Wednesday, June 13, 2012

The Adventures of Apple



The Adventures of Apple

Although they look enough alike to be frequently mistaken for brother and sister, Edward and Apple are not related and are, in fact, quite different.  Edward’s tail curls up over his back and wags like a spinning top.  Apple’s tail is feathery, not unlike the tail of a Briard, a bit of which we suspect might be included in the potpourri of her lineage.  It gracefully swoops out behind her and she wags it theatrically, like a parade flag.  At dinnertime, Edward stretches out to wait on the kitchen floor, dignified and calm, while Apple sits directly beside the stove, as close to me as possible, following my every move with barely contained joy and behaving for all the world as though she hasn’t eaten in weeks. Edward saunters along by my side on walks, frequently stopping to sniff a flower or consider a vista.  From the moment we step out the door Apple tugs on her lead like a fireman en route to a fire.

Whenever we are out for a drive, Edward sits in the backseat like a gentleman, only occasionally putting his nose close to the edge of the window to investigate the scents flying past.  Apple hangs out the other side as far as she can, convinced, I am sure, that she’s flying. In the mornings, Apple follows The Songwriter out to the studio to spend the day on his screened porch under the ceiling fan.  Edward stays with me.

Apple hides behind Edward if something truly frightens her and she’ll always step back to let him enter or leave the house first in a display of canine deference that never fails to make me smile.  And while the two of them are less than thrilled that the evolutionary process has granted passage to both the chipmunk and the squirrel, only Apple finds this fact unbearable enough to follow these creatures to the ends of the earth in her efforts to eradicate them from the planet. 
  To this end,  Apple can sometimes be found frozen over a chipmunk hole in the garden with her furry head completely underground, looking for all the world as though she’s been cleanly decapitated in the midst of a hydrangea bush.  You may stand right above her and call her name as loudly as you might, she’ll never respond.  In fact, her focus is such, I doubt she even hears you.  The Songwriter has learned not to waste his breath in the trying; he simply pulls her out - her head making a vacuum popping sound as it dislodges - and carries her inside, a rather heroic feat, for she is not a small dog.  Needless to say, she gets more baths than Edward, who usually regards her exploits with bemusement.
For the past several nights we have suspected an unusual creature might have added our back garden to his midnight ramble route, for Apple has been more and more difficult to round up at bedtime.  Both she and Edward usually go out for awhile before bed and both generally come back in after a few minutes, pushing open the back door with a paw and heading straight for their beds.  Last evening, however, this well-worn routine veered off course with a bang. 

While turning back the bed and drawing the curtains, I heard the back door fly open with a crash.  Looking up, I saw Edward running down the hall, taking the stair into the bedroom with a leap and stopping, out of breath and furrowed of brow, to sit at my feet.  I could feel his frustration over his lack of language; it was palpable.  But he didn’t need speech.  I could easily imagine the conversation that had just taken place in the far back garden, under a hemlock tree to be precise.  
Edward:  “Sister, leave that thing alone! 
 He’s too big for you and he’s dangerous besides.  
Don’t you hear him hissing?
Apple:  nothing
Edward:  “I mean it, Sister.  If you don’t leave it alone and come back inside with me right this minute, I’m gonna tell!”
Apple:  nothing
Edward:  “Here I go!  Last chance, Sister!  Okay? 
 Okay.  I’m gonna go tell!”
It wasn’t hard to ascertain the meaning of Edward’s breathless stare, particularly as he’d come in without her, so The Songwriter grabbed a light and headed out to find the indefatigable Apple.  Sure enough, exactly as Edward was attempting to explain, she had indeed bitten off a bit more than was advisable, as she had a rather large, rather upset, opossum cornered just this side of the fence.  The creature, never the most attractive member of the marsupial family, was bare-toothed and hissing like a cobra.  Edward and I sat side by side in the bedroom windowseat - his heart beating fast and me silently wondering how difficult it would be to reach our vet after midnight - as we waited to see what would happen next. 
 Soon, through the shadows of the poplar trees, we could just make out the figure of The Songwriter coming down the stone pathway.  He had a huge mass of black dog slung over his shoulder and although he, too, was out of breath, unlike Edward, his power of speech was working most efficiently. 

Apple will be taking her midnight ramble with supervision from now on.
Oh and yes, she is fine.




42 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness . . . I'm still out of breath! What a saga!

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  2. How is the opossum??

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  3. This is too funny even as scary as the incident was; it reminds me of when I had Scotties and Carole Anne was always the Adventuress and Joey the Protector!
    I still miss them both!

    xoxo
    Karena
    Art by Karena

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  4. They are so smart...until they aren't. Sometimes they even need us!

    And sometimes we need a Songwriter!

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  5. Hello Pamela

    You had me biting my nails in anticipation. Thank God all ended well. I had feared a porcupine (which our dog once attacked and driving 20 miles on country roads to the vet late evening and trying to console him was not easy- an overnight stay and the quills were extracted which resulted in a fat faced dog for a week).
    Edward and Apple are certainly different. What fun.

    A great story and beautifully told

    Helen xx

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  6. What a harrowing tale--as the mamma of two mini-dachshunds, I know canine tenacity and courage firsthand! They think they're the biggest dog in the pack.
    Lucky for Apple, she has Edward to look out for her. Lucky for you to have The Songwriter.
    Love your blog---

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  7. What an excellent story !
    And a happy ending.
    I have to adjust my thinking about dogs and the country .. Pup was raised going into a walled garden or walking in city parks with us, he was a champion city walker, stopping for pets and kisses along the way. He did like pigeons.
    The idea that I might have to deal with things that would hurt my dog will have me worrying now.. there are no bears in that part of the world are there ? :)
    besos to you and your little pack.

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  8. My daughter's Lhasa Apso was attempting to take on a full grown raccoon about 2 1/2 times her size within the first two months they had her. Thank goodness for strapping big and fearless sons-in-law with long, fast legs!! LOL!!

    Glad everyone is okay!

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  9. oh my gosh.
    i'm in love.
    i've been in love with edward from the first. but you've talked about and pictured apple so seldom that i really didn't have a 'sense' of her. i do now!
    it's adorable how edward raced in to 'tell on her' and in so doing, rescued his sister.
    and thank god for the calm song writer. aren't men wonderful!
    i love love love the pictures of apple! little mess that she is!

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  10. Oh Apple! What a cheeky girl! Sounds like our Willow, she's the one in front all the time, pushing the two boys to the side. Glad to hear Apple is okay, I am sure the opossum is glad that she was whisked away!

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  11. Oh I loved this story! I love how Edward, obviously the less hot headed of the two came to tell on sister. What a smart boy he is. He knew just what to do. I love how he KNEW you would help. Thank goodness for the songwriter, I bet he had no lack of language (that made me laugh) I wonder did he just have to haul apple (not a small dog) up over his shoulder and drag her away. Edward would have done it himself I am sure, if his legs only worked like arms. I wonder if Apple knows and appreciates that Edward saved her from sharp teeth? I'm betting that she does.

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  12. A great story! Yes, Edward knows better. My Newman who I lost last year...oh...he loved to go after everything and one night past midnight he was nose to nose with a opossum. I scooped him and up and ran to the house. And although he was in the middle of a good fight....he seemed very glad to have been removed from it. Like he was too honorable to back down but if Mom made him go in then ...that was the way it had to be and he didn't lose his dignity.

    My little Franklin is obsessed with squirrels. Does no good to call him when he is chasing squirrels...he cannot hear me. Funny...how Newman paid attention to everything on the ground while Franklin is always looking up into the trees for his hunt.

    I think chances are slim that Franklin will catch a squirrel. The squirrels think so too and are busy toying with him.

    I loved reading about Apple. She sounds so fun...and she is so pretty!

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  13. What a lovely dog story. I have been missing them since Wilf is gone.

    Thank you.

    Sandra

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  14. 'The potpourri of her lineage' Pamela I love your way with words.
    I like apples devilishness, absolutely adorable. Lets just hope she doesn't get into any more bar brawls with opposums!
    Paul

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  15. Ha Ha what a lovely story and so well told! Apple looks exactly like my dog when I was young,the likeness is amazing. Thank goodness she was unharmed and clever old Edward sensible to the 'n'th' degree ;))))

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  16. Wonderfully told tale! Apple sounds adorable, glad to have a story about her. Edward is a great brother, and I don't think he was tattling to get her in trouble, more so to get her out of trouble. Yikes, I hope there won't be any skunk encounters!!! p.s. opossums are really rather scary creatures, and the hissing is appalling!!

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  17. I loved your story, and your description of the differences between Edward and Apple. So funny! We had a dog once who "told" on the other one when he was where he shouldn't be.

    Our two dogs have such different personalities also. One is more laid back, like Edward, and the other is just waiting for a moment to pounce.

    I love knowing, and being known by, these gorgeous creatures that we are so blessed to live with.

    Yours are so beautiful and fun.
    Give them a hug from another dog lover.....

    And I am so glad that Apple didn't pounce on her prey!!!

    ~ Violet

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  18. thanks for the backyard adventure...it was good to get out of the house :)

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  19. Gosh, I think I'm in love with Apple. Your description of her Briard-like tail did it. I got a puppy when I was 8. She was half Border collie and half standard sized silver poodle. She was the smartest dog I've had and she looked just like a Briard. Possums aren't the best tempered of animals and whilst I'm not sure about what weapons they possess, I'd sure be careful - as you are being - with Apple. She's just beautiful. So glad Edward had the sense to come 'tell on her'.

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  20. What a wonderful story! My little grandsons would love such a tale of canine sibling care and adventure.

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  21. It was so nice to find a story about Edward and Apple this morning. I wrote not long ago that I wished you would share about them more, with pictures. They are beautiful dogs.

    Glad story had a happy ending for dog and critter.

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  22. Loved the story. It is fascinating the lives of "pairs" of dogs. I am "god aunt" to two cockapoos. One is more sedate, the other can't get enough wild things. The wild girl had gotten a rather bad rep until she showed she was the one to smell danger in its various forms such as when the tea kettle ran dry!

    Wishing Apple and Edward many more wonderful days and nights!

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  23. Too curious, naughty girl. She is really adorable. You must have so much fun with her.

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  24. What a great post Pamela - it really made me smile:)

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  25. Pamela,

    This is too cute! Apple and Edward are adorable :D

    Thanks so much for stopping by my blog the other day. I appreciate the comment!

    Cheers,
    Jen

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  26. Edward the level headed and ever so gallant PON !

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  27. Brave Apple! Glad to hear she's okay. And how wonderful that Edward's so vigilant.

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  28. Darling Pamela,

    I loved every word. Aren't we lucky though to have our dogs?

    xoxo,
    Tish

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  29. Magnificent story! Thank God for gallant knights who save the day (night!). Apple is such a beautiful dog! I love seeing more of her, with Edward. You and the Songwriter are, indeed, wildly blessed.

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  30. Too cute....I love seeing photos of Apple and glad she didn't tangle with the critter!!

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  31. They sound like brother and sister: similar perhaps on the outside but very different inside. Apple and Edward are lucky dogs!

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  32. At least it wasn't a skunk!
    All's well that ends well?
    Thanks for the grand tale.

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  33. How sweet are all of your postings.
    Love Jeanne♥

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  34. I'm so glad you love your dogs like I love mine. I'm also glad it wasn't a skunk. Mine have been sprayed twice and ran right in the house, stinking to high heaven. I now keep SkunkOut under the kitchen sink, just in case.

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  35. Apple is too cute for words! She and Edward (who is also too cute for words) are fortunate to find their forever home with you!

    After having read your blog for a few years, I think you would write that it is you who are fortunate.

    Thank you for sharing their adventures,

    Susan

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  36. Makes me cry with love and relief. I love these dogs I've never met!

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  37. What beautiful dogs. I just want to give them both a big snuggle. Good, wise boy Edward. Apple is adorable (and does have an exquisite air of single-mindedness about her). She reminds me greatly of my dearly departed Whiskey. I am so glad that she did not come to any harm. I too have missed tales of Wilfie Pon and much appreciate your sharing of this adventure.

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  38. What a brilliant pair they are Pamela... I love that Apple got up to mischief and Edward came and told you... Supervision... teenagers need that! xv

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  39. The last picture of Apple is priceless! All innocence, cuteness...and 'who me...what?'. I can see that secret determination in her eyes and recognize it well for it's the same as Miss. Gingers', who is continually recalling her ancestoral badger hunting abilities, and who also glues herself to me while I'm cooking...and acts as if she hasn't eaten for years...this is all right after her dinner and dessert of course!
    It was absolutely wonderful meeting and getting to know precious Apple, and learing about her special talents and skills...so glad the sweet girl is okay!
    xo J~

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  40. Apple looks none too pleased at the prospect of supervised midnight romps from now on. . . but even disgust, she is adorable.

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I love to read your comments! Each and every one! Though I'm always reading your comments, I may not respond in the comment section. If you want to write me directly, you may do so at pamela@pamelaterry.net. Thank you for reading!