Spirit's Archive - October 2006

Me and Dewey #7
(October 2006a)

Dewey is old. But he doesn't believe me when I tell him that.  He is almost 13 years old, and most huskies don't live that long. T omorrow, we have to go to the dog chiropractor because Dewey won't believe he is old.

When Dewey was my age, Mom says that he jumped over 5 feet tall fences from standing still.  I find this hard to believe - jumping into Mom's lap on her recliner is about what I can handle.  I guess part huskies jump better than part labs.  He can still jump up on the bed, although Mom makes him use a step stool to get into the SUV.

He also can't see too good.  That's why I get to be the night guard dog now.  I have to stay awake and escort Mom to the bathroom at night so that she doesn't get lost.  Dewey did this for 11 years until last month, and then it became my job.  He taught me that the most important job that dogs have is to bodyguard the Mom of the house.

Last month Dewey got stiff all of a sudden and Mom couldn't figure out why.  You can see her shadow scratching its head on the picture.  She is trying to figure out why Dewey got stiff - the picture does NOT have anything to do with trying to figure out why I keep digging out the holes that she fills in.  The bag of dirt is just for decoration.  She has four bags of dirt decorating the bag yard right now!

While Mom was filling in my dog hole for the fourth time, Dewey decided to jump the fence and get into the garden.  Mom says the fence is there to keep us dogs out, but I know better.  Just because I ate the garden hose doesn't mean she needs to keep us dogs out of the garden! A squirrel or a rabbit could have eaten it too! ('Cept Mom did see me do it, so she has a reason not to believe that squirrels did it.)  Dewey jumped the fence and got hung up in the plastic fencing, but he got all of himself over and ate some grass and did his business in the garden.  Mom got upset and said, "NO DOGS IN MY GARDEN."  Dewey limped a little when he left the garden after Mom took the fence down to let him out again.  You can see Dewey in the picture saying "why not?" to Mom saying "NO DOGS IN MY GARDEN."  How can we protect the garden from rabbits and squirrels without sitting in it?  Moms do NOT understand everything!

The grass really is greener in the garden, 'cause Mom watered it all summer and made it grow good.  The grass outside got droughted on and didn't grow so well.  I can understand why Dewey likes the garden grass better.  It is really a completely different color.  Lots of things taste better in the garden! Even the hoses!

Anyway, Dewey is old and shouldn't try jumping over the fence that is 4 feet tall.  Mom knows now why she kept finding the plastic fencing not attached to the post - Dewey broke it not-jumping into the garden.  He half-jumped and got hung up, breaking the fence piece.  I can't even not-jump the fence that is 4 feet tall!

I guess it is hard for dogs to understand that they can't do everything when they get older.  Mom says she has trouble with that, too.  She says we all need to take care of ourselves.  She took down the fence 'cause it got cold out and killed all the vegetables, so Dewey can't not-jump the fence any more.  And tomorrow we get to travel 190 miles to the dog chiropractor and back.  Maybe Dewey will feel well enough to play when we get back! I miss playing with him.  When he is stiff, he can't play well.

Maybe some day Mom will get me a puppy so I can teach him good the way that Dewey taught me good!

Spirit P.

Copyright © 2006 M. Kathleen Chesnut

Me and Dewey #8
(October 2006b)

Dewey went to the dog-chiropractor.  Mom went to the people-chiropractor.  Dewey is running around much faster than Mom is.  Even though Mom went to the people-chiropractor two times!

We went to Bismarck, ND, to see the dog-chiropractor.  It is a long time for dogs to sit in the car to go there.  It took one and a half people hours - but that is a REAL long time for a dog.  But it was worth it, 'cause Dewey is running around like he thinks he is a young dog.  I know better; he is OLD.I don't play with him much, 'cause I am afraid I will hurt him and get Mom mad at me.  Mom thinks I just want play time with Mom all by myself.  I just don't like a mad Mom if I hurt Dewey.

 She got mad last week.  She yelled, "OUCH!!".  I thought she was saying bad things to me.  See, she was going to take us for a ride and I got excited and jumped up just as she bent over to put on my leash.  Her glasses fell off.  Then she fell over.  I don't know why; I didn't do naything except run away into the dog corner.

She fell against the door into the garage and it opened.  Then she jumped backward down two steps onto the floor of the garage.It was hard.  "Cement" Mom said, "is very hard to play bouncing ball on."  I like playing bouncing ball, but Mom didn't last week.  She yelled, "OUCH" very loud.  Once, then again and then again.  She said "ouch" lots of times that day.

That was on Friday.  Instead of taking Me and Dewey for a ride, she went to the people-chiropractor.  He told her she was very lucky.  I didn't feel lucky, 'cause I didn't go for a ride.  At least one of us was lucky.

When people at church asked her how she felt on Sunday, Mom said "lucky."  They were nice and got her pillows to sit on.  We still haven't gone for our ride yet.  Mom says "ouch" every time she gets in the car.

On Monday, Mom went to the people-chiropractor again.  Dewey didn't get jealous, 'cause he's too busy running around thinking he is a puppy.  I know he isn't - he's OLD.  Oh, this is the garage floor that Mom jumped backward onto. I don't know why - but it does look hard!

I like not being OLD.  I get to be boss dog.  Mom says I am bossy - but I like having my pick of where to lie down.  And then picking another place.  I like being first - that is a very important thing - being first. I know that lots of people think this way.

Mom says I am being silly.  She says if I keep thinking this way, then I won't know what to do when I get OLD.  I won't know how to be in second place.  She says that I should start thinking that first isn't everything.I thought it was.

She says that how we think of things is very important.  She says she would be very unhappy on her vacation (which started 4 days after the "OUCH" day) if she was thinking of all the things she had wanted to do on vacation and can't since she can't drive without saying "OUCH."

She prefers to think of herself as lucky - she can sit back in her recliner and read lots of books.  If "ouch" day had been just a little different, she says she might still have a very bad headache, instead of just a sore sit-spot.  Or maybe even had to go to the people-vet and stay there.

I guess maybe Dewey thinks of himself as lucky.  He is part of a human/dog pack, with the human on top.  He won't get kicked out if he can't run fast.Mom likes him lots - and would like him lots even if he hadn't probably saved her life by complaining about the heating system that smelled bad.

I guess maybe someday, I will think of myself as lucky - instead of first.  I am glad that Mom likes me lots, too.

Spirit P.

Copyright © 2006 M. Kathleen Chesnut