22 May

Border Collie Chess: The She- Devil Strikes

by Jon Katz
Border Collie Chess
Border Collie Chess

Border collie chess, I have spent a good part of my life trying to keep border collies inside of fences when they want to get out. This morning we left Fate inside the dog fence in the back yard while we went out to check on the animals. We were out with the donkeys when Fate startled us by appearing out at the pasture gate. We couldn’t imagine how she got out, so we put her back in and I hid behind the woodpile. She squeezed into the very small space between the aluminum fence and the fence post, I still can’t quite imagine how she did it, even though I saw her.

I stuck some logs into the space, and then, of course, she pushed them out and came out again. So we nailed them in, went to the hardware store and got some chicken wire, which will go up in that space tomorrow. Border collies are good at border collie chess, I hope she doesn’t get a hold of any screws.

Like all puppies, Fate is cute, but I keep telling people she is a monster, a she-devil. She is cute, though, but wily. I’ve had border collies dig under the fence, jump over the fence, squeeze between slats and spaces, pry open wooden strips. Karen Thompson says if you survive the first 18 months, you’ll be okay.

 

22 May

Conventional Rebellious Rescue Banana. Life With Maria.

by Jon Katz
Rescue Banana
Rescue Banana

This solitary banana has a back-story. I went to the Cambridge Food Co-Op, which takes organic and healthy eating very seriously, to pick up Maria. She works there as a volunteer once a month while I shop there and eat their food. I saw this single banana sitting on the counter beneath a sign that said “Rebellious Banana.” Maria was working near the counter, and I sensed she was somehow behind this. I asked Nancy at the counter what the story was.

Well, she said, there were “organic” and “conventional” bananas on sale at the Co-op yesterday and no one was buying this one remaining banana. So she put a sign on it that said “Rebellious Banana” and then I walked in. I looked at Maria and asked if this was a rescue banana.

She blushed a bit, then looking only the smallest bit abashed, she said it was a rescue banana, she and Nancy thought it needed a home so they decided to call some attention to it. Do you want to bring it home?, I asked, and she nodded. “So this is a rescue banana?” I repeated to Nancy, and she said, why yes, it was. So we brought it home and it spend the night with us. My wife will rescue and re-home any living thing. We re-home spiders, lady bugs, worms, snakes, beetles.

The only creature I am allowed to swat is a house-fly, even Maria has little compassion for them. This morning I took the Organic Rebellious Rescue Banana out to the pasture to take a picture of it. Then I asked Maria if it was okay to eat it. Sure, she said, she just thought it looked lonely out on the shelf by itself. So I ate it, leaving a couple of bites for her. I also gave one bite to the chickens, and she approved.

22 May

Singing To Fate

by Jon Katz
Singing To Fate
Singing To Fate

As some of you know, I am in the habit of singing to my dogs. Orson got excited and ran in circles, Rose seemed mildly disgusted, Lenore rolled over on her back and sang with me in whines and grumbles, Red puts his head on my knee and looks wise, I sang the “Fate” song (I don’t go further here) to Fate this morning and I think she clearly thought I had gone off of the road.  She fixed her two different-colored eyes on me and strained to pick up every nuance and sound. When I was done, she rushed over to me in concern and showered me with kisses.

Maria is threatening to get a video of my singing to dogs, but so far I have threatened her successfully by retaliating with a video of her singing to donkeys. We are a curious couple, but fortunate to have found each other. I have lived with people who were not amused or impressed with my singing to dogs. Singing to dogs is a good idea, it is perhaps the easiest way for me to show my love for them.

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