BarkingProse

About two weeks ago Tess started reminding me that Valentine’s Day was coming up. Like any guy, that got me to worrying about what to get her.

I’ve already been through this with Tess before. She doesn’t like roses because she can’t eat them. She’d like chocolate, but mom won’t let us have it.

No sense in me getting her something pretty to wear because she already has the most beautiful coat I’ve ever seen. I’m a sucker for her long red curls.  I went to bed last night wondering what I could do to make Tess happy.

It was still dark this morning when something woke me up. At first I wasn’t sure what I heard. Jack was snoring in the corner, Tess was on the couch in the living room. The sound was coming from where Nellie sleeps.

I held my breath so I could listen better. It was Nellie. She was making these funny little noises, like she was crying. I thought she must be having a bad dream, but the sounds kept up.

Real quiet without shaking my tags, I crept over to see what was going on. “What’s up, Nellie? I whispered.

“Oh Ash,” she said. “I didn’t mean to wake you up.”

“It’s okay,” I said. “Are you crying?”

I must have asked the wrong question because Nellie broke into deep sobs. I lay down next to Nellie and licked her ears.

“Nellie, you can tell me what’s wrong,” I said.

In the dim light I could see Nellie looking at me with her one good eye, her head still tilted from when she had the vertigo. “Tell me, Nellie,” I whispered.

“Oh Ash. It’s silly and foolish but I can’t help feeling this way. I’m an old dog. I’m lame and deaf and nearly blind. My head is crooked and I’m losing control of my poops.”

“This is probably my last Valentine’s Day. I don’t have that many months left. I just wish for once I could be special. I wish some handsome dog would choose me as his Valentine. You belong to Tess and Jack has no interest in me. There is no one for me, Ash!”

With that admission Nellie was exhausted. She put her head down on my paws and fell asleep. I watched her breathe and saw the last of her tears drip off her snout.

I thought about what Nellie said. We all know she is living on borrowed time. It’s a miracle she’s even with us.

I licked the salty tears off Nellie’s snout. Even though she was sleeping, I knew she felt my presence. I woke mom up and told her what had happened. We slipped out of the bedroom to talk things over. Tess heard us come out and joined us.

I told Tess about Nellie’s wish. I kinda figured Tess would make fun of Nellie, but she didn’t.

Tess took a deep breath and put her paw on my head like she does when she wants me to pay attention.

“Ash, this year you should choose Nellie as your Valentine,” Tess said. “I’m young and have a lot of years ahead of me. This may be Nellie’s only chance to feel special.”

I was so thrilled and proud of Tess. It was exactly what I wanted but was afraid to say. I quick grabbed a stuffie and shoved it at Tess. We started rolling around on the rug making awful noises. Mom was laughing. We were as happy as we could ever be.

Mom had a sappy Valentine’s Day card she’d bought for dad. I quick put my paw to it and scribbled Nellie’s name on the envelope. We found red ribbon to make a bow for Nellie. I grabbed a yellow flower that bloomed yesterday and put it with the card.

Next we found the perfect frozen turkey neck and wrapped it with a ribbon. We put the card, the flower, and the turkey neck on a silver tray. As soon as Nellie wakes up we’re all gonna sing “Sweet Valentine” to her and give her the presents. Later today we’re all going in the car for a drive. Me and Nellie will ride together. After all, she is my Valentine.

 

Today is my birthday. Today I am six years old. So are my brothers Abel and Arrow, who live with mom’s good friend Carole.

So much has happened in my life already. I was born in the far northeast corner of Washington. My birth family lived in the country with horses and lots of other dogs.

Somehow my true mom found me when I was five weeks old. She claimed me and paid a ransom for my release. When I was a couple of months old I took a long car ride with Abel and Arrow to the big city.

Me and my two brothers lived in Seattle for a year. It was fun. Lots of noise and people. Lots of stuff to bark at. Every morning I went to the off leash area where I could run and be crazy.

After I turned one year old, we found Asherpark. Nice to have your own space in the country. Five acres with lots of smells. Chickens, goats, mice, coyotes, hawks, eagles.

I wasn’t always the best behaved mutt. When it was just me and Codie, I’d get bored hanging with an old dog and take off on adventures. Before we got the fence fixed there were lots of places I could get under or over. I’d go into the ravine and chase smells till I got tired. It worried mom a lot, but I sure had fun.

Codie died in 2009. I was so lonely. I pestered mom constantly to play with me. Mom got Tess to keep me company. Tess had been a stray and needed a good home. Me and Tess had a few tussles when she first got here, but now she’s my best pal.

When mom retired we all decided to take in old mutts through Old Dog Haven. Darcy was our first old mutt. He was really nice. Never bothered anybody. It was really sad when Darcy got terrible sick and we had to say good bye to him.

Next we got Jack. If you’ve read my barks, you know what a tough guy Jack was when he showed up. It didn’t help that he had no manners. It’s amazing what time and love will do. Once Jack knew he had a place forever and he was accepted into the pack, he turned into a big softie. Now he cries like a baby if he doesn’t get what he wants.

We got Nellie ten months ago. I thought mom had lost her mind bringing home that little stinky fur ball. We all gagged when Nellie tumbled out of the car. But with some meds, a bath and good food, Nellie turned out to be a little jewel.

Nellie’s a blue dog like me. She reminds me of Codie. I lie next to Nellie a lot and pretend that me and Codie are back together again. I see mom looking at me and Nellie and we’re both happy and sad at the same time. Oh man, I still ache when I think of Codie.

Mom worries that when I get older I won’t be so goofy like I am now. I’m the only one in the pack who can make her laugh. Mom says laughing is the best feeling in the world and she doesn’t know how she could ever get along without me.

Now that I’m grown up mom can count on me. I come when I’m called. I’ll stay in my place when somebody comes to the door. I even heel off leash when we visit the goats.

I coulda done that a long time ago, but it didn’t seem very important. Now I know how happy it makes my mom, I do whatever she asks. Well almost. I still steal her underwear and prance around the room until she chases me. But that’s part of making her laugh, so we’re both okay with it.

Because it’s my birthday Jack and me are going for a ride. Then I’m gonna get a super big frozen turkey neck this afternoon. Yumm.

I like birthdays. You get to be the center of attention. You get special treats. Everybody makes over you like you’re something special.

I’m hoping my brothers get something special too. Here’s a big shout out to Abel and Arrow.

“Happy Birthday Brothers!!!”

 

I’m pretty easy going except for when I have to get after that fool neighbor dog, Zoey. Then I run the fence and bark real ferocious.

Tess says I act like I’m insane, but I know exactly what I’m doing. I’m telling Zoey to get back from my fence!

I’ve worn quite a path along the fence. Yeah, the people put down gravel and bark to sop up the mud, but after a big snow or days of rain it turns into a bog.

That’s perfect for me because I love the slip slosh of my big paws in the mud. But it’s not okay with my mom.

She always says the same thing when I come back to the house covered in mud, “Oh, no!!!” If I wouldn’t get in trouble, I’d sass her back and say “Oh, yes!!!”

Then we go through this little ritual. Mom grabs a handful of treats. We walk over to the tub in the garage. She tells me to hop in. I jump right in and she tosses me a cookie.

It doesn’t take long in the tub. Once the water is nice and warm she showers me. It actually feels kinda nice. I love to watch the mud run down the drain. When the water runs clear, I know we’re almost done.

Then mom tells me to stay while she gets the towel. She always forgets to bring the towel into the tub room. I dutifully stand dripping clean water in the tub while she rubs me with an old towel.

Something about cleaning me up makes mom get all sappy. She wraps a towel around my head and pretends I’m an old lady with a scarf. This last time she made me out to be some ancient pharaoh from Egypt.

She calls me her Asher doll and takes pictures of me looking silly. The whole time we’re both laughing and having fun.

When I’m pretty dry I get to shake in the tub. If I do it just right I splash mom from head to foot. She laughs and lets me out of the tub. I quick roll on the old rug and then sit for the last of the cookies she has in her pocket.

When we go back to the house the other mutts are all waiting for us at the door. Jack is worried that something awful happened to me. Tess is mad because she didn’t get cookies. Nellie can’t figure out what’s going on.

Meantime mom quick looks at her latest pictures of me. Yup, she got me again looking goofy.