View from the North 40: Crosswise coping mechanisms

My dog and cat have entered into the next phase of our big, life-changing, house project with all the emotional balance and fortitude of your average neurotic, cross-species, counter-crosswise twins.

The beginning of this adventure saw the cat happy that we were spending time up at the shop, but the dog angry because he wanted to be in the comfort of his home.

It didn’t help that every time we put down a bed for the dog to lie on, the cat would strut across the floor, put one foot on the bed, give the dog a yellow-eyed crazy stare and reach his other paw out toward the him, like “I'm...