LIFE'S BETTER IN THE MOUNTAINS

Friday, January 15, 2016

We Love Lucy


Even as a puppy Lucy never cared much for toys.  She loved playing with Ellie.  And she still loves playing with the blue tug.  And she likes tennis balls, although not nearly as much as Ellie did.  Ellie frequently carried two tennis balls in her mouth at once.  Try as she might, Lucy could never achieve that feat.  And try she did.  Interestingly enough, after Ellie died Lucy stopped trying to pick up two tennis balls.

We have several "puzzle" toys in which we put treats.  When Ellie was here, Lucy would follow behind as Ellie got the snacks out.  Lucy was prepared and would spring and snatch the treat.  And that would continue with Ellie getting perhaps a fifth of the treats while doing all the work.  Lucy does not want to  try to get the treats herself.  She is a very smart dog and could easily get the treats herself but she is not interested.

She loves to try to catch tennis balls.  I emphasize the word "try" because she rarely catches one.  Her timing is way off and she goes up into the air opening her mouth the instant we throw the ball.  She is landing when the ball gets there so she hardly ever catches one.  She does not think the "retriever" part of Golden Retriever applies to her.  So we have a dozen or so balls to toss since she doesn't bring them back.

She gathers a few balls when she is tired of the game.  She puts them around her and lies down among them.



Don't even think of throwing me another ball.




I've played with you long enough.


Like millions of others across the country, we did not win the huge Powerball lottery although we did indeed have a ticket.  Strange that we never buy a ticket, even when the jackpot is  millions of dollars.  But somehow I warmed to the dream of being a billionaire, setting up a foundation and giving the money away to causes we deem worthy.

Had we won I would not have given one cent to any of the Presidential candidates on either side.  Even if I had the billion.  This is the first election year in which I have not given money or volunteered even one hour for any candidate seeking any office.  Yes, I will vote.  I have often voted for candidates who lost but I have always voted.  I recall the 1980 election.  Our daughter was seven and becoming interested in government and politics.  Her class held a mock election.  She asked me who I voted for.  I told her I voted for John Anderson.  She laughed when I said that and replied, "That was silly.  He did not get a single vote in the whole second grade."  It was a good teachable moment.

Today's quotes are on the lighter side if you don't think too deeply about them.  The first is by author George Eliot:

"An election is coming.
Universal peace is declared,
And the foxes have a sincere interest in prolonging the lives of the poultry."



The author of the second quote is unknown:
"There are always too many Democratic congressmen,
Too many Republican congressmen,
And never enough U.S. congressmen." 



HAVE A MOST WONDERFUL WEEKEND, EVERYONE AND A GREAT WEEK AHEAD
   

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

How cute that Lucy doesn't like to retrieve those tennis balls. She is such an interesting "retriever."

I'm so glad you reminded me how I voted in the 1980 election. I was living in Oregon and by the time I had gotten home from work, the election had already been called for Ronald Reagan, so I went to the polls and voted for John Anderson so he could get matching funds. I had planned on voting for Carter, and maybe he had already conceded the race.

We are definitely living in interesting times, and I don't mean in a good way at all. Sigh.

The Bug said...

I wasn't old enough to vote in 1980 - but I did write a speech about Reagan for my public speaking class. Ha! I even remember how it started: Eureka! I have found it! (I think it was a play on California's state motto?)

KB said...

Lucy sounds like a unique character. Her method of getting treats from a puzzle toy was ingenious. I guess she's not motivated enough by food to do it herself.

I, too, haven't donated money or time to any candidate. On the Republican side, I cannot even bear to watch the debates (we watched the 1st couple just out of curiosity). I find myself dumbfounded that anyone would support the frontrunners.

I hope you have a good weekend!

Ms. A said...

Gotta admit it's pretty intelligent of Lucy, letting Ellie do all the work and her reaping the rewards!

Arkansas Patti said...

Lucy is definitely her own dog and follows her own rules. She is also really smart if a little weak on her catching skills. You should make a video of that and send it to FHV.
Politics is just tiring. I have never missed a vote, but all the nasty sparring in the campaigns drives me nuts. It is so junior high.

Ginnie said...

I always love it when you post about Ellie too. I'm sure Lucy misses her a lot but she's become her own personality.

Nance said...

I have all but given up my Interest in The Politics. It's like watching a group of people pushing a car stuck deep in mud. The driver of the car sails out of it eventually, clean as a whistle. Everyone else involved, including the car, is filthy and exhausted.

Since I was 18, I have never missed but one election, a small local one, and I will always get to the polls if I possibly can. I value my right to vote, and I make sure I educate myself in order to vote wisely. But the state of American Politics right now is shameful.

NCmountainwoman said...

Thanks for your comments, everyone

Robin - I was at a bridge party when the husband of the hostess came in to tell us the election had been called. I was furious that they ended it before the West even had a chance to vote.

Bug - Thanks for reminding me how old I am. :)

KB - Yes, Lucy always finds the easy route. And Ellie always allowed her to do so.

Ms. A - Yes, Lucy figured out very quickly that she could grab the treat before Ellie noticed it had come out of the toy.

Patti - I agree with you totally.

Ginnie - Yes, Lucy has learned to adapt. She always depended on Ellie to lead in new situations and now she is more independent.

Nance - You are spot on. I wish more people would bother to learn more about the candidates and not get information from spots on television.

Lowcarb team member said...

Ah, I've only just read this and looked at the photo's ... Lucy is just great.

All the best Jan