to wash the color out of everything.
And then I saw it. Brightly standing out. Right at the point where my person and I usually turn around and head back for home. You couldn’t miss it in all of its orangeness. A ribbon tied to a tree. It hadn’t been there before.
I puzzled about that ribbon on our way back home. We were almost to the end of the trail – when there it was.
.
.
.
That ribbon had beaten us back home. And now it was tied to another tree. And it was almost as if that ribbon was trying to tell us what to do. Turn around here. End your walk here.
I am not going to follow a ribbon. Orange or otherwise. I just won’t do it.
If that ribbon thinks it’s going to tell me where to go, I’m going to go a different way. I’ll turn around at a different place, and I’ll find a different ending of my trails to come out on. No orange ribbon is telling me what to do.
But wait. Maybe that orange ribbon isn’t there for me at all. Maybe I won’t have to change which trails I walk on. Maybe that orange ribbon is there to mark the beginning and end of a race. I bet those pesky squirrels are racing on my trails.
Now’s my chance. I’ll wait until those pesky squirrels run by, and I’ll stick my paw out and trip them. Every last one of them.
And then I’ll give those squirrels what for to make up for all the times they’ve been hanging out in trees harassing me.
I wonder if I could get that orange ribbon to lay out a different course. Maybe between two trees closer together with bare ground in between.
I hope those squirrels obey orange ribbons better than I do.
bongodogblog 
angelswhisper2011
February 19, 2013 at 11:57 am
The ribbon must have come from the Netherlands, Bongo. Orange is the color of our Dutch Royal House.. OMC, now I have to look where little Blinky is… 🙂
Bongo
February 19, 2013 at 11:09 pm
I think I see Little Binky climbing in that tree with the orange ribbon. Come on Little Binky, your granny’s looking for you, but you can stop by my house on your way home.
marina kanavaki
February 19, 2013 at 12:13 pm
…well, what happened? Did you change that ribbon – did the squirrels fall for it?
Bongo
February 19, 2013 at 11:11 pm
Marina, I’m still waiting for those pesky squirrels. But the good thing about not seeing them is they aren’t being pesky and trying to harass me.
onebluedog
February 19, 2013 at 12:26 pm
Maybe that tree is going on a date and wants to look extra beautiful? 🙂
Bongo
February 19, 2013 at 11:12 pm
Remy, I hadn’t thought of that. I wonder if there’s a tree with a different color ribbon that is going out with it.
philosophermouseofthehedge
February 19, 2013 at 1:51 pm
I agree with onebluedog. The tree wants some attention. “Look at me! Look at me!”
Maybe it’s lonely because so few are on the trail today and the tree thought it looked especially nice with that icing of snow? How else to get someone to notice?
Bongo
February 19, 2013 at 11:14 pm
Karen, that tree was especially noticeable the way it was all dressed up. Maybe if I put some ribbons on the girls would look at me. Girl dogs though, not girl trees.
philosophermouseofthehedge
February 20, 2013 at 9:00 am
Don’t want to get anyone confused: you both have bark.
Bongo
February 20, 2013 at 12:11 pm
Karen, I hadn’t thought of that. I hope nobody starts tying orange ribbons on me.
Genevieve Petrillo
February 19, 2013 at 3:51 pm
Squirrel races. I don’t like the sound of this….If there’s any racing to be done, I want to be the one racing. And winning.
Love and licks,
Cupcake
Bongo
February 19, 2013 at 11:14 pm
Cupcake, as soon as I knock those pesky squirrels out of the tree I’ll race you. First one to the finish line gets an extra treat!
Two French Bulldogs
February 19, 2013 at 9:06 pm
Who do those ribbons think they are anyhow!
Benny & Lily
Bongo
February 19, 2013 at 11:15 pm
Benny & Lily, whoever those ribbons think they are, they sure like to stand out in a crowd.
Anonymous
February 20, 2013 at 2:23 am
may be they are for a children’s treasure hunt..where they have to follow orange ribbons until they find the treasure…could be worth investigation by a real good detective dog..do you know one?
Bongo
February 20, 2013 at 12:07 pm
Patrecia, that would be a treasure hunt for me too. I could find the children and get lots of loves.
Long Life Cats and Dogs
February 20, 2013 at 3:26 am
I wonder if someone had been listening to “tie a yellow ribbon round an old oak tree” and then thought, hmmm, don’t have an oak so I’ll tie an orange ribbon around a bush?
Bongo
February 20, 2013 at 12:08 pm
Susan, I thought I heard some singing off in the distance.
eripanwkevin
February 20, 2013 at 7:11 am
Hmmmm….those orange ribbons somehow seem to be very romantic to me! Maybe they’re signs for two squirrels where they will meet at? 🙂
Bongo
February 20, 2013 at 12:11 pm
Ooh Kevin, the rendezvous point. Maybe I could leave a sign like that for my girlfriends. I haven’t seen them on my trails for a long time.
Chancy the Gardener
February 20, 2013 at 12:48 pm
Well, Bongo did those squirrels obey those ribbons? Those are pretty orange ribbons but we don’t think you should have to follow them. You go where you wanna go sweet friend. Hugs and nose kisses
Bongo
February 20, 2013 at 3:47 pm
Chancy, not only did those squirrels not obey those ribbons, they didn’t even come out for the race. I guess that’s okay though because that means they’re not out being pesky.
tylersat99
February 20, 2013 at 9:54 pm
Bongo you have had some really strange things on your trails this year. And snow again, what a strange year it has been. You get those pesky squirrels:-)
Bongo
February 20, 2013 at 10:00 pm
Lexie and Mica, for some reason those pesky squirrels don’t want to race this time of year. But we got more snow today.