Category: Tinker (Page 1 of 15)
Our first schnauzer
The sun is actually shining for the first time since Florida, a rare treat here in the Northwest. We call them “sun breaks,” those rare moments when they happen. People flock outside to see this wonder of nature. This morning it stayed out for the full hour I was breathing the fresh air. The rest of the day will be spent near my home office desk, with a couple of dog walks and dinner preparation. There’s not much on the calendar this week except a drive into wine country on Sunday with a forecast that promises partly sunny.
We concluded the Bridgerton series last night and watched the first half of the movie Chaplin after dinner. Little by little we’re finishing off half-empty bottles and cleaning out the food pantry in preparation for the cross-country move. I’ll soon be removing the pictures on the walls and patching any damage. My wife is also carefully organizing all the essential items we’ll carry in the car, including our dog Tally’s bed and care items. It will be the longest “ride in the car” she’s ever experienced. After a few days, I’m sure the thrill will wear off. She’s already done the route from Portland through Colorado but with her former travel companion Tinker. Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida will all be solo adventures for her. Her total states visited will be 18 by the time we get to our new home, surpassing the well-traveled Tinker.
We’ll finish off Chaplin tonight after I prepare dinner, once again cleaning out some freezer items. My wife continues meatless while I still have some frozen steaks left to finish. I will have to learn how to prepare fish, if I’m to once again cook for both of us, as was my once-a-week retirement pledge. We’ll have to completely restock once we settle in the sunshine. We’re also down to less than 25 bottles of wine after some planned replenishment this weekend – our final membership pick-up. A few of the best bottles will travel with us in the car, but most will be enjoyed or given away in the remaining weeks. Sunshine and Cheers!
Our schnauzer Tally isn’t the garbage hound that her sister Tinker used to be. There was never a crumb to be found when Tinker ruled the house. Dropped scraps of food were often gone before they ever hit the floor. Tally is polite around the dinner table and gently accepts any offerings, whereas Tinker might very well have taken your fingers off. With all our dogs through the years, “Ham Time” continues to be a tradition with a bedtime snack of honey glazed ham or healthier turkey slices. (See Post #699). Gastro Delight!
The one drawback with Tally is often her breath. She got into something outside last night that made her repulsive. It’s often hard in the dark to see what she grabs, especially while wearing a mask that makes my glasses fog up. I tried some Crest toothpaste as a desperate resort. Nevertheless, she was not allowed to sit anywhere near us. I even wore my mask indoors this morning to give her a “Tummy Attack,” (See Post #648) while avoiding that furry, foul mouth.
She can also be adorable, using her eyes to hypnotize us into giving her more attention or food. We call it pet-nosis. (See Post #1440). It makes us give her things against our better judgement. I wrote this poem a few days ago when she was in favor and not so stinky:
Gastro Delight
She nibbles on kibbles,
And packs in the snacks.
Or rolls on her back,
For tummy attacks.
Her lips make a smack,
At the thought of a treat.
And wants a sample,
Of every bite we eat.
The ears perk up,
Those eyes grow big.
She makes a few grunts,
Like a hungry pig.
But she doesn’t get up,
Just waits to be served.
Whatever you give her,
Is greatly deserved.
Then she will bug you,
To go on her stroll.
With eyes that beg,
As black as coal.
In the afternoon,
She sits on a chair.
Wanting a walk,
Again with a stare.
Once she gets home,
Walks through the door.
Kibble ball nuggets,
Roll over the floor.
They crunch under foot,
With each step we take.
Or hurt our bare toes,
While still not awake.
She’s no Hoover,
Crumbs not her thing.
She’d rather have,
The entire chicken wing.
At the dinner table,
She sits closely by.
And uses pet-nosis,
It’s hard to deny.
Patiently waiting,
For food on our plate.
Then a wag of her tail,
Tells us “It’s Great!”
A chew every morning.
“Ham Time” each night.
Our schnauzer Tally.
Is a gastro delight.
copyright 2020 johnstonwrites.com
When our schnauzer Tinker was alive, she always seemed to inspire a poem. Her younger sister Tally all too often got upstaged. Now that she’s an only dog, I thought it only fair to write some words to describe our all-black pup who is often just a dark shadow in photos (unless she poses on a white rug). Tally rarely pays attention to me, but every once in a while she rolls on her back expecting a Tummy Attack!
Yummy Tummy
We have a pup,
Who likes attention.
All you have to do,
Is subtly mention.
Would you like,
A Tummy Attack?
She’ll roll over,
On her back.
Her paws in the air,
To urge your hand.
Exposing her belly,
To something grand.
“Please don’t stop,”
You can hear her plea.
The smile on her lips,
Expressing glee.
“A little lower,
And to the right.
You can keep rubbing,
All through the night.”
And when she’s hungry,
There’s more magic rhyme.
“Yummy Tummy,”
It’s dinner time.
Backwards, Upside down,
Then comes the look.
She’s got you,
On the Hook.
She’s a black bandit, For scraps or Ham Time. But stealing your heart, Is her biggest crime.
Those eyes meet yours,
It’s clearly Pet-nosis.
Tally gets what she wants,
She’s Puppy Precocious.
Copyright 2020 johnstonwrites.com
We’re lucky to have house guests for the weekend. My wife’s daughter and husband have come for a visit. I feel bad that we don’t have more space to accommodate them, having moved from our house into an apartment. They would have had the entire upstairs and total privacy. Instead, they have an inflatable bed crammed in my office. I’m writing from the living room coffee table this morning and feeding the parking meter out front to allow them garage space. These are both minor disruptions in the world of retirement. We’re glad to have the company in these pandemic times of isolation.
We relieved the stay-at-home boredom yesterday by driving to the quaint Oregon Coast city of Manzanita to meet some friends for wine and food. It was like an extension of our long drive to Glacier National Park along winding scenic, forest roads. After a couple of quick views of the Pacific Ocean and a bite to eat in Cannon Beach, we were soon back home. For some reason, Tally our schnauzer had no interest in being near the roaring waves. We still had a few more preparation duties to take care of in anticipation of our soon to arrive guests.
Today would normally be a “Leadership” luncheon, but nothing is normal these days. Next week we’ll return to that Friday tradition. Tonight, we’ll grill outside at my wife’s other daughter’s nearby home. It will be the first time that we’ve all gotten together since their wedding 10 months ago, just before the world shifted and spun out of control. At that time, our schnauzer Tinker was still alive and their pup Falco had yet to be adopted. Now, Tally is best friends with Falco, so the patter of little feet will add to the reunion atmosphere. We might even see our fancy grill in action, since they are not allowed in our apartment building. It’s being stored at their house. Someday soon, it will be the focal point of our Florida outdoor kitchen.
Construction should start soon on this Florida house that will once again allow comfort and privacy for house guests. We’re not anticipating any overnight company in the remaining 6-months of our apartment lease. Most are discouraged by the lack of space and inflatable bed, but family is forgiving. However, they would not be staying here if it weren’t for the fact that the other sister’s house is under construction. They picked the lesser of two evils, and we’re doing our best to be good hosts. My wife loves house guests, especially those tolerant of our limited amenities.
This is probably one of the most uneventful Fourth of July weekends I could remember. In fact, I checked my diary dating back for 20 years to find that we always had something going on this weekend. For the first 10-years of our marriage, while still living in the Midwest, we were usually with my wife’s mother watching their home town fireworks. That all changed when we moved to Austin, Texas and I started temporarily working in the retail business. One Fourth of July weekend was all work and no play. We did at least see the fireworks at Zilker Park and Auditorium Shores.
The following year, 2011, we went to a wedding in my home town, the last time my family was all together for an event. Three years later both my parents died just after we moved to Portland. In that time span, there was one very memorable Fourth on the beach in Port Aransas, Texas. Tinker was scared to death of the fireworks in the sky above us. The last Fourth with my wife’s mother was four years ago in Indianapolis. Portland was just too far away to run back to Indiana, so we explored Oregon, including a hike and picnic at Punch Bowl Falls and a fabulous weekend at Crater Lake.
My wife’s mom passed 14 months ago. This ended all trips back to Indiana and allowed for last year’s Fourth at Canada’s Butchart Gardens. Both Tinker and Tally were relieved that there were few outbursts of fireworks once we crossed the border. It was Tinker’s best and last Fourth of July, including an All-American hot dog in the peaceful garden setting. She was a princess in her special stroller and got lots of attention from passers-by. Tally got to smell the flowers in the dog-friendly grounds. Unfortunately, it was their last together.
Last night, Tally did have company for the noisy night. My wife’s grand-dog Falco stayed with us because the neighborhood where she lives is much louder than ours. In fact, she’d been medicated for days and reluctant to even go outside. On their final outing last night both dogs were freaked out. Falco refused to pee, after not touching her food or water for days. It was quiet once we got back inside, so both dogs slept undisturbed. However, it took a longer walk this morning to get either of them to do their business. We did have our traditional chicken legs and potato salad dinner, while I drank a bit too much wine. Sadly, in these pandemic times, there was little else to do but watch Yellowstone, for me a repeat. For the first time in our marriage, we were stay-at-home Fourth of July shut-ins.
Everyone in our household is getting a little shaggy. At least, Tally our fuzzy schnauzer gets groomed today. She’s been growing her mustache for three months now in these pandemic times. The spa that we took he to for years, Urban Fauna, has sadly closed its doors for good. We’re taking her this afternoon to Coats and Tails, just down the block. Provided they do a good job, we’ll at least have convenience on our side. Hopefully, Supercuts will reopen soon and I can get rid of my shaggy appearance.
One of our favorite neighborhood taverns is the Blue Moon. My wife is drawn by their mini-corn dogs called Scooby-Snacks. They’ve been a welcome to-go choice over the past month, after they were closed during the initial stages of the virus. I’ve written about Scooby-Doo recently (See Post #1310), but failed to mention his lazy cartoon companion, Shaggy. As described by Wikipedia, “Shaggy Rogers has a characteristic speech pattern, marked by his frequent use of the filler word “like” and, when startled, his exclamations of “Zoinks!”. His nickname derives from the shaggy style of his sandy-blond hair. He also sports a rough goatee. His signature attire consists of a green v-neck T-shirt and maroon bell-bottom pants, both of which fit loosely.”
“Both Scooby and Shaggy are readily bribed with Scooby Snacks due to their mutual large appetites, insisting that ‘being in a constant state of terror makes us constantly hungry!'” I guess they have a lot in common with our family, hoping the Blue Moon Scooby-Snacks can ease our terror of Coronavirus. Casey Kasem, of American Top 40 fame, was the original voice of Shaggy, while Don Messick was Scooby, while also voicing The Jetson’s Dog, Astro. “Ruh-Roh!”
Tally, of course, is a fan of snacks, too! She’s not particular, having enjoyed fortune cookies last night from our Chinese take-out order. They always throw in extras for her! It reminds me of one of my favorite poems that I wrote years ago and have adapted for today’s Creature Feature post:
Tally
We have a dog named Tally,
Eats everything in sight.
She wants a treat each morning,
Gets ham most every night.
.
She’s at my feet when dining,
Just waiting for her share.
I simply can’t ignore,
Her impatient stare.
.
When we take her on a walk,
Her nose is on the ground.
Searching every crack,
For a morsel to be found.
.
Ice cream is a favorite,
She licks it off the stick.
And if you want some for yourself,
You better eat it quick.
.
When we order Chinese,
Her tail begins to wag.
And she starts to whimper,
When she sees the bag.
.
She wants her Fortune cookie,
In no mood to chase her ball.
She’s been known to eat them,
Plastic wrapper and all.
.
On the morning after,
When I went to scoop.
You’ll never guess what I found?
A fortune in her poop.
Copyright 2009 johnstonwrites.com
The original was written for Tally’s sister, Tinker, that we lost five months ago at age 15. She was “The Poopingest Pup on the Planet.” (See Post #33). Tinker, although a schnauzer, reminded me of Disney’s Shaggy Dog. Tally, on the other hand, will no longer be shaggy after this afternoon.
It looks like a good day to go for a drive. The sun is shining and gas prices are cheap. It’s at least a safe way to get out of the house and a change of pace. The last time I was in my car was over two weeks ago for a brief shopping excursion. My wife has driven hers once a week, primarily to take our dog, Tally, to visit her daughter’s dog, Falco. They don’t have to practice social distancing, and we keep apologizing to others that they just don’t understand, as they try to get too close. Our handshake & hug world has gone to the dogs.
I did complete the 1,000-piece jig-saw puzzle my wife bought, my biggest accomplishment yet this month. I’m a little heavier and my hair a bit longer, but otherwise I’m doing fine as a pudgy, unkempt homebody. Funny, I always thought that was un-kept – see, I’m even still learning new tricks, despite being an old dog. I thoughtfully hear from my son and some friends on occasion, but still missing travel, dining out, and “Leadership Meetings.” We’re saving lots of pennies while losing big dollars in the Stock Market (down again this morning). I’m glad that we’re both retired and healthy during these “Dog Days” of isolation.
HGTV is on in the background, as my wife continues to plan and dream of our Florida forever home. A TV is always on in this apartment, our primary source of entertainment these days. She uses the tub just behind my writing desk every morning with the television volume jacked-up while I try to concentrate. When we were living in our house six months ago, this was not an issue. It’s been an adjustment for both of us, between her retirement and the smaller space we now share. Once she’s done getting ready, I can change the channel while she retreats to the living room to watch Billions. I was disappointed that there wasn’t a new episode of Curse of Oak Island this week and Skinwalker Ranch and Below Deck were both pretty weak in maintaining my undivided attention. After dinner, we’re now watching Killing Eve together. She has trouble sleeping without the bedroom TV on, but at some point in the middle of the night, the timer shuts-off programming for a couple of quiet hours. All-in-all, we’re talking only 5 hours a day without at least one set blaring. Sadly, we’re TV junkies, a habit that began because of our careers in the business.
There’s not much in the way of light-hearted events to write about during these dark days. I try to divide my posts into categories but there’s been little activity in reporting on sports or travel. Since the passing of Tinker, “the Poopingest Pup on the Planet,” Tally continues to mourn the loss of her older sister. She does like my cooking, especially last night’s pork chops, but Tinker’s appetite was legendary. Input equaled output. Tally’s life is relatively uneventful, and she has a tendency to avoid coming into my office. She’s clearly my wife’s fur baby that relishes their daily walks and “ham time.” I get the less-desirable early and late shifts when it comes to her outings. Furthermore, she is reluctantly forced to sleep next to me every night on “good bed,” precariously situated on the floor where I step-in and out of bed on far too many bladder emergencies.
Without travel and grooming, we’ll save well over a thousand dollars these next few months in pet-sitting and spa-care expenses. Although she’s a bit shaggy, Tally has had my wife’s full attention, without the sad glares we get when packing bags. Like most dogs, she’s excited to have her humans stuck at home every day. She’ll also enjoy today’s “ride in the car.” In fact, it will be a nice change of pace for all of us, the closest thing to travel that we’ll experience for some time to come.
