Friday, January 27, 2012

The Ballad of the One-eared Stinky Monkey



Snow is coming down and Buddy is one very content, not-so-little-anymore puppy. He has always liked shoving his nose deep into its cold fluffiness again and again as though he has just discovered the greatest thing on earth. He finds particular pleasure in tossing one of his babies up into the snowy air, catching it and then running around madly just to do it all again. And again. It's the stuff happy is made of.




Now, lest you think Buddy's babies are being mistreated, I have to add that they seem as delighted by all this fun as he is. And he knows the routine. He either barks or grrrs softly at the door when he feels it's time to come in and warm up, or take a snooze, tired out from all that strenuous activity. Sometimes, he just stands by the door, expecting me to read his mind, and I've gotten pretty good at that. We've had a lot of practice.




He has several babies to choose from, an entire basketful, and he is careful to make sure everyone gets their shot at some time outside, but it's the baby bear that seems to be his favorite now. 'Twas not always so. 




Once upon a time, it was a monkey with two ears and a very healthy behind. As way led unto way, one ear was chewed off in a moment of overzealous affection and then he became the one-eared stinky monkey, stinky being a natural by-product, shall we say, of incessant chewing.




As these things go, the love-induced chewing led to more chewing and then it was the behind which became, ultimately, unrepairable with needle and thread. I'm happy to report my sewing skills have remained intact, being much in demand these days, but sometimes even they cannot bring someone back to "life."  Thus, the closet shelf became the final resting place of the one-eared stinky monkey, a back shelf lest Buddy see it and whine for its return to the fold. I cannot bring myself to relegate it to the dustbin of history. Not yet. These things take time.




I've thought of replacing his monkey with a brand new one, and perhaps one day I will. In the meantime, I have discovered that second hand and thrift stores are great places for inexpensive stuffed toys. When I go to town without Buddy, he always checks the table as I unpack the grocery bag, checking to see if Ma remembered to bring him back a new pal.  No, he's not spoiled one bit. He just lives with the constant expectation of good to unfold, and that seems like a pretty fine way to go through life. We have this unspoken agreement. I make sure life is good for him and he makes sure it is for me. It's a win-win.









The opening photo is Buddy when he first came home with me at eight weeks old. He is now almost a year old. What a wonderful year it has been.

47 comments:

  1. Ahhh...what would we do without our best friends? Such a wonderful post.

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  2. Ohhhh I love his face!!! sooo handsome... whatta dog!

    Hahaaaaaa love this

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    1. He's so much fun. It is a seemingly endless game of 'toss the baby' while inside. I do the tossing, he does the fetching. He loves them in snow. It makes them cold and then he especially loves chewing on them.

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  3. Dear Teresa,
    A delightful posting. You and Buddy helping make life good for one another. And surely one of the good things he does for you is playing with those "babies." You must giggle sometimes at his enthusiasm.

    Peace.

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    1. I cannot help but laugh often. He is just sooo happy and it's hard to resist his joy. Can't! Wouldn't want to! It's good to be happy and to be so enthusiastic about life. ;)

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  4. What a fun post! Buddy is so handsome, and I love that he makes sure all his babies get time and attention. Right now it is snowing sideways here, but we still won't end up with enough snow for a dog to bury its nose in!

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    1. We received almost two inches. It made for a fun walk this afternoon with Buddy and he sure enjoyed being out when it was falling. Me, too.

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  5. I so enjoy reading accounts of the relationships between people and their dogs (or vice-versa, as these things seem to go).

    I'm not a dog person - partly because of circumstance and partly preference. But I understand the dynamic, as I spend a goodly portion of my time making life good for a kitty. She, in turn - well, let's just say she has been one very good cat, even without a willingness to lap-sit.

    Now, I'm going to go bury my nose in those wonderful photos again.

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    1. I grew up as a cat person, but somewhere along the way I started to understand the dog=god connection and now his joyful attitude toward life is absolutely infectious. I sure appreciate his companionship. Cats offer so very much, as well, and I recall my own with great affection. Perhaps one day Buddy will have a feline friend.

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  6. A great post, Teresa, and one that made me laugh with recognition. My dog, Derry, is fond of digging holes in either the snow or the beach sand and then burying her nose very briefly in the bottom of the hole before erupting into high-jinks. And she spends her evenings sucking on her beloved stuffed animals. I've watched this affection for the stuffed animals thousands of times, and I still almost tear up when I see it.

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    1. George, 'High-jinks ' is the perfect way to describe it. Their love and appreciation of these stuffed animals is a wonderful thing to watch.

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  7. Teresa, if all dogs had a good life like Buddy then the world would be a better place.
    I love those pictures, and the babies! Gosh! He's a lucky dog. Cheers to Buddy!

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    1. Grethe, I can't bear to hear or read of animal cruelty. It's just too heartbreaking. These loving beings have so much to teach us. He loves getting a new baby, but never forgets the ones that have been steadfast friends. :)

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  8. It's true. Dogs retain more of that boundless joyful energy into their adult lives than cats normally do. Cats are more Zen. I love to see Buddy! I'd be afraid a white toy would get lost in the snow, but I'm sure Buddy must keep close track. ;) He will be a blessing for many years to come. :):)

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    1. Rita, Oh, yes, he keeps very good track. Once in a while he forgets and heads for the house without it, but then remembers and heads back to retrieve his playmate, and, once in a while, I have to remind him. Overall, he's quite thoughtful. ;) Yes, Many years to come....

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  9. I looooove this post! My buddy, Tony, is a lab mix and looks a lot like your Buddy but with short hair. He will be 8 on Valentines Day. Where would we be without the love of a dog?

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    1. Hi Brian, Glad you like it. Buddy's B'day is Feb. 10th. Our birthday boys. I cannot imagine life without him now.

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  10. Teresa -- Ahh -- my guy dog Sal would make a great playmate for Buddy -- they seem to have the same personality characteristics. Couldn't exist without a dog -- they are truly our best friends.

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    1. Barbara, They do add so much, don't they? I love going to sleep at night knowing he is there, lying next to the bed. He makes life even better by his presence.

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  11. We love our Golden who is never found without a lovey (or two or three) in her mouth. We can still tell her puppy is a puppy, but the much-repaired bear is more a big brown blob! I love Buddy's baby photo in the snow--they do love that white stuff, lol.

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    1. I'm so glad you came by. There were two others who went through numerous repairs before having to be retired. They do love their babies.

      It snowed a few inches right after I'd gotten him and he loved it. Now, he prefers to be outside playing in the snow every chance he gets, plus a daily walk/run in the woods and meadow in back. It's a dog's life. :)

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  12. OOohh gosh..don't you just love them??? They are so funny and so wonderful! When my Sophie gets a new baby, she weans the old one. I keep them all in a closet for her. Every once in awhile, she likes to nose thru them to be sure they're all there, but only really plays with her newest. Teresa, I love this post.

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  13. TM, I love that your Sophie noses through them to check on them. It's fun to see how much they understand. Thanks. It's good to see you again.

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  14. He's just adorable. And such a kid! Playing with his toys with such devotion to each one... you are a very fortunate couple of spirit mates!

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    1. DJan, He is such a sweetie-pie. I Love him to bits. It's a match made in heaven!

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  15. I miss a "big" dog. We have had lots of dogs and my life would not be complete without one. Now we are down to two Corgis that are the light of our lives. Our Corgis don't have "babies" but everything that is within their reach is theirs...so they think. I find stuff under our bed all the time. We give them toys and they use them for a day... maybe. Then they go find a sock or the edge of a rug. Too picky for their own good. Have to watch them all the time, the little devils.
    I love this post. Reminds me of our other dogs that are gone now... especially Haley, our black lab. She had "babies" that were very important to her. We would play a hiding game with her and when she found her toy she would run upstairs with it and hide. I loved that dog.
    Thanks for the memories.

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  16. farmlady, Buddy likes socks, too, so I have to keep an eye on him and my socks out of reach. I love seeing your photos of Carl and Cutter. They are so cute. They must be fun to live with.

    Haley sounds like a great dog.

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  17. Buddy is so cute playing with his babies. You can throw those stuffed animals in the washer and dryer too, well if they don't have holes or plastic parts. One of our dogs saw snow for the first time and kept shaking her head getting quite irritated at the wetness falling on her head. Finally she looked up in the sky where the snow was coming from and barked and barked her irritation as if her barking could have halted the falling of the snow. Another previous dog liked tennis balls; he took his frustrations out on them, of which there were many. My cat Betty has the string from Gary's hooded sweatshirt and she carries it around the house, my cats Binky and Butter have catnip stuffed mice. It's funny to be walking along and spy where they have left their toys.

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  18. Good Morning, Linda, I have washed a couple, but some take so long to dry with their stuffing. And he seems to prefer them well-used. Buddy heard the snow yesterday on the branches and stood there listening and then barked. I explained it to him and he stopped, but I can't be certain it was understanding or getting used to it. Tennis balls will come back around when he gets a little older. So far, they've just lost their coating rather quickly. He chews everything, and sometimes rather vigorously. He loves bones, too. Cats do seem to love strings. I once had a cat named Betty. She was one of my "farm cats" back in the '90's. Hope you and Gary have a good weekend!

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  19. Benno only has plastic and rubbery toys, but as he never plays with them, they live in a bucket out of the way. Like a child prefers a cardboard box rather than the toy it held, he much prefers a stick or anything natural to play with. Preferably another dog or a human.

    I'm afraid, all his smelly stuffed toys have long been consigned to history.

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  20. Hi Friko, Buddy does love sticks, too, and I'm a pretty regular playmate myself. At just under one year old, he still is in a stuffed toy stage. Time will tell if he moves on or they remain his favorites. I have a feeling he will never "outgrow" them.

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  21. Buddy also has playdates about once a week with his pals Bella and Bruce, my son and his girlfriend's dogs. And Ma gets a break. :)

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  22. Buddy Has Yet To Graduate To Postmen??? :)

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  23. Hey Tony, When you live in the country, the postman, and in this case, woman, drives by in a red jeep. The occasional visitor does receive a lot of attention from him. :)

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  24. If a dog loves you, you're doing something right!

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  25. Montucky, He and I make a pretty good team, with a lot of love between us. Thanks!

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  26. Hello Teresa:
    How Buddy has grown! Those adorable eyes just melt one's heart. He must surely be a most wonderful companion. And, what fun to see him in his encounters with snow, well at least someone is happy with the weather!!

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  27. Jane and Lance, He helps me to get outside more often in this weather. And I'm always happy he does. It's good to have a change of scenery and the fresh air is invigorating. He's a dear "boy."

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  28. I'm a huge fan of dogs. Buddy is one lucky hombre to have you for a friend. You can tell by the look on his face in your photographs. Can't help but thinking how lucky you are too!

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  29. Hi Bill, We really are both very blessed. I'm so glad he came into my life and I think he's happy to be here.

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  30. It's supposed to be fun damn it and when it really is then it actually is double fun.

    Good stuff!

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  31. I need my ass kicked for failing to include Buddy in my Dogs of Twitter post. He shall have top billing in part 2. Happiness wrapped in fur:)

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  32. Cletis, Consider it kicked. :) It's all good (I just typed god). I love those images you included. It makes a great post. They are such happy beings. Angels in fur.

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