Not Quite The Hero I Assumed Him To Be

I almost gave Farmer H some undeserved praise this week. Thank the Gummi Mary, he revealed the truth before the accolades were showered upon him!

When I left for town, I paused to give the dogs a bite of dog food. Ever since Farmer H quit buying cat kibble due to no more cats, the dogs don't get excited about this small going-away treat. They still run over to receive it, but sometimes only sniff it and walk away. It would be like expecting a scrumptious dessert, and getting a bowl of gruel. Yet this time, they were frisky, and jostling each other to get near the food pan.

 

Not a flattering angle for Jack, but catching them both in frame is like capturing lightning in a bottle. Jack is much more loving towards Juno than she is to him. She tolerates him to make a good impression on ME. She's been on the receiving end of my sharp tongue several times, for going over to eat Jack's food while hers rests in her bowl right there. In fact, Farmer H moved Jack's bowl way over to the other side of the steps to separate them.

Anyhoo... when I dumped a little out of the pan that's used to dip into the lidded plastic trash can where we store their food in the garage... I saw three red nuggets! In fact, Jack nosed them out and gobbled them first! I was heady with excitement. Farmer H had bought cat kibble for the dogs!

When I got home, Farmer H was floating in POOLIO. I leaned on the rail to talk to him, and saw my Sweet, Sweet Juno start up the steps. She NEVER goes down to the deck of POOLIO!

"Did you get cat food for the dogs? They were SO excited when I left! Jack ate the cat food pieces first!"

"There was a few pieces left in the can. Of the old dog food. This is new dog food that I bought them. Not cat food."

"Oh. Well. They must THINK it's cat food. They love it!"

"It IS different."

 

There's the new food, in the nonstick saucepan that we use as a dipper. Not that it sticks. That's what Farmer H had on hand, from the storage units, probably.

"What in the world is Juno doing down there with you? She sure came up the steps slow."

"I don't know. She never comes down here. She's afraid to go UP the steps, after that first time she followed me, and she hasn't come back. She lays up there and watches me."

 

"I don't blame her. You can see through the steps as you're walking up. How did she get back to the porch last time?"

 

"I carried her."

 

"You carried big ol' Juno up the steps?"

 

"Yeah. She was afraid. She wouldn't come up."

 

Okay. Maybe Farmer H deserves a small "Attaboy."