Dahg hahg blahg
I had some thoughts of posting about groundhog day but then I thought, “We’re living groundhog day”. (I am not the first person to say this.) But maybe I do have a few things to say after all. The last time I lived groundhog day was the last few months of The Commander’s life when I spent a surreal period of time “stuck” in Sault Ste. Siberia, schlepping up and down the escarpment in my YakTraks with two laptops in my backpack (I did have a car there with me) and listening to the song of her oxygen musheen.
I do like to note that groundhog day is a cross-quarter day, being half-way between a solstice and an equinox. And it means that “winter” is half over although we are predicted to get our coldest weather so far soon and who knows how long it’ll last. Probably until May as per usual. I don’t think I’ll watch the Bill Murray movie [again]🐽
Yesterday a facebook friend posted her new rescue dog playing with its birthday Lampchop toy. Its xmas Lambchop toy is already shredded. I looked over at Gertrude and yes, there was my childhood dog Tigger’s favorite toy sitting on top. It doesn’t have a name that I remember but it still squeaks. Who knows why it has lasted so long. My parents always said that Tigger had a “soft” mouth, whatever that means. I do remember her playfully shaking the cat’s head around – the cat didn’t seem to mind – but she did not like the cabin milkman or our friend Kev. Oh no no no. I don’t think she ever seriously tried to bite anyone except maybe for the kids who came through the yard and hit her on the head with geography books. She was chained the months we lived in town. That would probably horrify today’s responsible dog owners but that was a different era. And she ran free without so much as a collar summers at the moomincabin. Which would also horrify… … … Again, a different era.
It turned out I was a one dog woman. We got Tigger when I was five. She was a stray puppy who turned up at my dad’s boss’s back door and they knew we were looking for a dog. I was TERRIFIED of dogs and my parents thought it would help and it did. After approximately eight hours, I was totally in love with her. I wanted to name her Goldie but my aunt Bubs’s suggestion of Tigger prevailed. As bouncy as she was, that was a much better name. Goldie? Really, KW?
I have not been afraid of dogs since, at least not categorically. I do appreciate dogs that have responsible owners because I do NOT like them to jump up on me while their owner stands around simpering, “He’s friendly”. But nowadays, at least on the Planet Ann Arbor, most owners I encounter are pretty good at controlling their animals.
Anyway, as an adult I knew I didn’t want to have to look after a dog. Kids were more than enough for me. I did spend a fair amount of time tending my brother’s dogs when he left them with me and our parents at the moomincabin. He had between one and three at any given time. I loved them but he allowed them to do some things that made The Commander cringe – getting up on the couch being the main thing. Tigger wasn’t even allowed in our Superior Street living room, shabby as it was.
So here is Tigger hanging out in the driveway of our shabby old Superior Street home with our VW bug. I must have better pics of Tig somewhere…
February 2nd, 2021 at 7:40 pm
I always had dogs growing up, and as a young family, but they are a LOT of work and we were too busy. (and traveling a lot for gymnastics) It wasn’t practical or fair to the animal. Even Mari can be a pain sometimes. I don’t really think of this as Groundhog day because it’s more important that it’s Alison’s birthday!
February 2nd, 2021 at 8:42 pm
Tigger!
February 3rd, 2021 at 8:24 am
Tigger was very protective of the cat’s kittens. Even from Sparkle. (Was that the cat’s name?) Once, Tigger was able to steal a hot dog off a low grill. Harry went into the cabin to get something, and said, “the dog will know it’s too hot to grab.” Well, it may have been hot, but it was still grabbed and gobbled. She was a good dog!