Brandy has gotten really old and now that she is a teenager she has a habit of nodding off in the pasture and when she does she usually does a face plant into the grass so that when you look at her you think, swing low sweet chariot. Here comes the band of LaMancha angels you think, and if you had a hat on you would take it off and hold it over your heart.
But anyway she is 13 and she is just sleeping, and she is also deaf as a post so when the farmer yells, "BRANDY!" she continues sleeping until the farmer trots up and grabs her shoulder and then she startles awake and plucks her head up, and her face is usually plastered with blades of grass, and it takes a few seconds for her eyes to swim back into focus, really it makes you wonder what she has been dreaming, and then she shakes her head in annoyance and the day goes on.
Then there is Spenny and she is 16 and she is the same, she sleeps 23 hours a day and if anything she is deafer than Brandy. Out of the blue we hear the farmer roaring: "SPENNY!" And then the day goes on. Then we see the rudely awoken Spenny on her constitutional, circling the house arthritically, five times like clockwork, after all she may be old but she is still a border collie, before going on to another power nap.
Tommy aka Tomba aka Tomba-la-Bamba the horse is 26 but he doesn't go in for all-day sleeping, it isn't his cup of tea, and he isn't deaf either. He is just thin when he used to always be fat but otherwise you wouldn't know he is a dinosaur.
Anyway a day doesn't go by that we don't hear "BRANDY!"
Or "SPENNY!"
And then we hear a little snort. And then we hear the farmer again, in a normal voice: "Not today."
Some other day, maybe. But not today.
6 comments :
In these cases we shall hope tomorrow never comes. :) Not today, anyway.
I'm so glad it's Not Today...I can still remember my old friends...I'm not such a spring chicken, I mean goat, myself but I hope there's still alot of Todays left for SPENNY, BRANDY and Tommy too!
Your old friend,
Queen Quattra!
Just the other day I said to my husband, "I am not ready for Genna to go." She will be 14 in September. She is sort of a Great Pyr with something sneaky thrown in. So, all I have to do is tell her, "Not today." and just keep saying that? This is a great relief
That is what we are counting on.
I so understand this sentiment. I lost a 13 year old doe in January and I miss her terribly. I have another 13 year old doe who is doing well and an elderly border collie who is hanging in there and still likes to play ball--slowly. My hubby and I decided never to get another border collie because they have too much energy for old folks like us to deal with. And then what do you know, unexpectedly we inherited a 14-month old border collie this week from a friend who died. In came the dog, unbidden but enthusiastic into our lives and in honor of our friend we certainly will take care of her. And now the house and barnyard are once again filled with energetic runs and jumps and yips and gleaming eyes and somehow we aging people, goats, and old dog will adjust and just might eventually enjoy this unexpected gift. And life goes on.
Unbidden is the best way to come.
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