The Dynamic Duo

Go Johnny, it’s your birthday! Yes, TODAY, not yesterday, not tomorrow, not a week ago last Tuesday. Today…… yep your birthday….hope it’s a good one….um, let’s see what can I say? Good ol’ December 12th…Ah, I’ve got it! Do you know that you share a birthday with a very famous “person?” That’s right, December 12th was also Smokey’s birthday!
Smokey was a very important personage in my life for a space of 10 years or so. Just a fat, little brown dog, which makes me wonder now why we gave him a name more descriptive of a smoke-gray cat, but no matter. He was the dog we always wanted growing up, and I was in high school when we finally got him. My mother always said when we were younger that “If we get a dog, I will be the one to clean up after it.” And I’m happy to say, when she finally relented to our pet-less pleas, she kept her promise.
She was adamant about the breed. Purebreds were too high strung. Later she told us she arbitrarily named “Chihuhua-terrior” because she thought it would be a hard mix to find. Panther found puppies listed in the paper the very next day.
Smokey established his territory and personality early in life. His bed was a laundry basket with a red cushion inside. We called it his “little red beddy.” Though we kids were the ones who worshipped at his 13 black and 3 pink toenails, he, in turn lavished his adoration on our parents. Daddy was the authority figure who could make Smokey skittering into the aforementioned red beddy at the slightest note of displeasure. Mommy was different; he would follow her around, making whiny little whimpers until she finally gave in and sat down to make a lap for him to sit on. Us kids were okay for going on walks or playing. He loved to grab onto a plastic jump rope and would hang on for dear life while we whirled him around in the air, dangling like a chubby little sausage on a string. At us he could be grouchy, growling and occasionally biting. Still we loved him.

And so, a very successful birthday post, don’t you think? So happy birthday Smok….er I mean Johnny. And many, many more.

UltraMom, the pet lover