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Raven's Lament

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Thursday, January 10, 2008 Family Secrets >
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January 2008
1/29/08
Judith Heartsong's Artsy Essay Contest
1/27/08
I started out....Innocent
1/25/08
Egg On my Face
1/23/08
Simple Words
1/21/08
Fragile or Not?
1/20/08
Short Changed by Technology?
1/18/08
Too Many Fresh Cow Pies Lately
1/14/08
Family Secrets
1/12/08
Eccentric Oddities
1/10/08
Soul Storms
1/7/08
Raven's Flight-Removing The Mask
1/2/08
Silence My World
« January 2008 Archive
Saturday, January 12, 2008
5:58:00 AM EST
Feeling Loopy
Hearing Quiet Laughter

Eccentric Oddities

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No matter what has been going on in my life there is always one constant in the background, the crazy antics of the menagerie that live in this house......

I don't own a dishwasher and for all intents never will. The easy pace of filling the dishpan and sliding your hands in the warmth of sudsy water, gently wiping down fragile remains of a meal can at times be soothing and distracting. This particular morning Pickles was more antsy than usual to go outside to relieve herself. Placing more dishes in the pan to soak while we went out, knowing full well the dishes already in the drain would be fully aired dried by the time I came in.....You see Pickles is well - eccentric in some ways.

I've always admired when I went for a walk how you see complete piles of dog doo in one single pile......Wait, before you think I'm off a little to the left of sane. Pickles being a working dog will only go in one place, our yard. It's her security as she has been trained while working in buildings and among people she has to be restrained. That in itself isn't the weird part, it's what I fondly call the Hopi Rain Dance. You see Pickles will squat down go pee, then walk a few feet and squat down to relieve herself again, then proceed to walk back and forth between those two places several times. Finally after a few minutes of this behavior she decides she can go and while squatting to do (you get the picture) she starts hopping in a circle. No, I'm not kidding she has managed to spread her duty in a complete circle. I've often wondered if she wasn't an alien, seeing as our lower yard looks like a complicated series of crop circles. So now you understand why my dishes will be air dry by the time I come back in the house.

Once I'm in the house, I reach my hand in the dishwater to start the next load of dishes and......something furry and pulsing is in my hand. I scream and throw it across the kitchen. (I curse like you wouldn't believe when I get nervous or mad so imagine a string of profanity being heard). Slowly walking over to the hairy thing on my floor, which is still moving.......I breathe a sign of relief it's one of the cats play mice. It's moving because it had filled with water and was slowly letting it out. Within minutes the guilty party comes in sees her toy , grabs it and takes off with it.......Some days I wonder how it is my hair isn't pure white......

By now Pickles has become a familiar site among the usual haunts for us. People tend to gravitate from gawkers who point and stare when she's with me, to those who recognize her and know her name. I'm forever amazed with this last half at times. You wouldn't believe the amount of people who come up to talk to Pickles; you heard right, not me Pickles.....Pickles always looks at them with an intelligence in her eyes as if she is following every word. Quite often these people will wave and say "Hi, Pickles" when we first walk in the door. I swear if one of these days Pickles were to raise a paw and wave back, I'll be on the floor laughing so hard they end up calling the paddy wagon.

A few weeks ago we went to the bookstore. I love books. So there is almost a guarantee we will be spending a little time there. Usually I will check out the new release books first, taking my time and reading the jackets to authors I may not recognize. Pickles is told to wait and sits by my feet, where I normally block her tail from being stepped on. On this occasion Pickles was antsy and would slowly scotch her butt away from me, leaving her tail exposed. That little expedition leaves her moving her butt constantly to keep her tail out of harms way. I noticed and acted like I didn't. Waiting for her to move back in place were she was originally. I seriously didn't think I took a long time in that one section, but.....apparently the pup did. When I gently tugged her leash to let her know I was ready to look elsewhere, she looked up at me, and I swear you had to see it to believe it......(ever see those bad movies were an actress will make a production out of fainting). Yes, she did! She leaned against the bookshelf , watching me, slowly slid down and sprawled along the aisle.

I looked at her and said "Pickles I can't believe you pulled that on me, now get up and stop these shenanigans." Meanwhile people are staring at this woman having a conversation with a dog in the middle of the aisle , for all intentions looking like she's been mishandled. Pickles opens one eye and looks at me. "I see you peeking". She bounces up runs up to me and licks my hand as if to say, wasn't that cool. I walked away with her to find Doc, amongst stares and people with their mouths hanging open.  Once I related the events to Doc, we garnered even more stares he was laughing so hard.

Now you know why when Pickles came to me with her name, we continued to keep it. The little alien has "Pickled Attitude". I'm actually relieved to see her show some personality from time to time. She has a lot on her shoulders that most domestic dogs don't have to deal with. I've had people tell me animals don't understand us, why are we humanizing them.....I could never humanize her beautiful spirit......She teaches me how to be human. So that's my story of a few eccentric oddities that go on in the background of my life. They teach me to smile and live....kind of have to with this bunch keeping me on my toes. I'm including a picture of Pickles taken this summer at a Family get together. And yes, she does actually try to smile at you, can you tell???

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From my spirit to yours , stay safe and loved! Indigo



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