Pianos are kinda scary. Maybe Smudgie was right.

For her birthday, Mommy wanted the piano fixed. Apparently they are supposed to be tuned every year, and we are at least thirty years too late on that one.

Some nice men came over, but me and Smudgie got locked upstairs. We barked and barked our helpful suggestions to the men, but I'm not sure they heard us very clearly.

Anyway, I heard something about fixing the cabinet, and that all the "felt" needed replacing...okay, I must admit, I know nothing about felt but it sounds tasty, so maybe we'll get to eat the old stuff.

Also, it needs tuning...I dunno...sounds okay to me.

Then he took all the "hammers" and stuff out and took it with him (the hammers and stuff, not the piano part that looks like a piano) to his shop to fix. It made Mommy sad. She says she'll lose whatever skills she's gained. I dunno. It all sounds good to me, and I think she plays very nicely. Mommy says thanks when I tell her that, but then insists on reminding me that, since I eat socks, my taste is in question. Harumph.

So, there we were (me and Smudgie, not me and Mommy), having a small bitey fight by the now empty, hollow piano, and Smudgie got a little big for his short little britches, and he barked at me.

And then the piano barked right back at him.

And he jumped, and he yelped, and he ran upstairs and hid in the corner behind the bed.

Poor Smudgie.

Daddy laughed at him. I heard him explain to Mommy that without all the piano "guts" Smudgie's bark echoed off the soundboard, and that's why the piano barked back. I guess it is kinda funny. But Smudgie sure didn't think so.

Now we're back to him being afraid of the piano again, which is too bad. He had finally gotten used to it, and Mommy really liked it when he slept by her feet while she played.

What a baby.

But, to be fair, ever since it barked back at Hudson I must admit I make sure to give it a little distance myself. No sense it taking any unnecessary risks after all.

Take care all, and keep an eye on your piano. You never know when it will strike next.

Rudy, who is not as high strung as Smudgie