Talking Points

I came home after my physical therapy appointment this morning and I am chattering away to Molly and she was playing the part of the attentive listener and I realized I talked to Molly more than I do humans. I generally find Molly more interesting than I do her human counterparts and the only time she gives me any grief is when I leave her in the house by herself. She is able to provide me with the attention I need with a few "woofs" and a "rowrrowr" every once in a while. I give her some dog treats and we are good to go. I am often reminded of the scene from Peanuts where Lucy sets up a booth for psychiatric advice for 5 cents and Charlie Brown shows up. Build Molly a booth and she would be all set.

Taking The Lead

Molly and I had a slight "disagreement" yesterday afternoon about when we would come in after our walk. I wanted to come in and she wasn't ready to. I won that argument. I also felt guilty about it. In our last walk of the evening, I decided I had all of the time in the world and that I was just going to follow Molly's lead. I let her take the reigns and go wherever she wanted to and at her own pace. Whenever Molly was done, she headed for the house and everyone was happy. I let her do the same thing this morning although it was much colder. I dressed for the occasion.

The Briar Patch

My father was a bird hunter. He trained his own bird dogs and the whole works. Almost all of his Saturdays in the Fall were spent in the woods somewhere hunting the elusive grouse. When my brother was little he tried to say "baby grouse" and it came out "graby bouse." My Dad's dogs worked during hunting season and were family pets as soon as hunting season was over. Every once in a while, Pops would come home and his arms would be acratched to the point where they were almost shredded. I asked him what happened and I got the terse reply that his dogs had led him through a briar patch on the trail of a covey of grouse. They knew where to hide. Pops and his dogs would go in after them.

I got the same effect the other day when Molly and I decided to go cross country through the woods. It was more Molly's idea than it was mine but let her lead (maybe that was a bad idea) and I was the one that received the scratched up arms but it wasn't too bad. I do not even know what we were on the trail of.

The Return To The Creek

Molly and I ventured out of our comfort zone the other day and walked down to the creek. It has been about eight or nine months ago since the last time we walked to the creek (that was the time we ran into the water moccasin). Molly headed off down the trail and if she was willing, I thought it would be a good test for my surgically repaired foot. I start physical therapy next week and that will definitely put me out of my comfort zone. My foot is still very weak but we made it down there and back and Molly's capacity to still go still amazes me.

The Little Brown Truck

Ever since Molly was a little pup, she has had it in for the UPS guy and the little brown truck. For that matter, she is not a big fan of the United States Postal Service, either. We were taking our afternoon walk and a mail carrier passed by on the road down below us and Molly immediately perked up. I don't know if she recognizes the sound of the truck or what because I don't think she can see that far but she immediately showed the signs of recognition. Her ears popped up, her eyebrows raised, and her tail stood at attention. Maybe they have a different smell about them. I have always thought I had the stench of a retail employee about me and I am often recognized in different retail establishments. Maybe they have the stench of a mail carrier.

A River Runs Through It

The only time Molly and I do not do a lot of walking is when it rains a lot and it has been doing its fair share of that this winter. It came another hard rain last night and molly wanted to go out early this morning. We are the middle property of land that basically runs down hill so we get the water run off from the upper properties on its way to the bottom and where the creek is at. A lake quickly forms beside the house and the and Molly has never really been a water dog. That is one reason we do not stay outside long when it rains. Part of the yard is starting to look like a dry creek bed and you can tell where the runoff has washed through the yard. As long as we do not get swept away with it.

Playing With The Squirrels

Molly has always been more of a rabbit dog (think of me as Elmer Fudd) than she has a squirrel dog. We cross paths with squirrels much more where we live now than we do squirrels but Molly is still not that impressed. The squirrels on the property are much more aware of Molly and they take the appropriate evasive actions like sprinting across the yard or scurrying up a tree. I like seeing them jump from tree to tree and I have always been impressed with a squirrels acrobatic abilities. They let me and Molly know when we are encroaching on their turf by barking at us and every once in a while they will rain down wood chips on us from a limb up above. Squirrels have an amazing ability to communicate.

A Clap Of Thunder

I remember when a clap of thunder used to send Molly into a terrified frenzy. Now it doesn't even wake her up. I was left to wonder what was louder the clap of thunder or the sound of Molly snoring? For now, I am going to go with the clap of thunder. Molly's snoring is more sustained while the clap of thunder was more powerful. I am sure Molly would say the same about my snoring. When Molly was younger, she used to wake me up whenever I was snoring because she thought something was wrong with me. I would wake her up but as the saying goes, I do not want to poke that bear.

The Homeless Dog

I was at my local Wal-Mart this morning and I saw a homeless dog scouring the parking lot for some scraps of food or something to nibble on. He had the look of a dog that had been doing this for awhile and knew how to survive. I first spotted this dog back in October when I worked third shift at this Wal-Mart. I had to go outside about 2 AM and I spotted this dog scouring the parking lot then for food. My heart went out to him then. I parked close to where he was scavenging this morning and I spoke to him. He looked up at me with a wary look on his face but he did not feel threatened. He had quite a bit of gray around his mouth so I knew he was an older dog. My heart went out to him this morning as well. I bought a very small bag of dog food when I was inside this morning but he was gone when I got out. He is a survivor.

The Lone Wolf

Molly and I have always had a bit of lone wolf in us and that is never more apparent than this afternoon when we ran into the Gang of Four. These dogs have already developed that wolf pack mentality and they started to act aggressively towards us. We are just out trying to enjoy our walk when we are cornered by the gang of four. I am not going to go out of my way to beat on a dog but I am going to come to the defense of me and Molly and she definitely is. I picked up the nearest big stick and the gang of four decided it was against their best interests to go on the offensive. I have found a big stick or my cane is a great equalizer and once again, it is not the dogs fault they are allowed to run free. I would love to take my big stick and discuss my county's leash law with the owners.

Do You Have A Dog?

I had to call my health insurance today and it turned into kind of a health and welfare checkup so Nurse Ratchet (A One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest reference) "guide" me into healthier living. One of the first question she asked was "Do you have a small dog?" I answered "yes, but she is not that small right now because she still has on her winter weight." Nurse Ratchet politely informed me that Molly was a "trip hazard." My response was "No, my feet are a trip hazard." I just need to make sure that I completely step over Molly when she is laying in the doorway, hallway, or the living room floor, or sleeping behind my computer chair. Molly took offense to the trip hazard reference.

Home Alone

I had to go take care of some business in Asheville today and I had to leave Molly home alone for the longest time since my surgery last November. I hated leaving her behind and I could hear her woofing as I got into the car. The old saying goes that hindsight is better than foresight and I would have been better off staying at home with Molly because my business in Asheville was a waste of my time, a waste of my money, and a waste of my effort but I had to give it a chance. As is usually the case, it was all about the money and I have never been a "dollars and cents" kind of guy so now I will be able to sleep with a clear conscience. That, to me, is worth more than money.

The Gang Of Four

I looked out of my living room window this morning and I see all of the neighborhood dogs running loose (one of them was taking a whizz right outside of my living room window) and these four dogs act like a gang of teenagers. They are basically good dogs whose owners let them run loose once or twice a day and they do usual dog things. They pee all over everything, they get into my garbage if I leave it out, and they come and harass me and Molly if we are out. Individually they will not come near Molly but as is with most other things, there is strength in numbers. I really don't blame the dogs because it is their owner's fault that they are allowed to run free and unsupervised so I do not take it out on the dogs. I may chase them out of the garbage but I would never harm the dogs. One of the Gang of Four, I have noticed, has to sleep outside under the front porch. No dog deserves that.

The Icecapades

Molly and I are officially done with winter. After two days of the icecapades while we are trying to take our daily walks, we are done with winter. We had to cut our walks short because neither one of us could stand up and I am not the athlete I used to be. Last night the power went out which is unusual for this house. Molly can't see that well any more and she some how made it into the kitchen. I heard her in there and I finally figured out she was disoriented and could not get back into the bedroom. I had to go "rescue" her with a flashlight and she was fine after that. We are done with winter.

Rain Freezing On The Trees

We got another round of bad weather today but it was something worse than snow- freezing rain. The snow I can walk around in. The ice covered driveway and yard, not so much. Molly doesn't seem to have a problem with it. As soon as we get out of the door, she goes trotting down the driveway with me in tow. As I start sliding down the driveway, I start looking for the softest place I can land when I fall. Molly is busy chasing whatever scent she happens to be following. I hope it was worth it. I did not fall this time around, surprisingly enough. In all of the slipping and sliding and bracing myself for impact, I some how managed to stay on my feet. I was impressed. Molly, not so much.

The Snoopy Dance

Molly is 14 years old and still gets excited every time she knows we are going outside. She kinds of does a geriatric Snoopy dance- it's the Snoopy dance except for old dogs. I guess that would be the equivalent of a senior citizen reliving their disco days. I get almost as excited as she does because that time I spend outside with her, is my most peaceful time of day. I don't have the distraction of my laptop or the TV or whatever else happens to be consuming my attention. I am getting a better understanding of why my father spent so much time outside with his dogs.

Clear The Air

Molly has subtle ways of letting me know she needs out and some not so subtle ways. I always take her out for our last walk between 5:30 and 6 every night and she is usually good for the night. That was not the case last night. I am sitting in my library (it is just a room with all of my books in it but I just think it is cool to say I have a library) and Molly starts woofing at me from the living room. I just thought she wanted some attention so I go and give her a good rub down and I thought that was the end of it. A few minutes later, Molly walks into the bedroom and I am sitting there working on my laptop. Molly cuts this fart that immediately makes your eyes start watering, I ran and grabbed the Febreze, and saturated the air with the fresh ocean breeze scent. That was when I decided Molly needed out. Really bad.
































i

Early To Bed, Early To Rise

I grew up listening to country music (I really did not have a choice in the matter) and the other day I, for whatever reason, returned to my country roots. At least temporarily (very temporary). I have been out of work for about three months now still healing from foot surgery but Molly and I still get up at 5 AM. It is hard to break a 30 year habit. Sometimes getting up that early is my idea, sometimes it is Molly's. That made me think of the old John Denver song "Thank God I'm a Country Boy." The lyrics say "early to bed, early to rise, thank God I'm a country boy." I am a country boy. Molly and I have left before to go to the city but we keep coming back.

The Long Road Home

When Molly and I go for our walks, we have two directions that we usually go. We can go right down the driveway about 200 yards or we can go left into the woods which is only about 75 yards. I think Molly enjoys the woods walk more but when the weather is bad or my foot is bothering me, we take the driveway path. No matter which direction we go, as soon as we come close to the house, Molly starts making a wide loop around the front door thinking that is going to get her out of going back in. Most of the time it does but it is how she plans it is the funny thing. If someone is walking with us and we are deep in conversation, she knows she can take the long way home. There was one day that I had to take a phone call, I tossed the leash to my girlfriend and Molly knew she had a sucker then and she took full advantage of the and was halfway to the bottom of the woods by the time I caught up with her.

The Furniture Mover

I decided to redecorate my house last night and I use the term redecorate very loosely. I was just moving furniture from one room to another one. Molly, always my able assistant, offered her "help" by consistently getting in my way, laying in the doorways whenever she could, and laying on the carpet in the living room right in my way. I have hardwood floors in my living room and I had to move the rung to one side of the room so I could get the furniture through the living room. Molly was laying on it at the time so I just scooted her with the rug. She graciously went along for the ride.

Wake Me When It's Over

I have well documented the fact that Molly is slowing down in her old age but it is never more evident than when I "sneak" out of the house. If she used to hear me pick up car keys and they would make that clinking sound, she would appear out of thin air in front of me within about two seconds. "Where are you going without me?" she seemed to be asking. Now unless she sees me going out the door, I am good to go. Molly is usually in a deep slumber on the bed and doesn't wake up until I check on her. That's OK. She needs the rest.

The Super Bowl Or The Supper Bowl?

Whenever Molly reminds me that her supper dish is empty, I get an image of Snoopy walking up to Charlie Brown's door with his supper dish in his mouth, and kicking on the door to remind him that his supper bowl is empty. Molly uses a different method but the effect is the same. Molly likes to take her paw and either flip her empty bowl over in the floor or scratch it with her paw to signigy there is nothing in it. If I don't catch on to those obvious signs within about five minutes, Molly resorts to the not so subtle barking until I fill it. Molly was not that impressed that it was Super Bowl Sunday although she did get to participate in all of the snacking during the game. Molly picked the Broncos so she won the pool and a bag of special dog treats.

The Jedi Mind Trick

Molly knows how to play the Jedi mind trick on me. I don't know how she does it but she just knows how to pull it off without me even waking up. There was one morning I woke up and I was laying crossways on the bed, my head hanging off one side and my feet hanging off the other, and Molly was ensconced right in the middle of the bed. She had somehow managed to turn me completely sideways without me realizing it. Last night I woke up and she was stretched out over three-fourths of the bed while I was on the other one-fourth. I way four times as much as Molly. That math does not add up. It must be the Jedi mind trick.

Sylvester And Garfield On Acid

This is not your typical Molly's World post but since a new organization can report the possibility of wolves tripping on hallucinogenic mushrooms in the California desert, then I can post on my blog about the potential for the neighborhood cats tripping on acid. It wasn't like they were walking down the driveway sporting their tie dye Grateful Dead t-shirts or anything but the solid gray cat and the orange tabby were not walking too steady and they were jumping and hissing at shadows. When they saw Molly and me come around the corner, they really freaked out. I have never seen a cat try to run four directions at once but he finally got himself to moving in one direction and tore through the neighbor's flower bed.

Passing The Test

I have often wondered what Molly thinks of me as a dog owner. I was rubbing her belly and scratching her ears last night and she closed her eyes and had the most contented look on her face. How would Molly evaluate me as her owner? I think it would go something like this. I think I would get an "A" for treating her like a friend rather than a possession. Molly is my best friend and I treat her as such. I take her on walks and car rides and she visits friends and family with me. Most of my friends ask me how Molly is doing because they know she is part of my family. I believe I would also get an "A" for amount of attention given. Molly never lacks for attention. Plenty of head pats, belly rubs, and ear scratches to go around. I believe I would also get an "A" for spoiling Molly beyond the realm of dog and owner. She sleeps on the bed, I made her a bed in my library so she can be in there with me when I read and write, and she has a nice carpet to lay on in the living room. I get an overall grade of an "A" because I am a pretty awesome dog owner.

Pep In Her Step

The cold weather has returned to western North Carolina and it has put a pep back in Molly's step. The rain and the chilly, damp weather that came with it really dragged me and Molly down. The rain finally left town, the temperature got down below freezing, the winds blew, and Molly was a happy doggy. I was just glad she wasn't moving in slow motion and she trotted down the driveway, enjoying life for at least one more day. I enjoy every moment I get to spend with Molly whether it be the cold, the rain, or the snow. She doesn't enjoy the rain or the snow as much.

On Familiar Ground

I finally figured out that Molly is more comfortable on familiar ground. I moved into the bigger bedroom in my house yesterday but Molly objected to the move. She insisted on laying in my old bedroom so I had to lay down some old blankets and some old pillows so she would have something to lay on. When I went to bed she was sleeping on the blanket and pillows I had left for her but she eventually made it to our new bedroom and she hogged the bed in there just like she did in the old bedroom. Molly is very resistant to change and set in her ways but she will adapt.

For Me?

I finally decided to move into the bigger bedroom in my house today and I really did not realize what a massive undertaking that was going to be. I had to move the bed and Molly took personally offense to that. Since I was moving the bed, I went ahead and changed the bed linen. Molly refused to move out of the way when I was moving the bed (she was in her customary position in the doorway) but she did patiently wait for me to put fresh linen on the bed. As soon as I was finished Molly jumped up on the bed, clawed herself out a little nest, and laid down and took a nap. She knew I made that bed just for her.

Showtime

Molly is quite the entertainer. She feels like she has to put on a show every time I have guests over. Molly strategically places herself between my guests and myself. My guests are usually sitting on the couch while I am sitting in my computer chair in front of my desk. If at any time she feels like my guests are getting any more attention than she is, Molly suddenly develops an urgent need to get a belly rub, or she has to do the "sit and spin," or any of her other classic moves designed to get attention. I will give Molly credit in the fact that it makes for great entertainment. A star is born.