A couple of years ago our dear dog Zoe’s precious toy gave up. Ten years of service. So my husband built another. A rubber lacy cage around a latex gorilla with a squeaker. The cage assures she will not attack the gorilla and take out the squeaker in under 30 seconds. That is what she does and why this toy was invented. There are no stuffed animals here. She would eviscerate them in seconds. But she’s the sweetest dog in the world, loves adults, kids and even errant pups.
After ten years, her only toy deteriorated due to age. So has her bowl stand. I’ve had the same bowl set for her for nearly 12 years and the stainless bowls are fine. While I hate to get rid of it, the stand has rusted out underneath and the rubber on the bottom will not go back into place no matter what I do.
Yesterday I washed the mat that goes underneath her bowls. That may need replacing as well. She’ll be 12 in January and after all these years needs a new bowl set. It’ll keep her spine straighter as it will be lifted by a few inches. She is such a good girl and deserves a $9 bowl set every 12 years!
We try not to spoil Zoe because everyone else does. She’s kind of a mascot around here. Kind of like me not getting into the frat but am still in touch years later with its leaders. Now I’m giving them recipes for their camping trip!
I hate losing Zoe’s toy and bowl stand because I don’t want to lose Zoe. She’ll be 12 soon and while her senior blood panel is good it would break my heart to lose her. I’ll have to make the decision. My husband may be out of town or not choose to participate because he hates this as do I.
Don’t be fooled, he grew up on a dairy that is now a cattle ranch. His dad had to shoot both predators, and cattle beyond saving. So did he. It’s like living in Old Yeller though he hasn’t touched a rifle for years nor do we have any weapons in our home. Oh, I do cook so have knives but take them to veggies. Our young cousin asked to teach me how to shoot last year and I declined. This year, I’ll say it’s OK as long as I have a 22 and we’re shooting at cans, scary.
The first year, we were married, I was in PJ’s getting some tea and his Dad came up in the truck and said “hop in!!” I ran and got a coat and shoes and he took me to see a 14 point buck. All we got to see was the doe. What he told me about his heart and soul, his wife and sons that day is that he is a kind, honest man who doesn’t hunt for sport. If he was poor he would go legally into the woods and kill for food.
Last Thanksgiving he took me on a tour on the four-wheeler to see all the baby calves. One was dead and mama would not leave it. There is a bovine community that sometimes adopts a twin. There are babysitters. It is creepy to be in the bathroom at 5 am and have nine bulls looking at you from 2o feet away but you get used to it. I even fed a twin calf their version of milk. Something like ours…. that they give us daily.
Family is so important. I miss everyone who is lost to us, and cherish all that remain. Slainte to all our human and four-footed friends. Dee
Cooking with Dee 