Molly Helps In The Kitchen

We celebrated my Mom's 80th birthday yesterday and she had requested a peach cobbler so I was going to try to make her one. I prepared everything and put it in the oven and it came out perfect. With about five minutes to go in its bake time, Molly started doing her pee dance by the front door except it looked more like Michael Jackson's Thriller video. Molly never does anything on a small scale. I made her wait the five minutes, took the peach cobbler out of the oven, and set it on the stove to cool. I did not realize that I had left one of the burners on the oven on (it was on low) so I set the peach cobbler on it. Molly and I were outside for about twenty minutes and when I came back in, I immediately caught the aroma of something burning. Not only did I bake my peach cobbler, I fried it as well, and unless you like peach cobbler flambe-style then it was inedible. The charred remains of the peach cobbler are on my stove even as I type this.

Laying In The Doorway

Molly does not believe in missing anything that is going on. In order to make sure she doesn't, she lays right in the doorway to whatever room I happen to be working in. This morning I was cleaning the bathroom so she strategically placed herself in between the doorway to the laundry vroom and the kitchen so I would have to step over her if I was going to do anything else. She started performing that trick when she was a puppy and it is a trick that has served her well. She also makes sure she does not move a muscle when I am trying to step over her. She likes to make herself as conspicuous as possible to make sure I know she is there and available for walk and car rides and belly rubs after trip over her and I fall into the floor.

The Seeing Eye Dog

I have always kidded around about using Molly as my seeing eye dog or as me being her seeing eye human. I think service dogs are great and they provide a valuable service to those that need them. Service animals are well trained and very focused on the task they need to perform. When I see a service dog working in the store I respect the fact that they are working and I really have to fight the urge to walk up and start petting them and give them an ear scratch.

When I was in Wal-Mart today I probably saw a total of about five dogs in the store that were no where close to being service dogs. One owner had even gone so far as to put a wrap around her dog that said "service animal" on it. I have never seen a Chihuahua as a service dog before. I love dogs and I cast a little bit of doubt on people who don't but I also realize that not everyone is a dog lover. I also understand why dogs are not allowed in stores.

There are health codes, people are allergic, and it is against the rules. Wal-Mart is a world all of its own anyway where laws and rules do not apply to the people that shop there or at least that is the conception by the general populace. Some people seem to think that as long as you eat the food inside the store then it's free and the same thing applies to drinks, and I have seen people bring parrots, rats, cats, and monkeys into the store.

A Peaceful Walk

I had to go to the hospital this morning. My Mom was having surgery because doctor's discovered over a month ago that she had breast cancer. I had to leave Molly home again and she was quite vocal in her displeasure at being left behind for the second day in a row. This morning was quite an emotional time for me. At the end of the day, Molly was waiting for me when I got home. Molly is at the center of my comfort zone. I immediately took Molly for a walk when I got home from the hospital. A peace came over me during that walk that I had not felt all day long. My Mom came home this afternoon and the prognosis is good but we will not know the results until next week.

Home Alone

I drove my car to the store this morning for the fist time in a about three months. I felt like a 16 year old that just got his license. My surgically repaired foot held well enough for me to get there and back and I just need to keep in mind that I need to take baby steps. I do not need to be taking trips to Charlotte or to Myrtle Beach anytime soon but just being able to go to the store is liberating. How sad is that?

The downside to my liberation is the fact that I have to leave Molly behind. I have tried to pass her off as a seeing eye dog but when she is dragging me through the store to the dog treats section, that was a little hard to explain. When I closed the door this morning, I could hear Molly barking her displeasure at being left behind. My liberation comes at a cost.

Amber Pays A Visit

Molly and I were greeted on our afternoon walk yesterday by Amber, my neighbor's Golden Retriever and a fixture in the neighborhood. Molly is usually not too receptive to canine guests but Amber poses no threat to anyone or anything so Molly greets her with a touch of the nose and a cordial sniffing of the butts. Amber also has to come get a few pats from me and an ear scratch and a belly rub and I am more surprised that Molly allows me to. Molly has always had a jealous about a mile long and she has never had to share me with anyone except an ex-wife and the occasional girlfriend. Molly has always let them no their place and that is at the back of the line.

Led By The Nose

There are several animals that find their way across property that I live on and if Molly could talk, she would tell me who all of them are. It is easy to spot their footprints in the snow but Molly tracks them with her nose. The deep snow has been tough on both of us but after several trips down the driveway, I had beaten down a good enough path for us to walk on. Molly would rather follow her nose than she would this well traveled path however, and she could not be dissuaded from this. I followed right along because I believe we were both starting to get cabin fever and I have never followed the well traveled path myself. Molly would sink down in the snow and fall over and I would pick her back up and set her on her feet. She is the star and I am the sidekick. She is Batman, I am Robin; I am Costello to her Abbot; I am Jerry Lewis to her Dean Martin.

It Is A Marathon

Molly and I are really struggling in the snow. It had stopped snowing by yesterday morning but I believe Molly and I had a harder time navigating the snow after it was over. She fell several times and I wasn't doing much better. I had to go back and pick her up and set her on her feet again. I was reminded of the old saying "life is a marathon; not a sprint." The way Molly and I were doing it yesterday, it looked like we were in the wino Olympics the way we were staggering down the driveway. We both slept well last night because we were exhausted.

Putting On The Foil

While I was gearing up to take Molly out in the cold and the snow this morning, I was reminded of a scene out of one of my all time favorite movies, Slap Shot with Paul Newman. It is a movie about a minor league hockey time that acquires three brothers, the Hanson brothers, that for what they lack in hockey skill, they make up for with their pugilistic abilities. The scene I was thinking of is that the three brothers are getting dressed in the locker room before the game and they are taping tin foil to their hands so their hands won't hurt so bad when they fight. Paul Newman as their coach ask them what they are doing and one of the brothers replies "just putting on the foil coach."

Molly has no clue as to what I have to do so she can go out in this weather for ten minutes. I have to put on three layers of clothes including my Appalachian State hoodie, my Seattle Seahawks toboggan, gloves, and I have to put garbage bags under my boots. The garbage bags is my version of "putting on the foil." I put the garbage bags on my feet and then put my boots on because I still have to wear one of those surgical boots on my right foot. The surgical boot is open-toed, it is not that comfortable, and in the snow, I would be better off if I had an anchor tied to my foot. I also like to keep my feet dry and after several times of trial and error, I have found that this method works best.

Following In My Footsteps

Molly is having a hard time getting around in the snow. Once it got past belly high level for her, she wanted nothing more to do with it and I can understand that. After it got higher than boot level and I got a shoe full, I was done with it. Therefore Molly and I only went out long enough for us to do what she had to do and then we were both drying out in front of the heater. The last time we were outside on the day, Molly quickly figured out that if she walked in my footsteps, the going was much easier for her. She still had to go off the beaten trail to do her thing and after that she followed in my footsteps right back to the front door.

Hardy Souls

Molly and I have been through our share of bad weather before but the first true snowstorm of 2016 may be the worst one we have ever faced. Neither Molly or I mind getting out in the snow and taking a walk but this snowstorm is one like I have never seen before. It started snowing about 2 AM this morning and it has been like a "snow mist" since about 9 AM. We have only been outside one time and that is unusual for Molly especially if I am at home.

I had to wrap a garbage bag around my surgically repaired foot, put all of my snow gear on (Indiana Jones hat, gloves, and my cane for balance or in case we were involved in an avalanche and the rescue team needed to find us). We only made about half of our round this morning and we packed it in and called it quits. The snow was already up to Molly's belly and she was not liking that too much. The snowfall total has about doubled since then so I can't wait until we take our late afternoon walk.

Tracks In The Snow

When Molly and I were taking our nature walk this morning down my snow covered driveway, I noticed all sorts of different footprints, so I started playing Wildlife: CSI to see if I could identify all of the different animal tracks in the snow. A cat visited our front door and took a stroll down the front sidewalk, one of the neighbor's dogs traversed the entire length of the driveway, A rabbit crossed over the driveway but he didn't stick around long, he was just passing through, and it looks like a raccoon stopped by just to check things out. Molly checked out each different footprint but she only showed passing interest although Molly does believe that the cat got too close to the house.

Mole Breath

While walking Molly the other morning, she picked up something off of the ground and before I realized what it was and before I could stop her, she had a dead mole in her mouth. It was more like a mole popsicle because it was about 11 degrees. I tried to get her to drop it but she was chewing just as fat as she could. A mole must be some sort of a delicacy because I was saying "Drop it! Drop it!" and she had it chewed up in about 15 seconds. I also realized it was probably going to make her sick so I walked around outside with her for an extra 30 minutes so she could get sick outside. As soon as I thought it was safe, I took her back in the house and she promptly threw up on the carpet. She had mole breath all day long, she cut some nasty mole farts, and it was just the gift that kept on giving.

An Unfriendly Encounter

On our morning walk this morning, Molly and I ran into another one of God's creatures that roam the woods near my house and they always seem to be unfriendly encounters. This encounter was with a 'Possum. I know that its correct name is an Opossum but as a man of the South, it as a 'Possum. Molly and I had just walked out of the door this morning and rounded the side of the carport when we came face to face with the aforementioned 'Possum. I have had encounters with them before and I know they are vicious little creatures but Molly had never seen one. The 'Possum immediately started hissing (somewhat like a cat) and with its pointy face, and beady eyes, it looked like something out of a low budget horror movie (think "The Attack of the Killer 'Possum") and Molly did not know how to react. The 'Possum must have a very powerful smell to it (at last to Molly's oversensitive nose) and all Molly really wanted to was to check it out but the 'Possum was having no part of it. We decided to leave it alone and it went scurrying back into the woods.

Snow Day

Molly and I love the snow and we had our first snowfall of the year this morning. When she was a younger puppy we used to love getting out in it and playing. Molly would chase snowflakes as they fell and then do deep nose dives into the snow to see what she could find at the bottom. As soon as it turned daylight this morning, we were out in it but since we are both a whole lot older now the word "play" may not apply now. The minds are willing but the bodies are weak. Our minds are definitely young and I will always hang my hat on that. We still got out there and took a nice long walk until frostbite almost set in on my surgically repaired foot.

I'm Not Going Out There

We had a good steady rain at my house today but the wind was blowing real hard so it made the rain seem much harder than it was. I have a screened in front porch but the rain blew right threw it so the front porch was all wet. Molly woke up about lunch time and wanted out so I put on my raincoat, my Indiana Jones hat, put Molly's leash on her and I was ready to roll. We did not even make it to the screen door before Molly turned around and headed back into the house. The rain hit Molly in the face and that was all she needed to know about the conditions outside. As long as it is a light rain, Molly doesn't mind it so much. All it took was the rain hitting her in the face and she was done.

Noogie

I have had many amazing pets over the years but I have limited those to cats and dogs. There is one cat that really stands out and his name was Noogie. He was dark gray in color with a black attitude. He ruled the house and terrorized all of those that got in his way. He had a skin condition so the doctor put him on steroids to help clear it up so he became a cat with a bad attitude that was as strong as a panther.

I decided to try to use catnip to try to calm Noogie down some. I went to Wal-Mart and bought him a quarter bags worth (it does closely resemble marijuana- not that I would know) and took it home. I had to go to a family gathering or something so I thought I would let him try it out when I got back home.

Noogie was always a resourceful cat when it came to getting into things so I put the cat nip on the top shelf in the laundry room and I hid it behind some stuff and I was thinking "there is no way he can get into this." It turned out to be another case of the pet outsmarting the owner. I came back home and Noogie had somehow gotten the catnip down from where I had hid it and he was laying in the middle of the kitchen floor with the bag of catnip torn open and spread all over the floor. Noogie was laying in the middle of the catnip stoned out of his mind. If he would have had a tie dye collar on with some beads around his neck and Iron Butterfly blaring in the background, he could have been at the cat version of Woodstock. I could never imagine that cat on acid.

Molly's Little Friend

We stepped out of the house this morning and we ran into an old friend of Molly's. It is a little white Benji looking dog that belongs to one of my neighbors. He has his tags on so he is taken care of which is a good thing. He is a friendly little thing but he has a taste for my garbage that he used to get into occasionally but dogs, as well as humans, have their vices. Molly is usually not too receptive to other dogs but like I said, he is a friendly little thing and he knew enough to keep his distance until Molly decided they could be friends. Molly did not put a paw upside his head or stick a paw in his ass so I had to assume she wanted to be friends. They touched noses, chased each other around the yard, and had a peeing contest and a good time was had by all.

The Bloodhound Wannabe

Since Molly is a mixed breed dog, I have always had to guess as to what she is made up of and that is really just based on her looks. A lady that owns a kennel I used to take her to suggested Molly was part Basenji and part Red Heeler so I have always gone with that. Molly's nose however, is all Bloodhound. Her sniffing abilities have slipped a little bit but it is still better than the vast majority of all dogs out there. She can still sniff out a mole when it is underground and she loves to catch the scent of a rabbit and she always tells me when there has been another dog in the yard.

One of my neighbors thinks it is perfectly acceptable to walk her dog down my long driveway and do it's business when my neighbor has lots of other options. I have woods on three sides of my house and I have no problem with her walking her dog through the woods. I believe the woods are there to be enjoyed and explored. Last Friday, my neighbor was politely told to stay out of my driveway. When I took Molly out Saturday morning, she quickly informed me that a dog had been down my driveway Friday night. As the old saying goes "the nose knows" and Molly knows better than almost any other.

The Chase Is On

Molly and I caught a cat in the act this morning, In the act of what I don't know but the important thing to Molly is that we caught a cat. As soon as we stepped out the door this morning, an orange and white tabby took off through the front yard. A 50 year old man in a walking boot with a cane and a 14 year old dog chasing a cat is not a pretty sight. Try to picture Elmer Fudd (except I have nice hair) and an old dog with bad hips trying to chase an athletic cat. I am proud of the fact that Molly and I did keep up the chase for a solid 50 feet before we crashed and burned. The cat even stopped about halfway through the field above my house and waited on us. That was when I think Garfield flipped us off and showed us his tail.

My Nap Buddy

While I have been convalescing from the surgery on my foot, Molly has been my saving grace and she has never left my side. We take long walks together every day and we never miss nap time. Watching Molly get on and off my bed is like watching an athlete get ready for a track and field event. She starts breathing real hard, she has to move her tail back and forth to get the timing right, and then she throws the front paws up on the bed and pulls herself up until she can gain some traction with her back legs and get her tail section up on the bed. Watching her "dismount" from the bed goes just about the same way. She walks to the very edge of the bed, gets her timing just right, and takes that leap of faith onto the floor. I have to make sure she ha plenty of room to land.

Excited

Even though Molly is pushing 14 years old, she can still get excited. I took Molly out right as my girlfriend is pulling into the driveway and Molly immediately started barking and circling her car. I was probably about 100 feet down the driveway and my girlfriend drove the rest of the way down and of course Molly had to go back and greet her as she got out of the car. I am just happy to see Molly get that excited about seeing another person. Molly is not exactly people friendly and I am just glad she is happy to see my girlfriend.

I Don't Feel So Well

I have always been amazed by a dog's constitution. A dog can get sick and be eating his supper fifteen minutes later. Right after I got back from the doctor this afternoon, I took Molly for her early afternoon walk. Usually I have to drag her inside the house kicking and screaming when I am ready to go inside and she is not. This afternoon, she could not wait to get into the house. She wanted to be able to get sick all over my carpet rather than get sick in the front yard. I thought that was considerate of Molly. Fifteen minutes after leaving two big piles on my living room carpet, she finished off a bowl of dog food, and she has been napping for the rest of the afternoon.

Sundown

The cold spell her continues and Molly and I live down the other side of a mountain to the west of us. Sundown occurs a little bit earlier for us than it does for some people and once the sun disappears behind Butt Mountain, the temperature automatically drops about ten degrees. I usually try to take Molly out for the last time of the night at about 5:30 before it turns too dark and avoid the creatures of the night that are prowling the woods. I usually try to talk Molly into not wanting to go out in the mornings until after at least 7 or 7:15. Our old bones are not cut out for the cold anymore.

Getting My Attention

Molly knows how to get my attention especially when I forget to give her the two treats she gets when she comes back in the house from a walk. Yesterday afternoon my girlfriend and I had taken Molly on her late afternoon walk during halftime of the Carolina Panthers game. It was really cold outside and I always hand the leash over to my girlfriend when Molly wants to go "off road." That is a little bit harder on me and Molly always leads the way anyway. We get back in the house and I was in a hurry to get back to the football game and in the process, I was ignoring Molly. She let me know with a resounding "WOOF!" that I still owed her two treat and she was getting them before I went back to my game.

It's Cold Outside

Molly has a thing for cold weather. I believe the majority of her desire to be out in the cold is genetic. Molly has a real thick fur coat that keeps her nice and warm and she really perks up when cold weather comes. Molly is a mixed breed dog and part of her breeding must have come from a cold weather climate. We had our first sustained cold snap of the year a few days ago and Molly wanted to go outside about every two hours yesterday just so she could enjoy the cold weather. When Molly wants to enjoy the cold weather, I have to enjoy the cold weather.

The Mark

Banker David Hannum said of American showman P.T. Barnum "There is a sucker born every minute." Molly cannot wait for my girlfriend to visit everyday because she knows that at some point and time during her visit, Molly is going to have the opportunity to score some food that she ordinarily would not have the chance to eat. Molly has stolen cookies right out of my girlfriend's hand, part of a sandwich, and yesterday she managed to take some garlic bread away from her while my girlfriend was sitting there talking to me. I can't help but laugh because my girlfriend will let her guard down, Molly seizes upon the opportunity, and just gently takes the food out of her hand. Once Molly gets her teeth on it, it is a bad idea to try to get it back from her. My girlfriend refers to Molly as "the cookie thief" so Molly has broadened her tastes in food. Molly has always had the philosophy that if it is good enough for people, it must be good enough for me.

New Year's Goals

I used to make New Year's Resolutions but that always seemed to start the year out with a negative so I don't do it any more. I instead switched over to make a list of my goals I want to accomplish. A list of goals is more positive and gives me something to focus on that I can achieve accomplish rather than a negative that is almost doomed to failure from the beginning.

Molly's list of goals for the new year is really pretty simple. She wants to eat more, nap more, lick more, and scratch herself less. Molly says that contrary to popular belief, scratching is not as enjoyable as it seems unless you are getting a good scratch behind the ear. On the healthier side for both of us, Molly wants to take more frequent and longer, more scenic walks as we head into the summer this year. It will be physical rehabilitation for both of us.