Bailey as a puppy
Aweh dearly beloved ruminants and groupies
169/326 days of load shedding in 2022
For most of my life, we have had a Labrador. I grew up with a golden Labrador, Donna, in an age where there were no walls or fences, and she roamed the neighbourhood eating other dogs’ food and scrounging for more food. She had stashes of food buried all over our large 2-acre garden. Labradors like food – a lot. Donna was also a gun dog and she loved fireworks. Nowadays fireworks are controversial and regulated but, in the seventies, there was a large fireworks section at the local Café. Together with a childhood friend, Sean Garratt, who now lives in Chicago, we used to save up our pocket money and buy fireworks. The louder and more dangerous the better.
One month we had saved up all our pocket money and bought a large packet of fireworks. We lit the first 6-inch cracker and then carelessly threw the match into the packet. What happened next was a bit of a blur, but it did involve running and hiding behind a tree. Donna did not hide. She was in the thick of the action. When the mayhem was over Donna’s mouth was black and burnt and her whiskers were completely singed off. Did this bother her? Not at all. She was turbocharged and came bounding up to us, tail wagging, ready for more. Please do that again. Donna also ate bees. She would walk up to a flower in the garden where a bee was feeding and then snap at the flower and eat the bee. She regularly got stung and when she did, she would drag her tongue on the grass before eating another bee. Bee stings – Pah! As I went to high school, I learned how to make more powerful bombs using readily available chemicals and Donna was also there. Fortunately, I still have all my fingers and both eyes.
Based on my childhood experience with Donna in 2001 when Oliver was 18 months old, we decided that a Labrador puppy would be good for him. So, we got a black Labrador called Bovril. Bovril was a big shock for me. This was a very boisterous dog, and he was an escape artist. He had an identity tag and was chipped, and we were regularly in search of him and fetching him from many miles away. His happy place was our holiday home in Southbroom, and we spent many frustrating hours searching for him. Generally, he took himself off to the beach on his own where he would eat unsuspecting people’s lunch and play in the lagoon with the children. When we set off for Southbroom from Johannesburg after finishing packing the car and Bovril realised, we were packing him into the car for Southbroom he would race around the garden doing several laps before we could get him into the car.
When Bovril was a puppy, I was taking him for a walk when a very proper English woman, who reminded me of Barbara Woodhouse, stopped me and complimented me on what a beautiful dog I had. “What is his name”, she enquired, “Bovril”, I replied, “Shame on you he should have a name like Sir Galahad”, she scolded me and walked off in a huff.
In 2011 Bovril got liver cancer and collapsed and died abruptly. Oliver was
beyond distraught. We had to take him out of school for a week to allow him to
mourn Bovril and I think it is fair to say that Oliver is still mourning
him. Oliver loves dogs with all his heart. When Oliver was small, and we
went to friends’ houses he would remember the dogs and not the people. Such was
the impact Bovril had on Oliver. I was not ready for another Labrador in my
life, and we got two miniature Schnauzers, Sparky and Scarlet.
Although I was not ready for another Labrador, Connor, and Oliver were extremely ready. And so began a process of attrition over a period of years. Needless to say, I lost and Bailey a golden Labrador arrived in 2017. I put up a good fight though. Apart from loving food and being boisterous Bailey’s specialty is destruction. She chewed – a lot. Every corner of our leather sofas now has leather patches on them and the plastic conduiting in the garden has been replaced with steel conduiting.
Bailey swims in our pool every day and winter is no impediment. Neither of our previous Labradors barked at people or barked much. Not Bailey. Every time the doorbell rings or the front door opens, she rushes up and barks. If you show fear, she barks more. If you show no fear and realise this is a Labrador, she is very soon your friend. Labradors must be one of the most good-natured and friendly things on the planet. They are so good-natured that this grumpy old man finds their relentless enthusiasm exhausting.
Bailey is now five and in her prime and fortunately, the chewing has stopped. Bailey has snored since she was a puppy. Of course, she sleeps on her own special cushion, at the foot of our bed. I have been reliably informed that sometimes, in the dead of night, there is a snoring duet.
Soon we will pack her up into the car and she will be going to Southbroom where she will swim in the sea and eat your lunch given half a chance.
Thank you for all the ideas and comments. I really appreciate them and please keep them coming.
Regards
Bruce
Ruminant Pink Friday 