44: Mea Culpa

I write this as an apology and as an act of contrition.  I am owning up to a crime.

In the snow season, Juniper and her adult entourage built a snowman - with black pebble for eyes, a carrot for a nose and twigs for arms. It was quite impressive (though a waste of a good carrot).

The following day when a number of us were outdoors drinking coffee (not me, I’m strictly a water-only girl), Susie Deuchars (yes, I’m sorry, she has to be named and shamed) took the carrot from the snowman, broke off a piece which she gave to me, and replaced the carrot in the snowman’s nasal orifice.  I was suitably grateful (especially as the snowman was too tall for me to reach the carrot) since I love raw carrot.

I think it was two days later when TOWTSH was taking me for walk that, as we passed Juniper’s house, I noticed that:

(a) the carrot was still there; and

(b) the snowman was sufficiently melted that his reduced stature meant that I could reach said carrot.

At the time I was just about at the end of the reach of my extending lead (with TOWTSH quite a way in front).  I did what most dogs would do. I extracted the carrot from the distorted snowman (by now, it was less of a nose and more of a dying goldfish) and I ate it. By the time TOWTSH walked back to see what was happening, the carrot was gone. TOWTSH admonished me - in fact I was severely chastised (but not chastened).

The following day he made me apologise to Juniper and her mum (which took the form of me looking sheepish), so my ‘crime’ was made known to the main victims but TOWTSH insisted that I make a written apology (which is quite remarkable for a dog) to the community, since several of them were involved in the construction of the snowman.

However, TOWTSH has not made Susie Deuchars apologise for:

(i) committing the same crime before me (although I have to admire the way she only used half the carrot and put half back - clearly one day she will make a fine master criminal);

(ii) showing me how it was done,

I think that is doggist - chastising a dog but omitting to chastise a human bean for the same crime.

Life is not fair.

It’s a dog’s life!