Today I was sitting out on the front porch, minding my own business, chomping on a piece of corn, when Melly came out of the house carrying that thing that you see in the photo above. It’s cute enough, but what’s it doing on the porch? When Melly brought it home for the first time yesterday, it was seated quite placidly in the living room. Doesn’t really look like porch furniture, does it?

I believe this thing is called a stool. It is for humans to put their feet on when they are sitting in a chair and are too lazy to sit up enough for their feet to touch the ground. But, being a capybara, I guess I shouldn’t talk. Still, I can’t help but think that all that fancy embroidery is not going to hold up once the chickens see it.

I decided to investigate.

It doesn’t even smell like our house yet. Not like me or Oakley or the chickens or even my Rick or Melly. I think it smells like a distant land, maybe India or Idaho. Interesting.

That’s probably the prettiest thing on the front porch, other than me. (I’m including Melly in that, in case you were wondering.) Even so, it doesn’t fit the decor, which otherwise is either metal or pet beds. Why’d she bring it outside?

That stick with the funny ball on the end is my “training stick.” I use it to tell Melly that I want a treat. She isn’t the softest cushion on the sofa, but she has figured out that when I touch the stick with my nose, it is time for her to give me a treat. Right now, I was more interested in the strange smell of the stool than in food. I think maybe it smells like Colorado.

I am going to have to work harder on Melly’s training. I kind-of wanted a treat, not a lot but, you know, I could eat. But Melly kept putting the stick over the stool where I couldn’t reach it. I guess I could have put my front paws up there so I could reach those little balls with my nose, but it seemed like an awful lot of effort. Plus, I didn’t want to get the stool dirty, and you never know where these paws have been.

I wonder if it will keep that interesting smell forever or whether it will fade with time.

I guess I have my work cut out for me this weekend, teaching Melly to put the stick next to my nose so I can touch it. I’ll keep you posted on how that goes.