I've decided to make today
Friday.
This story about the late great smooth collie Faulkner is one of my favorites. I posted it on December, 28, 2011. It's had ninety-four page views.
Infinities of love,
Janie Junebug
Infinities of love,
Janie Junebug
On a cold winter evening I like to have a cup of hot cocoa with marshmallows.
The first winter that Faulkner consented to live with us, he was a little more than a year old, and the first evening that was chilly enough to send me to the kitchen for cocoa, I returned to the family room with it, sat down in a comfy green chair, and placed my cocoa, complete with marshmallows, on a tea table.
As luck would have it, Faulkner chose that moment to announce that he wanted to go out to his fenced-in yard. He did this by standing at the door to the garage, which was in the family room.
So I got up to let him out. When I reached the door, he made a mad dash for my cocoa and ate the marshmallows off the top.
And I have to admit that the very next night he fooled me in exactly the same way.
That's how Faulkner taught me not to leave my cocoa and marshmallows.
Faulkner's middle name was Boo for Boo Dogley, a play on Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird
. Boo evolved into numerous nicknames such as Boodles, and he answered to every nickname, including Sir. His name was Joe when we adopted him. He wasn't a Joe, and he paid absolutely no attention to that name.Faulkner was the King of Collies.
What a dog. Every time Favorite Young Woman and I talk about him, we end up at the marshmallow story, laughing and missing him.
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| The dog of my life. |
We've recently entered Dog World, but for umpteen years before that we were cat people. I often recall each cat with a fondness and clarity that I can't always apply to people I've known.
ReplyDeleteAll the cats and dogs who have owned me had unique personalities. I would never say, Now which one was that? The same isn't true of people.
DeleteGreat story about a wonderful dog!!
ReplyDeleteI adored him.
DeleteThat story's hilarious. I can just picture that dog racing you back to the table so he could eat your marshmallows. He must have been a smart dog. Otherwise, how would he have known how tasty they are?
ReplyDeleteHe was more than smart. He had an intuitive intelligence.
DeleteSome pets never leave our hearts. Mrs. Chatterbox still pines for our mutt Ginger, who has been gone now over twenty years.
ReplyDeleteNo pet has ever left my heart. I can't say the same for many people.
DeleteMy collie's name was Duke. He came with the name. He was a huge standard collie, overbred, 38" at the shoulder and over my head when he stood. I had him neutered, over my husband's objections. Enough bad genes! He was sweet and gentle. He grew blind from cataracts at a young age (less than five) and I simply quit rearranging the furniture. A friend wore her mother's raccoon coat one time, and threw it the length of the steps rather than hang it up. Duke kilt it.
ReplyDeleteWell done, Duke.
DeleteHe had your number alright!
ReplyDeleteHe was far more intelligent than I was.
DeleteWhat a great story! Faulkner sounds adorable. And sneaky smart, too. Adorably sneaky smart :) I can see why you miss him.
ReplyDeleteHe died in 2010. Not a day goes by that I don't think of him.
DeleteAww, he was such a handsome dog! :)
ReplyDeleteSounds like it was an adventurous day to say the least. Thank you for sharing.
Love,
Jessica
He was so beautiful that when we walked around the neighborhood, everyone called out to him to compliment him on his beauty. Once a man driving by in a car stopped to say, That's a gorgeous dog!
DeleteWhat a beautiful dog with a little twinkle in his eye. You have to watch out for them, they will get you everytime.
ReplyDeleteThe story is so wonderful but I cried !
cheers, parsnip
He did get me every time!
DeleteI remember him from your blog. Those special dogs.....
ReplyDeleteI adored him.
DeleteI love this story Janie. I know you miss him. He was a delightful critter.
ReplyDeleteR
I will never stop missing him. I love every dog who has come my way, but he was extra special.
DeleteGosh darnit, you have me laughing and missing him too.
ReplyDeleteLove you.
Faulkner was clever and also beautiful. I love his ears!
ReplyDeleteHis ears are unusual because they're natural. When I got him, his ears were glued down so they would gradually come to look like acceptable collie ears. I couldn't put glue on a dog.
DeleteAwe. Great story. My sister's dog used to steal any food item you left unattended. Luckily she grew out of it;)
ReplyDeleteFaulkner never grew out of his thievery.
DeleteWhat a beautiful and hilarious story. I love how clever animals can be. Mine have outwitted me more times than I'd like to admit. Not that that's hard, but still.
ReplyDeleteObviously, it doesn't take a lot to outwit me.
DeleteThe marshmallow story is funny and sweet. I agree that pets just take hold of our hearts and never leave. I still miss all my pets that have passed.
ReplyDeleteOh, sweet doggie! Foz likes marshmallows, but is too short to retrieve them from the cocoa himself
ReplyDelete