By the door an itchy small dog
Waits for access to the garden
Needs the cool of morning dewdrops
To appease the summer stifle
Bounds outside into the silence
Long before the birds have woken
Spots a space invader soaring
And the soundless dawn is broken
There above her guarded garden
Floating free a lone balloonist
Low and red above the treetops
Where the view should be unbroken
Dog offended by intrusion
Must defend her chosen air-space
Human counterpart goes diving
To begin the daily dog chase
“Shush, it’s early, folks are sleeping,
They don’t want to hear you barking!”
Dog escapes, growls impolitely
Disapproving of sky-larking.
Time to use the secret weapon
Offer treats, but unavailing,
Small dog still is on the warpath
And my options now are failing.
Wish for clouds or morning breezes
To disperse the sailing culprit,
Curtains twitch, I’m thinking, ‘oh sh…’
Neighbours will soon be complaining.
No time left for canine nonsense
Something must be managed quickly,
I’m not up to playing dog-chase,
Feeling rough and feeling sickly.
Only direst threats remaining
That might quell the bounding puppy,
One word just might stop her shouting
If she hears me…and I’m lucky.
“In! Or else I’ll clean your ears!”
Small dog quickly disappears…
With apologies to Longfellow (and the neighbours…)
Lol absolutely great. You know Ani to a T.!! 💜💜
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I know she’ll hide in a corner if ears are mentioned 😉 ❤
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Lol 😃😆💜
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Having read Ani’s opinion of ear cleaning and baths, it is easy to understand what a dire threat that was. She does take her guardian job very seriously.
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She does… except she doesn’t seem to mind the birds heating all my strawberries…
Ani has learned a vast human vocabulary over the years, and the word ‘ears’ will always make her either prick them up and look at me all offended, or send her scuttling for a dark corner of the hallway 😉
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I bet that if strawberries tasted like cheese she would guard them fiercely, or just eat them.
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She does like to play with the little unripe ones… they are small, round and green…I wonder what they remind her of ? 😉
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Good Question, but she’ll never tell.
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Not, but I’ve seen her tossing them around 😉
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LOL
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Sweet Ani. Maggie doesn’t like having her ears cleaned either.
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I doubt if I would either 😉
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Lol! 🥰
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😀
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Ah. JUST like Gibbs. A threat to clean his ears is THE WORST threat in the world. Cleaning his eyes is the second worst. He hates having parts of his body messed with!
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I’ve been trying to trim Ani’s toe hair for weeks and weeks… she look like a ptarmigan 🙂
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Not sure how close the balloonist was, but it must have seemed scary to Ani…
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They can be miles away…she still objects. Helicopters and microlights too… Her airspace…and they are not allowed anywhere near it. I think she is protecting me from a mysterious threat though 😉
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It must seem like tat to her…
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The sentiment and metre are just right, I’m sure Longfellow would be proud
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Only if he had a dog 😉
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Oh Ani! She’s such a sp’ear’ited girl!!!
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Heh 😀
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Heh, heh, heh … the ultimate threat! 😀
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It works even better than the four-letter ‘b’ word 😉
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This is delightful! Oh, Ani….
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Ani says thank you 😉
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😀
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What a great poem, Sue. Hugs to Ani.
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Thanks, Robbie…Ani sends her regards 😉
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Reblogged this on Smorgasbord Blog Magazine and commented:
An Ode from Sue Vincent…shenanigans before dawn involving the small black dog with attitude… be easier herding cats… lovely and entertaining.
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🙂
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Hilarious Sue.. and have had my early morning escapades too… usually caused by squirrels bombarding their nemesis as he went out for his early morning pee in the garden.. only to wake every other dog up in the valley… xxxx
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I can imagine, Sally…and can only be grateful Ani’s foe is not land-based and chaseable 😉 xxx
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Yet…xxx
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Oh gawd… 😉 xx
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Who’d be a dog, eh….Dear little Ani! xx
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She has such weighty responsibilities 😉 xx
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Sue, this is priceless!
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Thanks, Donna. I couldn’t resist 😀
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Lol Sue, despite Ani mostly getting her wishes, she still responds to threats. 🙂 ❤
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Not many…but ‘ears’ is a four-letter word 😉 ❤
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Lollllllllll 🙂 xx
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Sue that photo and your poem! What a character Ani is 🙂
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She truly is, Marje 😉
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Grinning here, not sure who to sympathize with, Ani or Sue. I mean cute doggie was just doing her guard dog job, defending her space. While Sue was trying to stop her precious companion from disturbing the peace and possibly anger her neighbors. So, who’s in the right here? I really can’t decide, but I can enjoy chuckling at the situation. LOL
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I never know either 😉
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