Just Some Things That Caught My Eye

Mr. and Mrs. Dog love to go to Fiesta Island here in San Diego. It’s a lovely place as far as reclaimed scrap heaps go. It appears to be a natural place, an island in a sea of development, if you will, and the dogs know no difference.

Neither do the birds, lizards, field mice or rabbits, but it’s the rabbits that are the problem. To spite the calendar, the rabbits at the Island have decided that it actually is springtime so they’re churning out babies like nobody’s business. This, um, intrigues Mr. Dog. It intrigues him to the point of distraction, to the point of Doggie Deafness.

It’s a tragic condition, of course. It causes strange neurological effects, like the sudden urge to stuff your nose in a hole. It also forces one to stray far afield.

Now, I’ve developed quite a loud whistle to get that certain dog’s attention. It’s a finger-less whistle, you know, the one where you force your tongue against your lower jaw, holding the lower lip tight against the bottom teeth. Unfortunately, I’ve also taught the dogs a certain tune to get them to return to my side. The classic Wolf Whistle.

The scene: dogs galloping away, led by the scent of easy prey (baby bunnies!). Male jogger passing by. Me, distracted by something shiny, losing track of dogs.

I turned, tried to discover their whereabouts, then let out the big whistle.

Then the jogger stopped and turned around.

“Oh no, not you!”

Jogger turns crimson.

Dogs return.

Good times,

bob

Good times.