Am I eccentric? Yep, you bet I am! But really, dogs are totally comparable to children. I myself am an empty nester yet I'm sitting here on my lovely couch on a Friday night, listening to the fork I just ate with, tap, tap, tap on my steel coffee table. Milo, my Australian Shepherd is licking it, making sure he gets every last flavor of green beans off the tines. Annoying! Yes, that's right, Milo loves all food, and will eat all food: cabbage, peaches, green beans, you name it, he'll eat it. Even Tasha, my part Pug, part Australian Cattle Dog turns her nose up at most things Milo will eat in a flash...and Tasha lives for food. As I was saying, I'm sitting her on my lovely Maxwell sofa from Restoration Hardware and, if any of you are familiar with this sofa, you will know that it's the size of a single bed. But I'm perched right on the edge, as I share it with Lexy, my 13 year old American Eskimo, and Tasha.
At times, Milo will try to lunge up, ease up or get up here in any way he can, but I push him down. Again, the feelings of guilt come as he lay on the tile floor looking up at me with his fantastically beautiful blue eyes.....for God's sake!!!
Tomorrow is Saturday, I get to sleep later than 5:30. But I won't because Milo especially is in the habit of coming upstairs and jumping in the bed, using his nose to butt me like I'm a sheep he's trying to herd. He's wants action. He's slept most of the night and now he's ready to go. Fortunately I'm not a single parent when it comes to my "babies". My husband, after a loooooooooooong time, has grown very, very fond of our four legged children. As a matter of fact, he's grown especially fond of Tasha. Tasha is his girl.
So, having said that, it's story time. My husband is a good "daddy" to our dogs. He takes them on a 30 minute hike in the cool 6:30 a.m. morning. We live literally a two minute walk from a small mountain across the street and that is the stomping ground for the four of them. He, illegal as it may be, lets them off leash.
Lexy, who is 13 and deaf, stays close by and is no threat to anyone or anything. Tasha, who is just about two, runs like crazy, all over. And according to Phil, he doesn't let Milo off the leash too much yet because he still is so young. Even though he too is getting on his second year of life, he is fairly new to our family and we want to keep him safe. (aAthough he did get out once and came back when his fun was over, scratching at the front door to get in. Me....inside crying because I'd looked everywhere for him and he was nowhere to be seen.) My husband told me his experience today about his usual hike.
Tasha ran up to a young woman, (Tasha was NOT barking...as a matter of fact her tail was probably wagging..she loves to play with other dogs.) and the woman in a mean voice told Phil to get her (Tasha) away. Phil was going to put Tasha on a leash but before he could, the woman threw a rock at Tasha...SHE THREW A ROCK AT MY BABY...AT OUR BABY. My husband was shocked. My husband who is usually very mild mannered, at least to strangers, looked at her and matter of factly said, "You bitch....you fucking bitch." YES!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know...some may think right now that I'm crazy etc etc etc...but I'm soooo glad he said that. Tasha wouldn't hurt a fly. If you knew her, you'd see how very gentle she is. That woman WAS a btich. I am a momma bear for sure.
In memory of Murray!
How very true
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