Thursday, April 22, 2010

Who's the parent?


Not in the womb, but shortly thereafter, I began making fun of old fat men with toy dogs. Now I'm am a dues paying member of that elite fraternity.

Charley, is Mrs. T's dog. She came with specific instructions that if it were cold, dark, inclement or inconvenient I could take care of her. I have a new best friend.

Several weeks go, she surprised me during her morning constitutional, with a head up, chest out gift of a hoof to ankle bone of one of the neighborhood deer. She was incredibly proud of herself. A quick search of the property yielded no other potential gifts.

Sunday afternoon, Mrs. T was away,the doors were open so the animals could come and go and the dogs outside, the papers were on my lap, a dumb movie was on the telly, and I tried valiantly to take a nap.

It was one of those afternoons, I'd just drift off and the phone would ring. It was one thing after another. I persevered though. Finally, dead to the world, all hell broke loose.

The dogs were, best as I could tell, on my chest reenacting the battle of Fredericksburg. Instead, Charley had found more deer bits. This time a rear haunch, and she wasn't sharing.

Attempting to separate the dogs from the bones was going to be a near death experience, and I wanted no part of it. Mrs. T came home, saw the carnage, and laid into poor innocent me. Who's the parent around here? If I've heard that once....

Brunswick stew anyone?

Toad

12 comments:

Karena said...

Too funny, how things do change. I remember moments of fun making and now, well.....

Karena
Art by Karena

James said...

Great photo of the noble lion dog. My wife's favorite quote was "One of you needs to be the adult" I haven't had Brunswick stew in ages. People here in the rust belt would think you were cooking bowling balls.

Suburban Princess said...

I ask my husband the same at least once a day...usually more since a toddler in the mix is so much more than he can handle! My Jack Russell more often than not takes over parenting duties.

Main Line Sportsman said...

re-enacting battle of Fredricksburg...LOL. great analogy.

David said...

Once we're fenced I would like to install a dog door so that Jack could spend his dotage comfortably, heading out to the yard as needed. My fear is that I'll come home to find that the much younger and faster Alex has bagged a few rabbits and brought them in to enjoy on the sofa.

Aren't you sort of proud of Charley for dragging in deer pieces that must be nearly the same size as she is!

Toad said...

David, the bone is much larger than Chuck. I'm more proud of her for defending her prize.

DAG said...

Toad - you made my afternoon with this story. I always said I wouldn't own a "purse" dog either. Now after the Westie and Springer Spaniel left us for a better place, we are the "parents" of a 5lb poodle. Now before you say "POODLE!" - check this out

http://wholekaboodle.blogspot.com/2010/01/coco-chanel-and-trad-pets.html

She doesn't look like a poodle. And she thinks she's bigger then she is - but what small dog doesn't.

DAG

Toad said...

Dag, Mrs. T would become as feisty as any little dog, if you tried the "we became pregnant" on her. She looks like a keeper, and I love the name.

Brian said...

It seems no matter what we are doing the Mrs. can always find a way to blame us.

house things said...

You napped while on duty? You'd be in big trouble at my house!

Toad said...

Kathleen, naps are my job

LPC said...

Hahahaha! But what a cute dog....