She’s too unruly to compete for “Best-in-Show.”
She’s too much of a lap dog to race after a dog agility title.
And she’s way too pretty for “The World’s Ugliest Dog” contest in Petaluma.
However, she’s perfect for cuddling.
Daisy is also my walking buddy. I tweaked my ankle during a long run. Now, I’m trying to nurse it back to health with an ankle brace. That means less runs and more walks around the lake with the dog. She loves it.
After one of our walks, I spotted a crazy ball of fur bouncing around our street corner. I slowed down for the dog off leash and hoped Daisy didn’t make eye contact. The white puppy looked domesticated and high strung. A brown terrier also turned the corner.
My first priority was getting Daisy into the house and away from trouble. She’s nervous around small dogs and the white one had enough crazy in his eyes to do some damage. I told Daisy I would be back and I left her inside the house.
Then I went after the white puppy. He kept racing up to my neighbor’s house and barking at the door. I figured it wanted help getting back inside. My knocking startled the lady inside. I pointed out the dog off leash and she responded: “Hercules, you little shit!”
The little shit bounced into her arms and licked her face. I told my neighbor that a brown terrier was also on the loose. She said that must be her other foster dog. She handed over Hercules to me and conducted a barefoot search for the brown terrier.
No playful licks from Hercules. He couldn’t stop shaking in my arms. I bounced him like a baby and prayed he wouldn’t bite me. My neighbor called out that the dogs dug up a hole in the backyards.
“Little shits,” she muttered.
Eventually, she came back to the house with the brown terrier in her arms. We dumped both puppies into the house. She said thanks.
Now, there are signs that our neighborhood doesn’t welcome dogs. I’ve put up with motorcycles gunning their engines outside our door. I avoided calling the police on the garage band jamming while I’m trying to fall asleep for my graveyard shift. I said nothing about the chatty garden parties next door and the guest cars that blocked our garbage cans on the curve.
I was tempted to file complaints.
But I didn’t want to be a little shit.
Also – This is the first time I’ve been disappointed by my community.
Firstof all, it is correct. Daisy will never make it in the “ugliest contest”.
What you did was great and for all the actions, it takes character to do such. A good character.
Just remember what I read from My Daily Bread. And I quote, ” I see only too clearly how wonderful a virtue patience is. It is the key to peace, and even joy in time of troubles, dissapointments, sadness, when things go badly. Through the virtue of patience I can gain greater possesion of myself and easily see how to deal with the trials facing me”.
I guess it’s the aging that’s helping me on this, during my younger days, I used to not put up with every single thing that went wrong, now, I think, at least I always try to.
Anyway, thanks for the lovely gift from you and Mark for this day.
Be well,
Dad