I just had a birthday and now that I have a few decades (actually more than a few) under my belt, birthdays have become a time of reflection for me. One of the changes I’ve noted as the years have passed is that it’s not necessary to take oneself so seriously. It’s easier for me to cut myself some slack and occasionally shake my head at some of my many less than perfect ways. Some things would be easier to turn a blind eye to if not for my Pets. I’ve written about my dog Webster on previous occasions and have learned, and continue to learn things about myself from him.
For the most part I consider myself a pretty easy going person. I like a clean and tidy home but dog toys, catnip mice and tennis balls placed either carefully or haphazardly around the house don’t bother me. One of my passions is creating and maintaining a beautiful yard which is sometimes a struggle with Pets–especially big active dogs. For the most part, except when squirrels are involved, Webster is careful of the flowers and even prefers not to use the grass to do his business, both which I am very appreciative of.
Webster’s favorite toy by far right now is a 2 gallon black plastic plant pot that he carries around the yard and growls at, shakes, tosses in the air and pounces on. He has drastically altered the shape of the pot and put hundreds of tooth holes in it, so when he swings it at me to try and get me to play keep-away I end up with lots of little bruises from the hard edges of the tooth holes. I don’t really like the keep-away game–I prefer my shoulders to remain in their sockets and I can’t run the 100 yard dash in 6 seconds–in other words, I can’t compete. Still, it doesn’t keep him from trying. Anytime family stops by the house Web runs to the back yard to get his pot. As much as he would like it to be different, he does adhere to the “outside only” pot rule.
The one and really only issue I have with Webster, his pot and my yard, revolves around lawn mowing. And this is where having to full on face my apparent need for control and order comes in. I like to mow the lawn a certain way, going around the outside twice and then back and forth in neat straight lines. The start of the mower apparently signals to Webster the beginning of the pot keep-away game. I don’t see the connection, but I’m still expected to play. Webster follows me, pushing the pot at the back of my legs until I try to catch him off guard and grab it away. I’m rarely successful. So he’ll shake the pot a few times and then (this is where my issue comes it) place it directly in the path of the mower and back away, which is my signal to pick it up and throw it. The dilemma is this: if I stop the mower in its nice straight line to pick up the pot, I have to release the bar that keeps the motor running (manufacturers must not have considered the pot game when they added this feature). This of course means I would be starting the mower 20-30 times at least in the course of mowing. Or, I can move the mower around the pot (and try to pick it up before he does) which completely messes with the orderliness of the lines that are so pleasing to my eye. It’s quite a dilemma but in order to save gas and protect my shoulder from 30 cord pulls (equal to engaging in pot keep-away) I go around the pot. At the end of the mowing session the pattern in my grass is anything but neat and orderly. But, the grass is mowed and Webster is tired with his tongue hanging out from another session of his favorite summertime game.
Incidentally, I’ve tried to “refresh” the pot so it’s not so chewed up and sharp but you probably guess it-Webster will have none of that. Gotta love that dog!
