Memorial To Mandy

This is my memorial to Mandy, my roommate's dog that was struck and killed by a car a few days ago. Mandy was a beautiful and sweet dog that was always happy to see me every time I came home. She wanted to be petted and loved as soon as I walked through the door. Mandy was always vsitting on the cushion of the loveseat like that was where she was supposed to be. She loved her treats and her belly rubs and she loved to run through the fields and the woods, her tongue hanging out as she flew through the woods past me and Molly. She looked like a gazelle hopping over fallen trees and brush as she bounced down the hill and dove into the creek.

I will truly miss Mandy and Molly hates to adnit it, but she will too. She always let Molly have her way and take the lead as long as Mandy got to be included too. Mandy loved going after my feet especially when I had my socks off. She would lay under the coffee table and wait to attck and that was just many of the games we played that made us both laugh, the laughter only a man and dog can share. RIP Mandy, I am going to miss you!

A Dog Owner's Worst Nightmare

My roommate received the worst news a dog owner can possibly hear this morning. He received a phone call that his dog had been found by the side of the road. She had evidently been struck and killed by a car. The man that called was a local Sheriff's Deputy and he brought her body to us. I had already started digging a grave. It provided my roommate with closure and Mandy was allowed to come home. It wasn't the way we wanted her to. I do not know of a dog's prayer. I shed many tears and it is a very sad day in my household.

Molly's Christmas

What do you get the dog that has just about everything? She has a nice pet bed (although she prefers my bed), she has a nice food bowl and water dish (that a stripper friend of mine bought her one year), and endless supply of dog treats and bones, and lots of attention.

I went with a new dog collar and a leash. Molly needed some bling in her wardrobe and now she has got it. Putting her new collar on her will be the trick but I am going to have to suck it up and put it on her. Merry Christmas to Molly!

Missing

This is the hardest blog for me to write. My roommate's dog and Molly's "adopted" sister, Mandy, went missing on the day before Christmas Eve. I hope for a positive outcome but I am fearing the worst.

She ran off one morning cruising the neighborhood which she loved to do and has not been seen since. Mandy loved to run. It was the run of something that is completely free and can run with the wind. On mine and Molly's nature walks would run by us as hard as she could go, tongue wagging, hair flying, and a joy on her face that comes from being able to run free.

Mandy is such a beautiful, sweet dog that has a lot of puppy left in her. I cannot bring myself to believe that someone would do her intentional harm. My roommate posted an ad in the paper and I look everytime I go outside.

The Red Foreman Of The Dog Kingdom

A friend of mine that is a fellow dog owner and I were talking this afternoon and she was telling me that her dog was always in a good mood and she was always very playful and that kind of thing. That is pretty much the exact opposite of Molly.

I compare Molly to the character Red Foreman on That 70's Show. Molly is very opinionated and will let you know exactly what she thinks of you and what is on her mind. I can see Molly looking at people and and I know if she could talk, she would be saying "Dumbass!" in her best Red Foreman imitation. She would also be more than willing to stick her paw in their ass.

A Trail Most Traveled

Molly and I have managed to forge our own trail through the woods to the creek on our daily walks. It has turned into a pretty well beaten path by now. The walk down is the easy part and the walk up is a little bit worse. Molly has the opportunity to get a lot of sniffing in and every once in a while we will take the path much less traveled and cut across the woods. There are a lot more briars in that direction. Molly can navigate those pretty easily, me, not so much.

Every once in a while our roommate's dog, Mandy, will join us but she is not so much into nature walks as she is into nature gallops. She does everything on the run and at full speed. She does like to take a plunge into the creek for a quick bath and a drink of mountain fresh water. Maybe one of these days real soon, I will figure out how to operate my camera and take some pics of our nature walks.

A Treat Filled Stocking

All Molly wants for Christmas is a treat filled stocking and she believes that all dogs should have the same. Christmas is also a time to count your blessings and Molly is no different. Molly is blessed with a warm bed and a roof over her head, a bottomless food bowl and water dish, and all the attention and companionship she wants, and a walk in the fresh air whenever she wants to go.

I have been blessed with the friendship of numerous dogs over the past few years that are kindred spirits of Molly's. Hunley, Maisy, Trixie, Bear and Zoe all come to mind. I miss Hunley's throaty bark, his Bob Marley hair, and the walks we used to take. Molly wishes you all a very Merry Christmas and that you pay your blessings forward to the next generation.

The Christmas Spirit

I have had a hard time getting into the Christmas Spirit this year. When you have worked in retail as I have the past 26 years, it gets harder and harder every year. I usually buy Molly something for Christmas and that always helps me get more into the season.

I went into Petco yesterday afternoon on my way back from the Doctor and I saw a collar that I knew would be perfect from Molly. It had some bling on it and her collar is getting kind of old. I always buy her some stocking stuffers, mostly treats (she is too "mature" for toys), and Molly always finds some way to get on Santa's Good list.

"You're In My Spot"

I borrowed the title of this blog from the character Sheldon from the television show The Big Bang Theory and Molly is a firm believer in this philosophy. My girlfriend came over to "watch" the Panthers game with me today (I say watched but she actually slept through most of it which is quite a feat considering all of my screaming at the TV).

My girlfriend was all curled up on the bed and Molly wanted to take a nap as well. She crawled up on the bed and slowly worked her way up the bed until she owned over three-fourths of the bed space. My girlfriend was scrunched up against the wall while Molly was sprawled out and snoring. Molly did the same thing to me the other night so I know how my girlfriend felt when she woke up curled up like a pretzel. Molly knows how to take what she wants.

Mandy The Deer Hunter

My roommate's dog Mandy brought something home this morning that even Molly has not pulled off before. Mandy brought home the antlers off an 8 point buck and we have no idea where she got them. We are guessing that she stole them from someone in the neighborhood but if I know deer hunters like I think I do, then Mandy did not come by these antlers easily and she is lucky she did not get shot in the process.

I tagged Mandy with the nickname "The Black Streak" because she is jet black with a white sock on one foot, a white star on her chest, and she runs everywhere she goes. I mean on the fly run. Mandy was acting very strangely yesterday and I remember my Dad always telling me that if a dog ever caught the scent of a deer, they were hard to pull off of them until they tracked it down. Mandy may have just proved that theory.

Biscuits Under The Butt

This is a story from Molly's early years. Molly has always horded her food so she could save it for later. The item she especially liked to hide was her Ol' Roy dog biscuits from Wal-Mart. There was one Saturday morning my ex-wife was laying in bed sound asleep and I gave Molly her customary morning treats. My ex was covered up with just a sheet so Molly gently pulls the sheet back with her teeth, tucks her dog biscuits ever so gently under my ex's butt, and packs them back down with the sheet to make sure they were well hidden.

My ex woke up about 30 minutes later and could not understand how the dog biscuits got on the bed and Molly could not understand how my ex found her biscuits. I was laughing so hard which I think pissed both of them off. I tried explaining to Kathy what happened but I do not think she believed me.

Thanksgiving

Molly is thankful for many things:
An owner who loves and takes care of her
A nice warm bed to sleep in.
Food and treats to eat
A place to run and play
Woods to walk in
A roommate she likes
An owner who looks out for the well being of all animals

The Fart Hound

New dog breeds are recognized every year by the American Kennel Club and some breeds have become quite popular in the United States. I do not know the process you have to go through to have a new breed recognized but I would like to nominate Molly as a Fart Hound. She has the ability to fart while napping and never waking up while my eyes water and the paint peels off the wall and the ability to lick her butt right after she farts (Molly refers to that as recycling). Molly also has the ability to scare herself with the noise of one of her own farts so bad that she jumps up and leaves the room. The fart either scares her or she knows that one is really going to stink. Molly finally has the ability to snore and fart at the same time without her stomach imploding from the amount of air leaving both ends of her body. So how about it American Kennel Club? Can Molly get some love (with a clothes pin for the nose) as a Fart Hound?

Through The Woods

Molly and I have managed to forge our own walking trail through the woods near my house and it is a nice little nature walk for both of us. It is much easier to walk through the woods in the Fall and Winter when you do not have to worry about snakes and other scary creatures. All you can hear is the rustling of the leaves as we walk the trail and the running of the water in the creek at the bottom of the hill. I will admit that going downhill is much easier than going up hill but Molly and me are not as young as we used to be.

Afternoons Like This

I believe God made afternoons like this for a man and his dog. I had an absolutely brutal day at work but it was a beautiful afternoon and Molly was waiting on me when I got home. Molly met me at the barn and I gave her a ride to the house so we could take our afternoon walk. I went in the house and grabbed her official Appalachian State University leash, hooked her up, and away we went. We always start out by walking down to the barn and take it from there.

We find our trail that leads us through the woods and it was such a beautiful afternoon. The temperature was in the low 60's, no breeze to speak of, and crystal clear azure blue skies. There is no better sound in the world than the leaves crunching under your feet and hearing the creek down below. The fall colors are still pretty vibrant and Molly and I always find something new that we have never seen before. We went and checked out the cottage I am going to be moving into and I have such grand plans. I hope Molly makes it long enough to enjoy it.

The First Snow of Winter 2014-15

Molly loves the snow. There is nothing better in the world than taking an early morning walk in the snow with Molly. Everything is fresh and clean and it is me alone with my thoughts and Molly alone with all of her smells. She smells everything. Molly and I are both nearing the end of our lives and it is moments like these that I will remember the most. Molly has been beside me for ever step of the journey and it is fitting that we are winding it down together, side-by-side, and step-by-step. I would not have it any other way.

Trust The Dog

I believe there has to be a level of trust betweem an owner and his dog. I had to leave my dog Molly with my roommate last week because I had to go out of town. I had to trust Molly to do the right thing and to not stage some sort of jail break.

My roommate is an alcoholic. I have to admit that I was very nervous about leaving Molly with him. Molly doesn't take up with many people but she has really taken up with my roommate for whatever reason. Maybe Molly realizes he has problems and is trying to help him out in her own way and looking out for him.

I came home a day later and my roommate was out walking her on his leash and Molly was straining at her leash to see me. My roommate took good care of her. He took Molly on long walks around the neighborhood and Molly got him to do things I had never known him to do. Molly can be very influential when she wants to be.

Dogs And Relationships

My girlfriend and I broke up the other day and Molly was the first "person" I talked to when I came back up the mountain. She knows more about my relationships than I think even I do. My "conversation" with Molly went something like this:

Molly, me and my girlfriend just broke up.
Good. I didn't like her anyway.
What? You didn't like her?
No. How many times did I have to bite her before you figured it out?
Evidently a lot.
Don't be bringing around any other women for a while. This is my house.
Yes it is. I did not know I needed your approval.
You do. This is my house and Molly's World.

Molly Survived The Vet

Molly survived her visit to the Vet but I don't know if I did. Vets are not cheap. Molly got her yearly check up and shots, a blood test, and had a brawl with the Vet. It was a typical Vet visit for us.

The poor man that came out of the Vet's office right as we were going in did not have such a good visit. The tears were streaming down his face and he was carrying a cardboard box. The cardboard box was the final resting place of his beloved chihuahua. My heart and every bit of compassion in it went out to that man. It is every pet owner's worst nightmare. He was by himself and there was nothing I could do or say so I left him alone to his thoughts and let him gtieve in his own way.

One Sick Molly

Molly is not feeling well at all. She has had diarrhea for about a day now and when she woke up this morning, she was vomiting. She has also been eating a lot of grass. Molly has to go to the Vet today to get her yearly shots so we are just going to make it an all inclusive visit.

Molly is over 12 years old now. The bad thing about owning any pet is that they eventually die. Most people, and I will probably be one of them, handle the death of a close family member better than they do the death of their pet. Molly has been through it all with me. The good times and the bad, we have moved six different times, and we have shared all of it. We have had so many adventures and that is how Molly's World came about. I wanted to try to see the world through her eyes and to give her a voice in my life.

I just hope I am brave enough to know and understand when continuing to live is doing her more harm than good and I can put her needs above any emotional pain that I may feel. Molly has had the courage and the strength to stand beside me when I needed her the most and now it is my turn to do it for her.

Rainy Days And Monday's

I believe it was the Carpenter's that sang "Rainy days and Monday's always get me down..." Molly won't even go out in the wet grass now as I practically had to drag her off the porch this morning. She was acting like a balky old mule as she set her feet in the ground and refused to move. As she is getting on in years, she is losing some of her strength which is good for me. After a brief battle Molly reluctantly agreed to take her walk. It was much easier getting her back in the house.

The Worst Chaperone Ever

Molly's extreme jealousy hinders her chaperoning abilities. When my girlfriend comes over she has to squeeze her way in between us to make sure no hanky panky is going on. Last night we were just going to stretch out on the bed and watch a few episodes of The Dead Zone. My girlfriend and I beat Molly to the punch and stretched out on the bed and and would not let her squeeze in between us.

Not to be deterred in her duties as chaperone, Molly crawled up onto the corner of the bed and cuts this eye watering, nose hair burning fart that was sure to deter any amorous intentions either one of us may have had. Her work done, Molly hopped off the bed and stretched out in the floor where the air was much fresher, I am sure. Molly qualifies as the worst chaperone ever but she might qualify as the most original.

That's Mine

Molly has drawn her line in the sand at the threshold to my bedroom door. Her roommate mandy is not allowed to cross that line or there is a price to be paid. That price usually involves a lot of showing of teeth, growling, and some occasional biting.

Molly is a real slob when it comes to eating. There is usually food left on the floor whenever she gets through eating. Last night an interesting scene unfolded. Molly left a kernel of food near the threshold of my bedroom door. Mandy walks up to the line and starts eyeing that nugget of food. Molly has her back completely turned to Mandy and she is washing herself. Mandy keeps cutting here eyes at Molly to see if she is paying attention. This went on for about 30 seconds until Mandy decided that it was safe to snatch that morsel up. As soon as Mandy stepped into the bedroom, Molly whirled around and chased her back out. Molly was paying much more attention than she let on and she quickly let Mandy know that "That is my food!"

I Am Not Going Out There

Molly has never been a big fan of thunderstorms or the rain but now she doesn't even like to go outside if the ground is wet. I have to drag her kicking and growling.

The other morning I took her outside for her pre-work walk and it had rained during the night. I had to pull her off the front porch and then she tiptoed through the wet grass like she was walking through a mine field. Molly is too big for me to carry around in my arms although I am sure Molly would now be open to that idea.

Creatures Of The Night

I remember as a small boy one of the first books ever read to me was the children's book Where The Wild Things Are. Molly and I are here to tell you that the wild things are in the woods at 5 AM in the morning. I took Molly for her normal pre-work walk early this morning and the woods were full of life. Things were falling on the ground, bouncing off the roof, leaves were rustling, and Molly could have cared less.

A couple of months ago I started carrying my roommates' night vision binoculars with me when I went out at night and the green glow only feeds my paranoia although Molly looks kind of funky with a green glow surrounding her. Once again, she could care less because she really doesn't like taking a dump with a green spotlight on her.

We Must Protect This House

I was getting ready to turn out the lights and go to bed last night and I happened to look out of my bedroom window. I see something that looked like a flashlight bobbing up and down in the front yard. I immediately think someone is trying to find a way to break in or something worse so I open up my drawer in my nightstand and pull out my pistol and inserted a clip just in case I needed it. I look over at my fierce and dependable dog Molly and she never even woke up. I would be willing to bet that if someone tried to break in and steal her dog treats she would be ready to whoop some ass. Who needs Smith & Wesson when I have the canine Rip Van Winkle?

Right At Home

Molly has been bounced around so much lately she is developing the ability to make herself right at home no matter where she is at. She has lived in an apartment, she has lived in a house, and she has stayed in a cabin, all in the past two months. Molly exercises a "right of ownership" no matter who's house she is in. I pack me and her a suitcase and off we go. There is a certain amount of cool that goes with being a nomad, being able to drop whatever you are doing and be in a different town within an hour. Molly loves to ride and she loves the sense of adventure that comes with it. I believe that Molly likes the cabin called Ralph's Place most of all. There is a tremendous amount of freedom for both of us when we go there and that is a very liberating feeling.

This Is The Life

Molly, my girlfriend, and I had a quick one night getaway at a cabin near TR called Ralph's Place. Molly really likes it mainly because she gets to go with me and I do not have to put her in a kennel. Molly also likes it because she has the run of the house to herself. It has a big, comfortable couch that Molly can actually get up on without my assistance and it also has a king size bed. Molly does need my help getting up on it and as big as that bed is, Molly still somehow manages to hog the bed. I tried to get her to just take a corner of the bed, but she insisted on getting right in the middle and sprawling out. Molly likes being a diva just because she can.

The Next Generation

I see a lot of Molly in Mandy, Molly's young pup of a roommate. She is full of energy, she is very playful, and she likes to run everywhere she goes. Mandy likes to run because she can. I will take Molly on walks and mandy will literally run circles around us. She likes to tease Molly. When Mandy runs by Molly will snap at her but she is too old to give chase. Mandy is smart enough to keep her distance but she also keeps thumbing her nose at Molly but it is all in fun. At least Mandy is enjoying herself but Molly has begrudgingly accepted Mandy.

Goats Are Not Friendly Animals

Over the years Molly and I have been together, we have had run ins with all sorts of animals. We have had spats with dogs, cats, rodents of all kinds, snakes, bees, chickens and after today we can add goats to the list. I took Molly on her afternoon walk and we ran into one of the goats that lived on the property. He acted friendly enough but when we got closer to the goat, the more hornery he acted. Molly just wanted to check him out and he kept lowering his head like he was going to head butt her. The goats horns were about 3 or 4 inches long and I thought that might be kind of painful. I hustled Molly into the house and thought we might want to avoid the goat now and in the future.

A Dog's Ability To Adapt

A dog has an amazing ability to adapt to anything that is thrown at it. Molly's eyesight has been declining for quite some time now. She got to the point to where she was afraid to jump on the bed because she couldn't see well enough to judge the jump. She started walking up to the bed and putting her front legs and torso up on the bed and used her back legs to climb with. She still gets on the bed and doesn't have to jump. Molly also uses me as a "seeing eye human" for our walks outside in the darkness. She trusts me well enough to let me lead the way. A dog seems to say "I have to do it this way to survive" whereas as a lot of humans seem to say "I can't change the way I have done it my whole life." We could learn a lot from our four-legged friends.

Pops and Dogs

Today would have been my Father's 78th birthday and in honor of this day, this blog is dedicated to him and his love of dogs. Pops never met a dog he didn't like but I have the one dog on the planet that did not like him laying right here beside me. Pops knew the nature of dogs and could tell if one was going to be a "good" dog or not just by being around it for about 15 minutes. Pops could also work with a dog for about 30 minutes and he could have it singing and dancing. David Letterman's "Stupid Pet Tricks" was created with my father in mind. Pops lifelong love affair with dogs began early on in life when he was training his own hunting dogs when he was about 7 years old. I was looking at some old family pictures taken when I was a young boy and in just about every picture there was either a family dog (usually a Poodle named Midnight) or one of my Dad's hunting dogs. When I got old enough to go bird hunting with my Father I made the conscious decision to not carry a gun because I did not believe in killing other living things (except a spider or a snake- there are exceptions to every rule) but I loved watching my dad work with his dogs. Towards the end of his life, the perfect day for him was one spent with his dogs. As I get later on in my life, I can see that he might be right.

There Is Something Out Here

I took Molly out for her very early morning walk this morning at about 4:30 and Molly immediately picked up on the scent of something. I knew it had to be something different and something big because of the way she was reacting. She is around chickens and ducks all of the time and although she does like chicken, she doesn't start tracking it like this. It was dark, I was real clo0se to the woods, and I suddenly felt very uncomfortable being out in the open and exposed like that. I hustled Molly back into the house because I really had no desire to know what was out there. I am thinking a Bobcat or something that could slap all of the ass off of me and Molly. We like our ass right where it is at. I went out later in the morning and something had really tore up the ground out where we were so I will have to be on my guard for a little while.

A Challenge

Molly has challenged me. This is not the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge that has been sweeping the Social Media Nation. I just saw a Petco commercial that was about your pet challenging their owner to be more and to do more. Molly has always challenged me. She challenges me to get up every morning and take her for a walk, to get up when I don't feel well and play with her, to smile and laugh when I do not want to, and to be a better person. Molly has also challenged me to share more- share more of my pizza, share more of the bed, share more of my dinner- and you get the picture. To make me a better person is a lot of responsibility for Molly to take on. She accomplishes all of this with a few woofs and a wag of the tail.

It Tastes Like Chicken

As Molly has gotten more comfortable in her new residence, she has started paying more attention to her surroundings, namely the chickens that reside here on "the Farm." There are some exotic breeds of chickens that live here and one particular breed looks like the poultry version of Don King with some James Brown hot pants on. I took to calling one of them Disco Don. Either Molly is a lot quicker than I give her credit for or Disco Don did not think Molly was a threat but she got close enough to him to rip all of his tailfeathers out with her teeth. That is the closest Molly has come to the KFC buffet and a whole lot closer than I wanted her to become.

The Doggy Obstacle Course

At any point and time during the day, I can walk through my living room and I have two dogs sprawled out on the living room floor. It resembles one of the standard scenes from the old television show Hee Haw where the dogs are laying out on the porch and the two guys are sitting in their chairs giving their philosophy about life. To get anwhere in the living room I have to step over the dogs without stomping on them. God knows I would not want to wake them up. I refer to the old adage "Let sleeping dogs lie" especially in Molly's case.

Golfers Never Take A Dog

Mark Twain said "Golf is a good walk spoiled." That is because Mark Twain probably never took a dog with him. Golf clubs or not I do not think it is possible to spoil a good walk with a dog. A dog treats life the way you would like to. If a dog sees something it doesn't like, it takes a whiz on it. If it is real bad, it takes a dump on it. If a golfer took a dog and he hit a bad shot, the dog could take a whiz on the golf club. Molly doesn't like going to the vet so she makes sure she makes her displeasure known by taking a dump on his examination room floor. This is of course after she whizzes on all of his bushes outside. She really does not like the vet. I had a German Shorthair that took a whiz on my neighbor's Pit Bull one time. Max thought the Pit Bull was thirsty and wanted to help him quench his thirst. I wish I could make statements like that on things that displease me.

A Jealous Beast

Molly is by nature a jealous beast with the emphasis on beast. If I pet another dog she gets pissed. If I pet the cat she gets pissed. If I snuggle up with my girlfriend, she really gets pissed. It has gotten to the point that Molly is using my girlfriend as her personal chew toy although, I am pretty sure chew toys do not bleed. The only acceptable solution (at least to Molly) is that all of my attention is to be directed towards Molly at all times. That solution does not sit too well with my girlfriend however, so I have come up with another solution. When it is me and Molly by ourselves, Molly will get my undivided attention and when the girlfriend is around, Molly will have to share.

The Things Molly Would Say

My girlfriend and I were talking last night and I told her that i talked to Molly all of the time and I followed that up with "It's a good thing Molly can't talk." We then started discussing what Molly would possibly say. My girlfriend had a totally different perspective because she thinks Molly does not like her. It doesn't help that Molly may have taken a bite or two out of her. She thinks Molly might say something like "I'm going to act real friendly towards you then bite you on the hand," or "I am not going to let you pet me no matter how cute you say I am." Molly cannot tell all of my secrets because there is some sort of law about how your dog cannot incriminate its owner or something but I believe Molly would say stuff like "Take a whiff of that one!" and "Dan, Did you know we are out of treats?" and "Dan, Mandy (Molly's new roommate) is a dumbass/candyass/ lazyass/ smelly/ass egg sucking dog!" These are just some of the several thousand things she would probably come up with.

A Football Dog

Molly is a good dog to watch sports with. She woofs at the TV at the appropriate time, growls at the officials when they make a bad call. she paces during the commercials, and she only needs out at halftime. She also knows how to dodge flying objects which is probably the most important thing of all when it comes to watching any sports with me. She really likes UNC Tarheel basketball and Seattle Seahawks football. She really doesn't understand baseball and thinks it's boring. She doesn't know why the players don't stop and chew on the baseball for a while after they catch it or why they do not allow dogs on the field to enjoy a good game of catch.

Getting Mellow

Molly must be mellowing in her old age. Molly and the new roommie are bonding quite nicely and Molly actually looks forward to seeing her everyday. That does not mean that Mandy is worry free from getting snapped at once in a while and she is going to annoy the hell out of Molly but they have managed to meet in the middle somewhere. It is kind of refreshing to see. Molly and Mandy go out onto the balcony together and they lay on the carpet in the living room together so Molly is more accepting of her "sister" than when she first moved in.

Staking Her Claim

Throughout history people have been able to stake their claim to various pieces of land. The Gold Prospectors did it during the Gold Rush and Homesteaders did it in the Midwest after the Homestead Act in the mid-19th century. Dogs also do it but they may take it a little more seriously. I know Molly does and I have the nip marks to prove it. Molly usually stakes her claim in the middle of my bed and dares anyone to move her. If someone tries to move her, then someone is going to bleed and Molly is not particular as to who. Molly draws her line in the sand, circles the wagons, or however you want to phrase it, and that is it. I got nipped the other night when I tried moving her. Molly likes to fire "warning shots." I hate to see what would happen if she was really pissed.

The Flea Bag Sisterhood

There was a movie that came out several years ago entitled The Traveling Pants of the Ya Ya Sisterhood. As Molly has come to begrudgingly accept her new roommate Mandy, they have kind of formed a Flea Bag Sisterhood. They hang out together a little bit more now, they look out for each other, and they have formed a bond that is a result of mutual interests (mainly a mutual bag of food and water dish.) Molly has even started letting my roommate Tim take her on walkls and she has even opened herself up to the concept of letting someone else pet her. Molly needed to form a bond like this and she even celebrated Mandy's first birthday with her the other night but Molly is not going to wear a party hat for anyone.

Hunley

My girlfriend owns a Husky/Chow mix named Hunley (named after the CSS Hunley that was being raised when she lived in Charleston, SC) and he is the opposite of Molly. He is a little bit older than Molly but he is about as laid back as a dog can get. His hair is all over the place (we all know a kid from school whose hair was always messed up no matter what he did), he has a deep throaty bark, and has a very playful personality. Hunley has kind of adopted me when I visit and I always try to make sure I take him for a walk when I go down there and we have bonded over the course of the past 5 1/2 weeks. He even decided to jump up on the bed one day and lay beside me while I was stretched out. I think him and Molly may even get along one day.

Molly's Roommate

When I moved 5 1/2 weeks ago Molly acquired a new roommate named mandy. Mandy is about a year old and she is a Cocker Spaniel mix and all puppy. That got on Molly's nerv es for a while but I believe that Molly has begrudgingly began to accept her as part of the family. mandy accepted me almost immediately and Mandy grew up with ten other dogs and she can't understand why Molly doesn't want to play. Molly did about have a chicken dinner this afternoon and my roommate about got caught in the crossfire. A younger Molly would have gotten the chicken and the chicken owes us me a personal thank you.

The Animal Farm

Molly and I finally got moved. Molly has had a tough adjustment period. We have een living here for about three weeks now. One of Molly's first introductions was to Charmander the cat. Charmander was bound and determined that Molly and her were going to be friends. She came running up to Molly when Molly was trying to do her business and that wasn't going to work. Molly was kind of like "What the hell! I'm kind of busy here!"

People And Their Pets

I have always heard that pets get a lot of their personality from their owners. As I have started to date more over the past couple of years, I have started watching womens animals more and more to try to "match" personality characteristics and to see if I can figure out if me and a woman are going to be compatible through their animals. I have also found that a woman that doesn't have an animal at all is going to be the least compatible. Mine and Molly's personalities are a lot alike which may not speak much for my ability to stand out at social functions. Molly is a loner, more than content to be by herself or with a sole companion. She can make friends if she has to but would most of the time prefer not to. She keeps her guard up at all times and fiercely protective of the ones she is loyal to. She is also very loving of the ones she is loyal to. In other words, she is a one person dog, exactly like me.

Hey Jealousy

The Rock group The Gin Blossoms sang a song called "Hey Jealousy" that I think could have been written about Molly. She is the most jealous dog I have ever known. She doesn't want anyone else near me, talking to me, or even think about touching me. She is funny that way. I made the mistake of not socializing Molly when she was a puppy and she grew up thinking our social world existed of three people- me, Molly, and my now ex-wife. Her world did not expand much outside of that and she let everyone know when they crossed a border they shouldn't have crossed. Even now, Molly is like an old Buckingham Palace Guard. You are not going to get a smile out of her.

A Bologna And Cheese Sandwich

Molly has picked up a bad case of fleas from the flea bags that live in my apartment complex. With so many dogs, such a confined living space, and with the weather being a factor, that is going to happen. Add in the fact that some dog owners do not take care of their dogs like I do Molly, and you have an itching, scratching disaster. I am lucky in the respect that I pretty much live right across the street from a Vet's office that will sell me flea medication without seeing Molly. I picked some up yesterday afternoon and Molly hates taking her meds. I tried giving it to her in bologna (she would chew the corner off the bologna and spit out the pill), I tried bread (same result), and finally some good old American sliced cheese did the trick. I was getting frustrated but Molly got what amounted to a bologna sandwich out of it.

Evolution

I am not talking about evolution from the biblical perspective but from where the cats now think they can beat a dog's ass perspective. Molly and I ran into another cat this morning on our walk and the cat was fully prepared to come out swinging. He was under a truck and Molly sensed he was there and all I heard was a growl that sounded like a 454 under the truck's hood. He hissed just to let us know that one wrong move, he was going to slap all of the ass off of both of us. We made the collective decision to turn around and go the other way... Do cats not know that cats have been chased and slapped around by dogs for centuries? Are we dealing with a genetically altered "super cat"? What happened to the days of the Sylvester the Cat cartoons where the cat knew and respected dogs?

Molly The Helper

I am busy packing and preparing to move and Molly wants to help as much as possible. If I am working in one room and keep going from room to room, Molly makes sure she lays right in the door way to make sure that I notice her. I notice her every time I trip over her, have to make her move, or step on her. I will probably have to put her in the kennel the weekend that I move. She likes to walk in to familiar surroundings and so if I already have "her" room set up, she will immediately find herself right at home. A big yard and woods to play in, other dogs to growl and woof at, and she should be Miss Congeniality from the get go this time around.

A Black Cat

For centuries black cats have signified bad luck. Molly and I ran across one this afternoon on our walk and this cat signified malicious intent. I could tell Molly had sensed something in the area because of the way she was acting. That was about the time we walked up on this black cat on the sidewalk. It wasd solid black with green eyes and just looked like a long haired domestic cat. Most cats have the good sense to run from Molly like there hair is on fire but not this one. This cat looked at us like it was going to slap all of the ass off of both of us. Molly and I took off running and I will swear that this cat chased us across the parking lot. We lost a lot of face in the eyes of our neighbors because a man and his dog was running from a cat, but they did not see the look in this cat's eyes. We are still alive with our ass still attached. That is the important thing. Loss of our dignity is a stigma we will just have to live with.

Molly Has A Play Date

Molly is up for the title of Miss Congeniality in the neighborhood now. She had an impromptu play date with her old buddy Arlo this morning and it went much better the second time around. We were already in the dog park and Arlo came bouncing down the hill. We invited him and his owner in, Arlo brought his own toy, but Molly is too old for toys so that was not an option, but they still played. Molly only growled a little bit. Arlo, in the meantime, ran circles around Molly and Arlo reminded me of a young Molly. He could run all day and only needed to stop and rest for seconds at a time. Molly eventually got tired of playing but I believe she had a good time, even though she wouldn't admit it.

A Bad Day For Both

Yesterday afternoon, Molly and I were both having one of our bad physical days. Molly was feeling so bad she wouldn't even get off the bed when I came home so I decided to lay down and join her. I took about a 45 minute nap and when I woke up, my pinched nerve in my back was acting up again and I couldn't even move. We staggered outside for a very brief 10 minute walk and we only walked once more over the course of the evening. We were still feeling it when we woke up this morning so we slept in until 10:15. That is unheard of for either one of us. We both felt a little bit better this morning and we ran into Molly's new buddy Arlo at the dog park but I wasn't going to get Molly all worked up again. We both needed a day of rest.

The AC Is Back On

The AC is back on. We got it back on Tuesday afternoon in what was probably the hottest day of the afternoon. Molly was doing her Snoopy dance while I was standing buck naked in front of the air conditioning vent. It felt so good to have cool air again and actually have the temperature below 82 degrees inside my apartment. I did notice that Molly was much more active inside the apartment and the heat really takes a lot out of her. She probably sleeps much better as well. I know I did.

Sniff Your Own Butt

I am trying to turn Molly into a more sociable dog it it kills me and evidently it is going to kill me. I took her out for her afternoon walk this afternoon and we ran into one of the neighborhood dogs, Arlo, while I was out. Arlo's owner and I were standing there talking and I was already in the dog park, so I decided to invite Arlo in for a little "play date" just to see what Molly would do and how she would react. All Arlo did was chase Molly around trying to sniff her butt and Molly politely told Arlo to "sniff your own butt, mine is fine, thank you." Molly is just not going to be the sociable, congenial, life of the party I want her to be.

What Is That Funky Smell?

To paraphrase the late comedian Richard Pryor "What is that funky smell?" There is something in my apartment that stinks real bad and if my nose can pick up on it, I know it has to be killing Molly. She has a nose like a bloodhound, even in her old age. I have been trying to pack up some stuff so we can get ready to move out and I don't know if she has killed something, or is is something in my refrigerator or what, but it is something funky that you can smell as soon as you open my door. That is why I am surprised she has not complained more than she has.

Animal Farm

Molly and I paid a visit to our future home today, a place I have named "Animal Farm" after the George Orwell novel. It has a eclectic collection of animals, none of which Molly has ever been exposed to before. I was very nervous because I did not know how Molly would react. The first animals we ran into was the lambs and Molly could not figure them out. For that matter, I could not figure them out. Molly gently approached their pen and smelled of them and slowly backed up. The lambs started circling their pen like circling the wagons. The chickens were not the attention getter that I thought they would be. Mandy the dog caught her attention but Mandy was wanting to play and Molly does not have that kind of patience. It will be interesting to see what happens but we are off to a better start than I thought.

The Lightning Bugs

I was out last night taking Molly on her last walk of the evening and Molly started acting very jumpy. She acted like she was having hallucinations or something so i started watching her more closely. I finally figured that it was the lightning bugs that were out that were making her so jumpy. Every time one would fly by her and light up Molly would flinch and take off running. As fast as she could run anyway. Molly, my big, brave dog.

The AC Goes Out

I normally use this as a forum to tell light hearted stories about me and my dog Molly. Our AC went out the other day and the fastest way to piss me off is to threaten the health of my dog. Molly roasting like a turkey is a threat to her health as it is a threat to every dog's health. Dogs in hot cars, dogs outside without water and shade, is dogs being mistreated. I have to protect my dog. She protected me.

Like A Turtle

Molly, being 12 years old now, is pleasantly plump to say the least. I like to say that she carries around her "winter weight" all year long. The other day, Molly was laying on her side and on her back and she heard a dog barking out on the walkway. That immediately caught her attention and she tried getting up so she could pay proper attention to the "intruder". She looked like a turtle that was stuck on its back trying to flip over. Her legs were flailing in the air and she was trying to roll over. It was funny but she did not appreciate me laughing at her. She finally did manage to roll over.

I Accept Your Tribute

Any new guest I have come to the apartment needs to bring Molly a tribute, usually in the form of a treat or other food item. My last guest brought Molly a bacon and cheese (her two favorites) cheese treat that she had bought at one of the local retail stores on the cheap. Molly accepted the tribute with her usual grace by taking it gently out of her hand and scarfing it down. You have to know how to pay off the dog.

The Chaperone

I cannot have a guest over without Molly playing the part of the chaperone no matter what time of day or night it is. Molly always has to position herself in between me and my guest at all times whether we are sitting there watching TV or laying on the bed. Even it is 3 AM, there Molly is trying to wedge her way in between us so we don't get too familiar with each other. I think it is kind of funny and some of my guests do and some don't. Molly is part of the social landscape in my apartment and that just has to be accepted.

I'm Getting Wet

I took Molly on her afternoon walk when I got from work and I took her to the "dog park" my apartment complex has set up (they call it a dog park but it is really nothing more than a small dog run) but it provides a use. I get to take her off her leash for a few minutes so she can pee on some mulch that other dogs have peed on but other than that, Molly is not impressed. They have a field right beside the dog park and they had the sprinkler system on. I t reached slightly over the edge of the fencing at the dog park and Molly got a little bit too close to the "rain drops." The look on Molly's face when she got hit by the water was priceless. I couldn't help but laugh because she did not know what hit her. I thought it was funny. Molly not so much.

A New Friend

Molly Met the woman I have been dating for the first time this weekend. You have to take into consideration the fact that me and this woman have been dating for 4 months and they are just now meeting. I was apprehensive and it went about like I expected it would. Molly, upon introduction, has to inspect the new guest and growl and snarl and let her know who is boss and exactly whose apartment this is. The answer would be Molly's apartment. Molly will be your friend but do not pet the dog. There shall be no touching of the dog. She made the mistake of trying to pet MNolly on the second day and Molly told her to back up in a hurry. She'll take a nap with you but don't touch her.

Happy Birthday!

Today is Molly's 12th birthday so I bought her some special treats and we are going to have a quiet celebration, just the two of us, pretty much the way it has been for the past three years. I never could understand my fathers "love affair" with his dogs but i understand it better than ever now. Molly represents unconditional love. She is going to show me love and loyalty no matter what I do, no matter what I have done, or how bad my day has been. She is going to greet me the same way every day. She is going to yawn, stretch, and wag her tail, and not necessarily in that order. She is going to want to go out, she is going to want a nap, and she is going to want attention. Also not necessarily in that order. It has been 12 great years and I would love to be able to say it's going to be 12 more but that is not the way a dog's life runs.

I Will Lead

This morning at 6:30 AM when Molly and I were on our first walk of the day, I decided to let Molly lead instead of forcing her in a direction that I wanted to go. We made just a big wide circle around my neighborhood. It was a walk that was unspoiled by other dogs and their owners so it was a nice quiet walk. I wished we got to do that every day but people can spoil anyone's good time, especially if your idea of a good time is a nice quiet, walk with your dog. Molly got to smell wherever she wanted to, pee on whatever she wanted to, and she got to use the bathroom in privacy out along the edge of the woods. John Feinstein wrote A Good Walk Spoiled. It was about golf. This walk was not spoiled.

Round And Round She Goes

There are times when walking Molly can be a frustrating experience.This afternoon was one of those. I always take her out as soon as I get home and I hadn't been out of the door for five seconds when it started raining. Of course I had forgotten her doodoo bag so we had to venture out into the woods. More so than normal, anyway, so we wouldn't be caught by the doodoo cops. The doodoo cops are like their own covert police force that roams around my apartment complex. Molly and I are out in the woods and it is starting to rain pretty hard by now. She can't decide where she wants to take a dump and she starts spinning in circles. I don't even think NASA could have determined where this one was going to splash down at. I thought she was going to make herself dizzy. She finally got situated, did her thing, and I took off back towards my apartment.

More Pizza!

Last night I really didn't feel like going anywhere for dinner so I threw one of those cheap $1 frozen pizzas into the oven and called that dinner. I scarfed that down in a matter of minutes but I little bit of the crust and a scattering of toppings for Molly to finish off. I sat the plate down in front of Molly and she had licked the plate clean in about a minute. She looks at me and took her paw and slammed it down on the plate to get my attention. I looked over at her and she slammed her paw down on the plate again. Molly still didn't think I was getting the point so she slammed her paw down on the plate again and followed it up with a crisp "Woof!" All I had to offer her was a weak apology about being hungry and eating most of the pizza for myself. She stayed pissed at me for the rest of the night.

Classical Music For Dogs

While I was working today, a girl I work with ran across a CD that had a bunch of classical music selections on it for your dog to listen to. It had Beethoven, Brahms, Bach, Handel, and several other classical music greats. My reaction was "Molly sleeps enough now to where I have to check and see if she is still breathing. I doubt classical music is going to calm her down any more than that." The girl I work with told me about a new TV channel she called "Dog TV" that was geared for your dog to watch while you were at work or went out for the evening. The only TV show Molly was ever interested in was the show M*A*S*H but that was only because of the intro music. Maybe there is something to the classical music thing. What people will not do for their dogs.

A Good Report Card

I had to take Molly to a new kennel last Friday and I always get really nervous when I take Molly to a kennel she has never been to before. It is like dropping your child off at a new school. You never know how the "teachers" are going to be, how well they will be received by the other "students", and if your "child" will like it and adjust to their new surroundings. I drove up and it was a very nice place, lots of room, and a very good staff. They made a very good first impression. All of the other dogs vociferously greeted her which kind of unnerved med and Molly both but all of the barking should have been expected. She was only going to be there for two nights but I was still very nervous. When I went to pick her up, I got Molly's "report card" and the owner said she did very well. She didn't nip at anybody, went out for playtime and didn't cause any problems, and she also ate very well. I was a "proud parent" and I will have to give Molly and the kennel a gold star.

The Imperfect Wingman

Most dogs are supposed to help you get women. Not my Molly. She has always been bound and determined I am not going to have any fun. At all. On those rare occasions when I do get women to come over, Molly tries her best to ruin any chance I might have. One night I had one woman come over and we started to get comfortable on the bed watching TV and Molly had to play the part of chaperone and wedge herself in between us to ensure that nothing would happen. After about ten minutes of that, I firmly but politely shooed Molly out of the room and shut the door. Not to be out done, Molly starts launching herself at the closed door until she is able to break in and once again wedge herself between us. I, not to be deterred and not wanting to ruin the mood, kicked her Molly's ass out and locked the door and put a chair underneath the door knob to make sure she could not get in. Molly finally gave up and resigned herself to her fate of sleeping by herself in the living room. Molly has always been the type to get the last word in with any disagreement we might have. I got up to walk her the next morning and she had taken a big dump right by the front door and was actually sitting beside it with a dog smile on her face, proud of what she had done.I could not help but laugh at her. She is #MollyTheDog.....

Molly's Rodeo

This is another memory of Molly when she was a young pup. She used to love running through our house just as hard as she could go. She would be bouncing off the couch and off the bed and sliding all over the kitchen floor. We had an Ottoman sitting in the floor and she starts circling it like one of those calves you see in the Rodeo. I couldn't help but applaud Molly for going as hard and as fast as she could go and for doing it with style at the same time.

A Molly Memory

Every once in a while, I will have a memory of Molly and this one is too good not to share. Molly has always buried her dog treats and biscuits. She has buried them in the couch cushions, in piles of dirty laundry (many of the dog biscuits were freshly laundered), and wherever she thought she could hide them. One time in particular my wife (now my ex-wife) was in bed asleep and laying on her side. Molly ever so gently took the dog biscuits and started burying them under my wife's butt cheek. Molly gently took the sheet and started tucking it over her dog biscuits and under my wife's butt cheek. My wife never even woke up. I marveled and laughed at Molly's ingenuity and creativity and when my wife woke up, she could not figure out how the dog biscuits got in the bed with her. That really made me laugh....

You Caught Me

Just about every dog gets caught being guilty of something and Molly is no different. I don't care if it is getting caught trying to explore those great smells coming from the garbage can or trying to sneak a treat or sneak some food off the table, every dog eventually gets caught doing something they know they should not be doing. I have written before about the routine Molly and I go through every night with me having to help her up on the bed but when I am no where around, Molly looks like an Olympic High Jump champion getting on to the bed. The other night, I caught her doing it and she just had this guilty look on her face that said it all. It said, "you caught me" but later that night, she still needed help getting into the bed. Dogs may feel guilt but I am kind of doubting that they have a guilty conscience about anything.

A Walk In The Dog Park

My apartment complex finally did something that made sense. They set up a real small dog park that has a solid chain link fence around it where the dogs can run around and play without being tethered to a leash. Molly did not know exactly how to act because she has always had a leash on. I don't even think she realized she didn't have one on until we left the dog park area. She is too old to run around like a young pup but she did pick up the pace a time or two to show some unrestrained exuberance. She was more interested in all of the smells in the dogs that had been there before her and of course, she had to leave her mark (which I had to clean up) but it was all good and provided therapy for both of us.

All Problems Can Be Solved

I believe I am in full agreement with Molly now that all problems can be solved with a nap. It seems to work for her so I believe I am going to start trying it. Nothing else has worked and I am not sleeping at night. When I don't sleep at night, Molly doesn't sleep at night and she is all about quality sleep.

Routines

Dogs get into routines just like people do. Going back to work this morning caused just as much hardship on Molly as it did me. For one thing, Molly and I both had to get up a lot earlier meaning that Molly had to change her bathroom schedule. She knew something was up when I got up and took a shower and actually put clothes on. As I was about ready to leave, Molly decided she needed to take a second walk (within 45 minutes) because she knew I was getting ready to leave for the day. She was happy to see me when I got home and we immediately took our normal afternoon walk. She probably slept all day so that much of her routine did not change. I took her on a longer walk than normal so she passed out as soon as we got back in. I wish I could pass out. My body is pretty beat up right now.

The "Vacation" Is Over

I have to return to work tomorrow but I haven't had the heart to tell Molly yet. It has been four fabulous weeks of me and Molly hanging out and taking walks and naps and watching TV. Molly's routine probably won't change much. Naps. Lots and lots of naps. The big difference here is that I will not be able to nap with her and Molly is definitely a dog of routine. Her routine (as well as mine) is about to change a lot and I am trying to figure out a way to be able to afford to be on permanent vacation but my gigantic brain has not conceived a method yet. I don't know if Warren Buffet could figure out a way for me to be able to do this but I can always dream.

The Look

I was getting ready to take a short trip out of town yesterday morning and I was packing an overnight bag just in case when Molly skulked into the room. She flopped down on her pet bed, curled up in it, and gave me a look only a scorned dog can give. The look said "You sack of crap! I know you are getting ready to leave me at home again!" That single look said it all and Molly knows how to throw the guilt trip on me like no one else. That single look had a lot to do with me cutting my trip short and come rolling in at 1:15 in the morning. Molly knows how to get what she wants.

The Tail Wagging The Dog

I have written often about Molly's dreams. Last night she had one of her barking dreams where she barks in her sleep and that one lasted quite a while. This morning she had a dream she rarely, if ever, has and that is a dream where she wags her tail. Of course I was trying to take a nap and she was laying beside me. Her tail starting thumping me on the leg and woke me up but she was still in dreamland as only dogs can be. I know better than to wake her up when she is dreaming so I let her be and had to endure the punishment. At least she got to finish her nap.

I Need A Nap

Molly has been sleeping a lot lately and that is to be expected as she gets deep into her Golden Years. She makes sure she is sleeping beside me and is never far from my side no matter where I am. She always makes herself available for belly rubs and she also makes sure that she takes up more than her share of the bed. Some things never change and I would not want them to. We are about ready to make a big life change and it will probably be bigger for her than it will be for me. She will have to be sharing a whole lot more of her space with much more of the animal kingdom. I am not sure exactly how she will react but I am thinking not too well.

Animal Farm

I went to check out my and Molly's new home yesterday afternoon. I was in for a shock but Molly may be in for a much bigger one but I have all the faith in the world that she can handle it. As I pulled my car into the driveway, I saw chickens in the yard. I got out of the car, a cat walks up to me and starts rubbing up against my legs. I look a little bit further and there are two lambs in a pen, and a chicken coop full of chickens. I start walking around a little bit and a young dog runs up to me. It was a little bit skittish but ultimately seemed friendly. My future roomate shows me around the place and there are goats, exotic breeds of chickens, seven more dogs, goats, and a couple of peacocks for good measure. Dr. Doolittle and Noah's ark references immediately came to my mind. The "animal kingdom" caught me by surprise and my new living arrangements may all hinge on Molly's ability to accept her new housemates. She has always been a "Lone Wolf" so we are going to have an animal "meet and greet" in a couple of weeks to see how she handles it.

Rest In Peace Suki

There is a lady named Emily that lives on the ground floor in my apartment building who had to make the humane decision to put her dog to sleep yesterday. The dog's name is Suki and he is a couple of years older than Molly but his health has really been slipping lately and it is the hardest decision that a pet owner will ever have to make. It it took a lot of courage on Emily's part to come to this decision and i hope I will have that courage, if and when the time comes. I do believe the book title that All Dogs Go To Heaven so Rest In Peace Suki.

The Beatles

Last night as I was helping give Molly a boost onto the bed, I thought of the lyrics from the Beatles song that goes something like "We get by with a little help from our friends." Molly gets a little bit of a running start so she can jump on the bed and I catch her as she jumps and I give her a little boost on to the bed. Molly appreciates the help as she is in the middle of her Golden years and we all need a little help from our friends from time to time. Sometimes it is hard to admit to your friends that you need help and most offer without you asking. Molly never asks but I do knoww that she needs it and I am there for her like she has been there for me.

Almost Time To Move

Molly and I are going to be on the move yet again in a couple of months. It has been 2 1/2 years since we moved in to my current apartment and Molly usually moves pretty well. I learned from my last "mistake" when I moved into my second apartment in Gastonia. I took Molly in first and she promptly "christened" my apartment by taking a huge dump in the middle of my soon-to-be bedroom floor. When I moved into my current apartment, I moved in all of my stuff first, and gave it an aura of familiarity so she would immediately feel at home. I finalize the deal (at least I hope) on Thursday and then I will have a little over two months to get ready to go. I think it will be a good move for me and Molly and it is time for the next adventure for me and Molly. It is the next step in the journey.

Molly's Kennel

I found out last Friday afternoon that Molly's favorite kennel is closing throught no fault of the guy that ran the place. If you use a kennel much at all, it is like your dog's second home and Molly has been there almost every weekend for the past three months. That included a thirteen day right after my surgery. She bonded with the owner over that length of time and that is the only kennel she has ever really responded to in a positive fashion. I am moving in a couple of months anyway to a place about 20 miles from here and I was going to have to find another kennel anyway but that pushes up the timetable quite a bit. I felt comfortable with the kennel as much as Molly did and it was in a great location.

Our 500th Post Together

This is mine and Molly's 500th post together. It started out as a lark, something to keep my mind occupied, and a way to express myself. It started out on November 17, 2009 but it actually started out not involving Molly at all. After a few posts, a friend of mine (at the time) talked me into it being about Molly rather than all of my other "extra curricular activities" since it had her name on it. It sounded like a good idea to me because Molly has been a focal point of my life for about 12 years now and will be until one of us finally crosses the Rainbow Bridge. These 500 posts have covered 4 1/2 years of our lives. A lot has gone on in that time and Molly has been my one constant, a lot of the time my lone positive, and the one I could always count on. I would love to say that there will be 500 more posts on Molly's World but as we all know, life can turn on a dime.

An Old T-Shirt

It is a good thing I turned out to be a little bit of slob. I take my clothes off as soon as I walk in the door and usually end up discarding my clothes in the living room. Molly loves curling up on my discarded t-shirts and taking a nap. She usually takes her paw and adjusts the t-shirts just right, fluffs them up, and curls up on top of them. When I take her to the kennel I make sure I include one so she can have a little bit of me there with her. Who knew the smell of my armpits would have a calming effect on anything, especially since Molly is posessed with a "super smeller" of a nose.

Dog Farts

All dogs fart. It is a fact of the canine world. Molly had it bad the other night and I briefly contemplated jumping off my own balcony to escape the smell. Molly never even woke up while she was doing all of this. I almost expected a green, toxic cloud to be rising above her backside, it was that bad. Deep down, I am sure Molly was laughing about it and maybe only pretending to be asleep. I had just gotten her from the kennel that afternoon and I do not know what they have been feeding her, but it was definitely nuclear, whatever it was.

One More Season In The Sun

Whenever a baseball player tries to play one more season past his prime. I have heard it referred to as "one more season in the sun." (Just think of the lyrics to John Fogerty's homage to baseball, "Centerfield".) I think that dogs get this opportunity as well. As Molly gets older, I keep looking for signs that Molly is taking the opportunity to get one more season in the sun. The other morning, a rabbit ran out in front of us while we were on our morning walk. Molly reacted like she did when she was a younger dog and started to bolt after it. I quickly put the brakes on because we were going to be headed straight down a hill but it was still good to see her reaction time. Molly still has a little bit left in the tank.

A Good Dog Spoiled

Almost all pet owners will tell you that they spoil their animals. That is just one of the simple beauties of being a pet owner. Molly is definitely no different. Molly gets away with whatever she wants especially since she has reached the status of "Senior Citizen" in the dog kingdom. She spent all of those years looking after me so it is now my turn to look after her. When I came home last night from watching a ballgame at a friend's house, Molly was all sprawled out on the bed with her head resting on my pillow and I hated to wake her up so could even take her for her nightly walk. If she knew how to work the remote control, I am sure she would have been watching animal planet.

Persistence Pays Off

If Molly is anything, she is persistent. It is one of the qualities about Molly that I have grown to appreciate more and more everyday. Last night, starting at about 2:30 AM, Molly starts trying to wake me up. Evidently she needed to go out bad. It took her about 45 minutes but she finally got me out of bed. I was so out of it, I almost let her out the door without her leash on. Luckily I realized my mistake right as she was about to bolt out the door or I would have had a jailbreak on my hand. She went out did her thing, we staggered back in, and I went back to bed and slept until 8:30. Molly slept right beside so I guess waking me up from a very sound sleep is very stressful on her as well.

All Dogs Need Attention

All dogs need attention. That is just a fact in the canine world. I went over to see my Mom today and she has two indoor dogs- the older one is named Trixie and the younger, much more energetic one, is named Bear. They both immediately demanded attention, but Bear was all over me as soon as I walked in the door. Trixie demanded her attention in a much more subdued way. I ended up taking both of them for walks on a leash because they don't have a chance to get out like that much because my Mom is not in good health so I was more than happy to do it. She has a nice big yard and it was beautiful day outside so everyone got something out of the deal.

Like Any Other

There are times that dogs are like any other creature on the face of the earth and that is they want attention. I would say that dogs probably crave attention more than anything else outside of people. Molly is not as bad as most but last night I finally gave her the attention she deserved. I laid down beside her and gave her a good belly rub and some ear "scratchies" and that is what she had been craving all along. I had been gone two weeks and she just wanted some of my attention.

Sometimes you take those closest to you for granted and last night I realized that also can include your dog or other family pet. She doesn't know why I was gone for so long and she does not recognize the newest scars on my body or the scars on my psyche but she does feel the hurt and the longing of missing someone. She also know the pure joy of seeing her best friend and I know the joy of seeing her.

Nap Time With Molly

Molly and I have this nap time routine that we seem to go through everytime we lay down or take a nap. I lay down on the bed, she looks up at me from the floor pretending like she needs help getting up on the bed, I get up, and she looks like and Olympic Gold Medalist high jumper as soon as I get out of the bed. I just think she is trying to con me out of my nice warm spot on the bed. We briefly jockey for position before she relents and we stake out our claim to our corner of the bed. Since I have been on the mend from surgery our little forays outside have been fewer and farther between because I have not gotten my strength back yet but Molly doesn't seem to mind. As long as she is with me, she is one content dog. I can never thank her enough for being so patient for two weeks while I was in the hospital. All I can do is shower her with attention and with treats.

Molly's Routine

It has only been a couple of days since i have been back but Molly is already easing back into her normal routine. Her normal routine is sleeping (a lot), eating (a lot), going outside, woofing at other dog's, and licking her butt (a lot). The Diva is back. Last night we had a lot of thunderstorms roll through the are, a fact Molly kept me well aware of, and neither me or her could get comfortable enough to get in a good night's sleep. That is why they invented nap time and nap time is just not for kindergarteners. Molly has been slowly teaching me over the years of how to take a nap and how to wake up grouchy as well when you don't get to finish it. The student has become the teacher.

The Heiress to the Gibbs Empire

Thirteen daysd after my surgery, I finally made it back into town to pick up Molly and hopefully get everything back to normal. Molly, the Heiress to the Gibbs empire, has resumed her place by my right side and is resting comfortably. She was happy to see me and looked like she was in great shape. Several new dogs have been added to the neighborhood and Molly took it upon herself to greet them from our second story balcony and I thought it was a nice gesture on her part. I don't think their owners thought so but I do not believe they are aware of the hierarchy of power in this apartment complex. It's Molly at the top and everyone else, way down below.

Missing My Molly

Due to my surgery last week, I have not seen my Molly in almost a week and it looks like it will be another week before I will get to see her. If you are a true pet owner and animal lover, your pet is part of your family. I would love to be able to pick up the phone and call her and tell her how much I miss her and I will be home soon and that I am okay. When you are used to having your "guardian" by your side, you realize how much you miss that furry presence when she is not atound. I talk to Molly more than I do anyone else and I know she understands in her own way.

Pulling Thru

Molly and I both pulled thru my surgery okay even though I have not had a chance to go see her yet. I cannot drive for a week and Molly is about 60 miles away, tucked safe and sound in her favorite kennel. I would greatly prefer her to be with me but the hospital strongly suggested in my Post-Op instructions that I not be around a pet for the first 24 hours after my surgery. I still have some recovering to do and someone checked in on Molly for me today and she perked right up. I do miss my dog something terrible and I am hoping this will all be over with real soon.

To Your Health

One of my biggest concerns about Molly is my health. What to do with your beloved dog when you start having serious health issues and may not be able to take care of her any more? Unfortunately that problem has become a real issue for me over the past couple of weeks as I have to have major surgery next week and I have decided to put Molly in a kennel for at least a week. I am hoping I will be back on my feet before that. If the recovery period lasts longer than a week, I honestly do not know what I will do. Molly is almost 12 years old now and and I don't know if she handle the stress of losing her owner for any length of time. I do not know what I will do if I lose Molly for any length of time. We are all each other has ever known.

Molly's Happy Place

Yesterday afternoon when I went to pick up Molly from her kennel, I was finally able to figure out why she likes this particular kennel. Molly has never really liked any of the kennels I have ever taken her to. She has even been kicked out of a couple of them and the management asked me not to bring her back. I have taken her to this one, just about every weekend for the past two months. When I picked her up yesterday, there was a sign on the door that said he was out back walking the dogs, to call the phone. I called the number and the owner immediately came to the door. When he opened the door, the place (and the owner) reeked of the smell of pot. He went and got Molly and the owner was in an especially talkative and jovial mood and he told me how friendly Molly had become. That is because I will swear that Molly was stoned. I brought Molly home, she staggered up the stairs (with my help), sauntered over to her bowl of food (I guess she had the munchies), walked into the middle of the living and promptly passed out. I managed to get her up for her last walk of the night, she came back in and passed out again, and slept for the better part of 12 hours. Most pet owners would be outraged but I'm not. People promote medical marijuana so why couldn't it work for dogs. Molly has aches and pains just like everyone else. Plus, she evidently had a good time.

"N'esveillez pas lou chien qui dort"

This is an old French proverb that means "wake not the sleeping dog" or it might be better known by its English translation "Let sleeping dogs lie." This especially applies to Molly because if you wake her up while she is napping or a deep sleep, she comes up biting and snapping. I have known women that wake up in bad moods before but Molly takes it to a whole new level. The lone exception to this is if I am cooking bacon. The smell of bacon cooking can make Molly appear out of thin air almost like an apparition. At least I always know how to find her.

One More Blast Of Winter

Molly and I woke up this morning to a little bit of snow on the ground. She immediately wanted to go outside and check it out and I am glad that she did. Cold weather always puts the spring of a puppy in her step and we stayd outside as long as I could stand it. Molly is sleeping it off now. It is amazing that she can still smell as well as she can but she took in all of the new smells even with a stiff wind blowing. I believe we are having one more blast of winter before springs settles in.

A Long Vacation

After almost a two month hiatus, Molly and I are back to blogging. We are both slowing down in our old age, me with gallstones and Molly with cataracts, and nap time is more attractive to both of us than it ever has been before. Molly gets to take more advantage of that than I do but that is okay. She does have me by a few years. As mine and Molly's adventures slow down I start getting more nostalgic, and I remember when we were both a lot younger and had more energy. Molly has been by my side through some of the best times I have eveer had and she has helped me through some of the worst times I have ever had, but the key point is, we have been by each other's side every step of the way.

The Social Dog

There are social dogs and then there is Molly. I take all of the blame for Molly being anti-social because I never socialized when she was a puppy and then i had a neighbor kid peg her with a BB gun when I wasn't home one day and Molly never trusted people after that. I can understand why but it does not make it any easier when I bring people over to my apartment. Taking her for a walk ias another story because my neighborhood is filled with anti-social dogs. I don't think Molly means them any harm but it really pisses her off when they woof at her first. This is Molly's World, they just don't understand that. Not yet anyway.

A Winter's Vacation

After taking several weeks off from blogging in "Molly's World", Molly and I are back at the keyboard watching it snow and our world turn into a winter wonderland. Molly and I have already taken a couple of walks and Molly does love the snow. So do I for that matter but we both pay for it in the long run. I am currently typing and Molly is transmitting me some ideas for our blog as she naps beside me. Molly has quite the cosmic presence. Right now she is afraid I am going to go play in the snow without her so she snaps awake every time I get out of my chair.

The Snow 'Stache

Molly and I got to go play in our first snow last night and it was fun as always. I remember growing up, the family dog was a Poodle named Midnight. Midnight also loved to play in the snow. We would get out there and play until we were about froze solid. Luckily Molly and I do not have that much gas left in the tank but we still like to play in the snow a little bit. Molly likes to bury her nose way down in the snow and take in all of the smells brought about by a fresh snow fall. When Molly raised her head, she had a perfect snow 'stache on her mouth and whiskers. She looked like a canine version of Colonel Sanders. Molly would not pose for a picture, of course, and Molly is only photogenic when she is sleeping.

A Gentle Tug

The other morning I was sound asleep when I was awakened by someone or something pulling at my leg. When you live by yourself, that is not a normal way to be woke up. At first I thought it was a dream and then when I realized I was awake, it really startled me. I then quickly thought about the paranormal. I looked down to see Molly tugging at my leg trying to get up on the bed. Evidently she had tried getting on the bed and couldn't quite pull that last leg over the edge. The look on her face was so pitiful. I quickly grabbed her by the collar and hoisted her on up to the bed. I guess I am the victim of watching too many ghost stories on the satellite dish.

The Death Of A Pet Owner

I just saw a video on Youtube of a dog grieving for its owner that had passed on and it was a very touching tribute to the owner by the dog. We have all lost pets at some point and time in our lives and it hurts and takes a while to recover from. Most of us do not think about what would happen to our pet if we passed on. There are such things as Pet Wills that specifies what to do with our pet if something does happen to us. I have made contingency plans for Molly in case something happens to me. Molly can't just be taken by anyone. It has to be the right fit for her in case something does happen to me.

Pay Me Tribute

Molly is kind of like a mob boss. If you step into "our" apartment, she expects to be paid tribute in the form of treats or food off the table or her personal favorite, crust from freshly delivered pizza. Once tribute has been paid and accepted, Molly is more willing to let you stay as long as you don't wake her up while she is napping or participating in another form of relaxation for her, licking her butt. It must be like yoga for dogs or something because of the different positions she can put herself in and the dexterity of her body in which she demonstrates while getting in her different butt licking positions.

Let's Go Play Outside

It was the coldest night of the year last night and Molly wakes me up at 4 AM needing to go outside. It was bitterly cold and snowing. I had to dress like a homeless man in the 'Hood just to be able to go outside but style was going to take a back seat to me being warm. Molly is a cold weather dog. She loves the cold and the snow. We ended up going out on our little walks three times by 9 AM. The walks in the cold have always invigorated me as long as I am dressed warmly enough. The walks in the cold seem to give Molly a lot of energy and at her age, that can only be a good thing.

Molly's New Year's Resolutions

Someone posted something interesting on my Facebook page yesterday about a dog's New Year's Resolutions. At the top of Molly's list would have to be "smell things that look interesting". One that made both mine and Molly's list was "forget what you were doing and nap instead." You never discount the value of a good nap. Another one that made mine and Molly's list was "take care of your genitals." You can never under estimate quality genital care, either. Another one is "be nice to nice people." I would be happy if Molly was nice to anybody. "Fart without shame" is another resolution that Molly has never had a problem with and I have been accused of that as well. The final resolution that made Molly's List was "Worry less about things you can't eat or play with." All in all, a very worthy list.

Something To Be Learned

A lot can be learned from your dog. Your dog is always trying to teach you something but it is often left up to the owner to figure out what the message is. I saw a cartoon on Facebook the other day with a with a picture that showed a dog scratching and throwing grass on something he had left behind. That was the basic message of the cartoon was that when a dog's business is finished, he scratches grass over it and leaves it behind. It is a simple but powerful message and Molly does it all of the time. When she is really mad, she scratches so hard, that all four of her feet will come off the ground. She is really trying to emphasize that this needs to be left behind. I should be doing the same thing.