Making It Up As I Go Along #255

MONDAY...
— First day back in AFIS for me. Stats are about the same as when I left a year ago... and my MP3 player is used once again.

TUESDAY...
— Work is tougher today. The tribulations of working with bad fingerprints. You get bogged down trying to look through smudges.
— A movie and supper with Karl this evening. Good time, but it’s cold out and we walk from his place to the movie theatre and pub.

WEDNESDAY...
— Not a great day. A big staff meeting makes the future for many work friends... some of them really good friends in my books... look not so bright with the RCMP. I suspect that the office atmosphere is going to suck pretty hard for a while after this one.

THURSDAY...
— Another not so good day. Some upset people around the office. So I work in one of the more secluded areas, with Melissa, and let most of the drama play out with me staying out of it.

FRIDAY...
— Quiet day around the house. I’m working from home getting employee evaluations done. A few movies in the evening.

SATURDAY...
— Quiet day until Melissa comes over. We have pizza, watch the Life of Brian, and go to Linda’s for a little party. Pretty good day.


The following is based on a true story. Although the details of the day are fictional... after all, I wasn’t there.

Cow vs. Dog
The day is as any other... starting off. Sparky awakes, bounces up, and gives himself a shake. It’s one of those shakes that leaves no inch of the small dog still. His collar jingles about his neck, his ears flap too and fro, and even his paws scramble at the bed covers as he tries to maintain balance. Ruby awakes, looks up, and tells the dog to go back to sleep. Lee remains motionless.

Post wake up, Sparky ignores Ruby’s orders, jumps down off the bed, and scampers off with tail straight up at attention. It’s time to see what’s going on in the house.

Little moves however. A few drips periodically in the kitchen sink, a tick of a living room clock, and the constant clicking of Sparky’s own nails on hard floors, that silence when he crosses over onto carpet.

With things so quiet, Sparky heads back to the people. Within five feet of the bed, he quickens his pace and then leaps his little frame into the air with the foot of the bed in his sights.

“Spark! Jesus would you lie down!” Ruby is unimpressed but Sparky is up now and he needs to get the rest of the crowd going too.

At other times, Sparky would have younger people to play with. Chris is Spark’s own age (minus the dog years) and he’s always up early and willing to explore and play. But his main family isn’t here now. They’re away on vacation and have left their little dog here with Ruby and Lee... Sparky’s second family.

Sparky tries to make his way up to the faces in the bed... a few licks will get things going. But Lee pushes him back as he rolls up to a sitting position, putting his feet on the floor, and giving a stretch before making his way to the bathroom.

For Sparky... success.

***

With breakfast in the kitchen, Sparky clatters around, looking for handouts. A bit of crust from some toast, a morsel of bacon, and a few pieces of cheese is good... but the dog never gets enough to be satisfied completely. It’s just not a dog’s way.

After the meal, it’s time to go out. Lee opens the door, lets Spark jump to the lead in his frantic, dog way, and the two mingle outside, waiting for Ruby to finish up inside and come to join them.

Sparky strains at his leash with grunts and groans. He is only interested in those things that he can not quite reach. Digging his claws into the ground, he tries to drag Lee over to a tuft of grass... then to a nearby tree, or a cluster of rocks. Again, like at breakfast, nothing satisfies. Once one goal is reached, it’s time to strain and pull his way to another. Lee gets annoyed at this constant yanking of his arm and calls out for Ruby to hurry up.

***

With Ruby now included in the group, a morning walk takes the trio around the rural neighbourhood. For Sparky, it’s as if he’s never seen any of this before. Passing cars have him pouncing towards the road. Local cats force hefty, fierce “arh!” barks to emanate from deep within his body. Passing people bring growls of distrust. Sparky, despite his small stature, is a warrior.

Once they reach a more secluded area, where farm land dominates and cars are less frequent, Lee decides to give Sparky his freedom. There’s been too much tug of war between the little dog and the big man, and Lee wishes to give his arm a rest. So, with a click of the leash, Spark has gained his freedom.

It is about this same time that the little dog catches sight of his next conquest. There, some hundred feet ahead, are cows!

The click of the leash’s removal is like a starters pistol. Sparky immediately begins to run. With each bound and leap, he maintains the closest cow in his sights. Tufts of grass, which not long ago were worthy of investigation, are leapt over. Clumps of rocks are avoided with race car like turning ability. The little dog only has one thing in mind now. He must fight this cow.

***

Now, it should be known that Sparky was a great little dog. Loving but fierce. He was a Wired Haired Fox Terrier and let everyone and everything know what he thought of them. Some strangers could be greeted with a lick and a wag of the tail while others were loathed and constantly growled at. He was the bravest and toughest little dog you’ve ever seen. He’d rarely show pain and would fight his way through anything.

But, as much as Sparky was brave and combative, he was also not entirely a bright dog. Not that he was dumb mind you. You couldn’t fool him very often with a hidden bone or fake toss of a ball. But his enthusiasm brought with it momentary lapses of foresight. Thinking through an idea was not this dog’s strong suit.

***

On Sparky ran, the cow in his sight getting every closer... yet it continued to ignore the little dog, standing back on to him and munching on some grass. Well behind Spark was Ruby and Lee, running in horror, trying to convince the dog to stop his attack with yells of his name.

As Sparky comes within ten feet of the cow, he again begins to quicken his pace. Like the extra gear needed to leap onto a bed in the morning, there is an acceleration prior to the leap at the beast before him.

With a mighty leap, the little dog pounces at the cow like a leopard pounces on a gazelle. For Ruby and Lee, it’s like watching a live version of Wild Kingdom.

And with a flick of it’s leg, the cow mounts a pre-emptive strike. Before the dog even has a chance to grab on, he finds cow hoof slamming into the front of his nose. And, with that, the course of his aerial attack is quickly reversed. While flipping through the air... going back the way he came... Sparky plans his next wave. He hits the ground, rolls a few times in the short grazed grass, and leaps up, ready to make a second charge.

It’s at this point in time that Lee catches up to the little dog. A great yell is followed by two strong arms grabbing Spark out of mid air. The second attack has been halted. And the cow goes back to it’s grass.

A few shakes of the head and a sneeze from Spark clears the cobwebs as Lee walks him back out of the battlefield. The morning was is over.

And back to the road, Ruby curses the little dog as she rubs him over affectionately. The leash is clicked back on and Sparky strains against his restraints, wanting to return to the cows. But the walk takes them back home instead where tufts of grass and clumps of rocks await new exploration. And some pieces of cheese, tossed down from the table, will make a fine lunch.