Have spent several days now wondering about why I can not remember having a dog when we were growing up. We always had a bunch of mangy cats hanging around in the back yard and in the barn, but I can not remember any dog. We had Muscovy Ducks that were always making a mess where the sink drained out through a wall in the house and dumped the water in the back yard. Now there was one stinking mess if I remember right and I am pretty sure I do.
Now in the first place ducks are messy and Muscovy Ducks are the messiest ducks in the world. They are black and white. The males are very big and the hens are very small. I had 2 males and 2 females many years back, but they are anti-social and I think they killed one of my geese. Nobody home and in the pen but the geese and the ducks and there was the dead goose. They could fly. Most domesticated geese and ducks can not fly, but those suckers could. What this has to do with a dog is beyond me, but you do know how my little mind wanders.
So we had the Shetland pony that kicked brother Jake in the head, Danny the brown horse that no one could ride but Josephine, and a bunch of old work horses that were good for nothing but eating hay. Oh and the rabbits mother raised, but those were to eat. The milk cow was not really a pet. The cats were what is known as "feral" which meant they were born in the wild, raised in the wild and no way in hell were you going to pet one of them. Try and you could lose a finger or an eye and usually both.
As I recall the only people on the block who had a dog was the Rienke family. They had a white dog with brown spots. I think his name was Spot. His life was spent on the end of a chain where he spent the day barking and the only time he quit barking was when he was wolfing down his dinner. Thinking back there were not many dogs in the town of Nickerson. Walking home from school, I know the Redford family had a big, mean dog that was on a chain on the clothes line. Ever so often he would escape and we would see him running through town dragging his chain behind him. Used to scare the living pee waddin' out of me because I knew if he seen me he would eat me, but thank heavens he never did.
Maybe if I had been able to have a dog to play with I would be better adjusted today. I guess there is really no way of finding out. I know as soon as I met my first husband he gave me a little Chihuahua puppy and I have had dogs ever since. I have two dogs and a cat now. I have got to try to outlive them, because they would not know how to act if they went to a home where they were not rulers of the roost. When we go to bed I have to put 5 cat treats on the dresser for Icarus. Then I give Daisy a Milk bone and then Elvira a Milk bone. Then I turn out the light and crawl into bed with Icarus protecting me and the dogs run out for a short bark at the moon before they fall asleep.
Thinking back, I bet we never had a dog because every scrap of food had some one's name on it. The whole country was in a depression so food was scarce everywhere. But then there was this picture.
Now in the first place ducks are messy and Muscovy Ducks are the messiest ducks in the world. They are black and white. The males are very big and the hens are very small. I had 2 males and 2 females many years back, but they are anti-social and I think they killed one of my geese. Nobody home and in the pen but the geese and the ducks and there was the dead goose. They could fly. Most domesticated geese and ducks can not fly, but those suckers could. What this has to do with a dog is beyond me, but you do know how my little mind wanders.
So we had the Shetland pony that kicked brother Jake in the head, Danny the brown horse that no one could ride but Josephine, and a bunch of old work horses that were good for nothing but eating hay. Oh and the rabbits mother raised, but those were to eat. The milk cow was not really a pet. The cats were what is known as "feral" which meant they were born in the wild, raised in the wild and no way in hell were you going to pet one of them. Try and you could lose a finger or an eye and usually both.
As I recall the only people on the block who had a dog was the Rienke family. They had a white dog with brown spots. I think his name was Spot. His life was spent on the end of a chain where he spent the day barking and the only time he quit barking was when he was wolfing down his dinner. Thinking back there were not many dogs in the town of Nickerson. Walking home from school, I know the Redford family had a big, mean dog that was on a chain on the clothes line. Ever so often he would escape and we would see him running through town dragging his chain behind him. Used to scare the living pee waddin' out of me because I knew if he seen me he would eat me, but thank heavens he never did.
Maybe if I had been able to have a dog to play with I would be better adjusted today. I guess there is really no way of finding out. I know as soon as I met my first husband he gave me a little Chihuahua puppy and I have had dogs ever since. I have two dogs and a cat now. I have got to try to outlive them, because they would not know how to act if they went to a home where they were not rulers of the roost. When we go to bed I have to put 5 cat treats on the dresser for Icarus. Then I give Daisy a Milk bone and then Elvira a Milk bone. Then I turn out the light and crawl into bed with Icarus protecting me and the dogs run out for a short bark at the moon before they fall asleep.
Thinking back, I bet we never had a dog because every scrap of food had some one's name on it. The whole country was in a depression so food was scarce everywhere. But then there was this picture.
There is my mother with a black dog. I think my dad did not like dogs. Whatever, it is a mystery that I can not solve since no one is around to guide me. Maybe I had a dog and maybe it lived outside, so I forgot about it. Yes! I bet that is it. I will stick to that story because I like it. I bet he was a Collie dog and his name was Rover! Oh, finally, I will be able to sleep tonight.
I miss Rover.
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