Life Lessons

I was attempting to vacuum the other morning and every where I turned, there were more of Jules' toys, possessions and weird talismans. (The weird things barely pass as toys but Jules seems to like them every bit as much as the presentable "store bought" ones. Like chunks of sticks and old empty plastic seltzer bottles and stuffed animals with the stuffing long ago torn out). I think he keeps count as I find him surrounded by them, seeming to take inventory. He periodically resurrects a particulary odd old bit and parades it around like its brand new all over again.

Anyway, he seemed especially pleased with himself while sunning, surrounded like a true Material Boy by all his worldly goods. I thought this was a good time to give him a lecture in The Way Things Used to Be and Counting Ones Blessings.

"I hope you realize", I said, "A hundred years ago, you wouldn't be laying here in the warm house, noodling about with your toys. No, you'd be chained to the house without shelter acting as a guard dog. or you'd be off on some remote hillside, forced to tend the sheep in sub-zero temperatures fighting off wolves!"

Jules looked unimpressed and relied, "Oh yeah? Touch just one of my things and I'll call the Humane Society! I've got there number on speed dial on my cell phone!"

Later when outside, throwing the thousandth tennis ball for Jules to fetch as he is tireless in his pursuit of anything thrown, I spied the horse.

Crispin is another ungrateful wretch. I can just see the expression on Crispin's face when he watches me play with Jules. "Oooh. There's that awful woman and her stupid dog. They're beneath my notice. And why that horrid spoiled dog thinks I'd be interested in some nasty old ball is beyond me."

"You! Crispin!" I called. "Do you realize that just last century, you'd be pulling a plow and glad to get thrown a forkful of musty hay after a grueling day in the fields? A day drawing a wagon could still be arranged!" 

I don't think either dog or pony were seriously worried about "The Bad Olde Days " returning.

Here's evidence (in the form of a picture taken of Crispin back at the horse farm before he came to live here) that Crispin has always been grumpy and seems to "have his nose out of joint".

(I am supposing that there are now laws on the books prohibiting the posting of unflattering portrayals or unattractive pictures of one's pets on the Internet... just don't tell Jules or Crispin about this entry. And I also trust that my sagacious friends know that I am only kidding about my furry friends...)