“Meet me at the oasis! Send your camel to bed! …” Why does that long-ago song continue to echo in her head? Echoes? There are no echoes in the desert!

She imagined herself to be a mighty and beautiful princess. As she traveled the desert on her camel, she mused, “Ya know, maybe that ancient woman Jezebel, from the Bible, wasn’t really such a bad person. If she were alive today, she’d probably be an ‘influencer’, or maybe a TV evangel …”

Mmmm! A desert prince was licking her ear! She squirmed gently in pleasure and giggled softly. Now her Bedouin bedmate was tugging on her nightgown! She slowly opened her eyes to behold …

Oh! It was her dog, Nathaniel Spaniel, telling her he wanted to go outside! She patted him affectionately as she got out of bed. The dog excitedly ran ahead of her to the door. In the dawn’s early light, he relished the chill of a September morn.

Rachel returned to her chamber to get dressed. Jeans, a flannel shirt, and running shoes. She paused [pawsed?] for a moment and gazed out the oriel window. Wow! That was quite a dream! And yet, wasn’t life better with a canine companion? Loyal, playful, affectionate! Trusting and trustworthy! Like a U.S. Marine, Semper fidelis! No man from a romance novel could measure up to a dog!

The raven-haired damsel grabbed a ball and went to join Nathaniel. They chased each other, played fetch, and simply reveled in the crisp morning air as they ran about. The cascabel on the dog’s collar jingled as he chased a squirrel. Rachel noticed the pimpernel flowers growing beneath the laurel bushes that lined the gravel carriageway. Although many gardeners considered these flowers to be weeds, the lass enjoyed their vibrant colors –not just scarlet, but blue and deep purple and even orange.

When they grew tired of their play, they returned to the house for breakfast. The dog eagerly ate his kibble; as he emptied his bowl, Rachel thought she really ought to buy the stuff by the barrel. The young woman enjoyed her bagel with a schmear and lox, along with freshly brewed Columbian coffee.

After their meal, Nathaniel, the vigilant sentinel, took his position at the oriel window, where he could watch the birds. Rachel glanced at the unfinished painting on her easel, then decided to take up a new romance novel.

Later that morning, when Rachel was immersed in a tale of dashing pirates, she was interrupted by Nathaniel’s whining. The dog put his front paws on her knee, he whimpered and tugged on her pant leg. She absentmindedly patted him and resumed her reading. He ran about the room, to the door, back tohis mistress, and to the door again. Rachel finally comprehended what he wanted; she let him out and then returned to her maritime adventure.

It wasn’t long before she finished her steamy-hot, ‘bodice-ripping’ romance novel. She set the book down and looked about the room. She spotted the empty bowl which this morning had been full of caramel candies. Hey, here’s another snack bowl with a few pretzel crumbs. And an empty highball glass. She sniffed the glass. When had she fixed herself a ‘Fuzzy Navel’ cocktail? And where’s Nathaniel?

She felt dazed and confused. Had she had more than one cocktail? She had to clear her head. She couldn’t continue stumbling around her chambers, wide-eyed, short of breath, and with her heart racing. Damn, that book was hot!! Time for a cold shower! Then a long, hot, relaxing one! Oh, she just wanted to wrap herself in a large, plush Turkish towel and lie down for a nap! “To sleep, perchance to dream!”

Rachel felt more like herself again after her shower. She even skipped her nap! In a little while, she became aware of some whining and of something scratching at the bottom panel of the front door. OMG, she had forgotten her dog! Nathaniel gave her a puzzled, hurt look and rushed to his water bowl.

That evening, Rachel battered and fried two mackerel fillets and ate them with falafel. Nathaniel dined on canned dog food. Then the two of them sat together while Rachel watched a movie on the telly.

Rachel slept soundly that night, with no erotic dreams of camels and desert princes. In the morning, she and Nathaniel followed their usual routine of some play time on the lawn followed by kibble and a bagel for brekkie. Then Rachel continued her work on an oil painting, a portrait of Nathaniel asleep by the oriel window. As she painted, she snacked on hazel nuts; she recalled the ancient Celtic tradition that these nuts gave one wisdom and inspiration.

Nathaniel stirred and leaped to his sentry post at the window. He gave a short bark, not of fear or of warning, but merely an announcement that someone was approaching the house. Rachel peered out the window. She saw a white van coming up the carriageway. Oh, it’s Daniel, the fishmonger. He stopped at the kitchen door and unloaded two baskets, one bushel of cockles and one bushel of mussels, alive, alive. OH!

Rachel decided to deal with dinner preparations later. Now, it was time for a walk with Nathaniel. She ambled down the hill to where the garden gnomes had been busy with a special landscaping project. Her dog stayed by her side or bounded ahead or lagged behind, displaying all the spirited energy of a young, untrained hunting dog. As she walked, she watched a kestrel hover at treetop height and then dive to capture a mouse or other small prey animal.