Yesterday was the first day of spring break for my girls. It looked rainy so my original plan of strawberry picking was thwarted by dark clouds, so we stayed close to home and went for a walk around the lake, each girl with a dog to walk and an ample supply of “accident” bags.

After we returned home, we headed out on some errands to the local feed store, my youngest daughter had remembered a previous visit where they had a basket of leftover Christmas themed rawhide treats for sale and asked me if we could get one for each dog. I agreed but warned her that they may be sold out. (It is late March, ya know…)

At the store, they had the rawhides, so my daughter quickly runs over to pick out each dog a customly chosen rawhide. Suddenly, our dogs’ have their own favorite colors and flavors, unbeknownst to me.

“Ooooo Mommy! Odie told me he loves green!”

“He did?!”

“Yes Mommy! He TOLD me I promise!”

Suddenly there is a brawl about to start at the rawhide basket, as my older girl wants to pick out rawhides, too. I reluctantly agree to three rawhides, mainly to shut everyone up before the tantrums start and bad attitudes melt into the rest of the week and inside I’m looking forward to next week when simple shopping trips aren’t battlegrounds.

I know, there’s someone out there saying to just say no to the rawhides….

So, we finally leave the store and I’m annoyed that my 11 year old kept messing with calendars and I was asked if I were buying them, because she placed them all with my merchandise instead of where they belong… and my youngest is telling me how we NEED to get a guinea pig.

As I round the corner to head home, a small white dog strolls out in front of the car. In the middle of a four lane heavily trafficked road.

I stop.

I get out.

Usually when I stop, the dog runs off- but not this one. He came right up. I realize it’s just a pup, and I scoop him up. He goes limp in my arms, and he reminded me of a ferret for some reason. I hear a voice coming from the side of the road.

“He get out again?”

“Yes.” I said and went to hand the pup to him.

“Oh. Ya want him? He keeps getting out. I found him. You can have him.”

I look down at the pup. He’s skinny. Too skinny. His bones are protruding from his skin and his fur is speckled with dirt.

“I just washed him.” The man continued, “I put this sign up by no one came by- it’s been a few weeks.”

I look over to where he pointed. A large piece of plywood was spray-painted:

“FOUND PUPPE”

My first thought was to take the pup, get him healthy and get him a home. He was going to be hit living here. My second thought:

My husband is going to kill me.

Well, not kill exactly…. he’s not a wife beater. But I could hear his rationality.

“We have two. We don’t need three”

Totally right and very true. But, then there is my rationality:

“Nala is getting old, and this dog is a good match for our family, and it’s not like I was out looking for a dog…let’s give it 24 hours, and then whatever happens, I will respect your wishes.”

In the back of my head I also realized that five minutes beforehand, I had purchased three rawhide bones… although I only had two dogs at the time. As if there was some force at work to prepare me with an extra bone.

So… It’s been almost 24 hours.

He cried and whined last night and I thought that was it.

He peed in his crate last night and I thought that was it.

My husband left for work in a grunbly mood. (note: grumbly- is a word in my mental dictionary- spellcheck doesn’t know it, but it simply means grumpy but hiding it in a very weak way, so that others are aware of your mood, although you don’t outright state it)

I texted my husband this am, offering to take the dog to a shelter (no kill, of course) his response:

“No. I just to want to wake up to pee every morning”

So… I think that means a no is a yes. But, I’m not sure yet. We’ll see…

Oh yes. I made guacamole. Because guacamole comes in handy sometimes.

Print Pin

guacamole and puppies

Author Michelle Keith/ The Village Cook

Ingredients

2 Hass avocados
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro or 1 teaspoon fresh chopped

Instructions

Scoop out avocado (reserve pits) and place in a bowl, add lime juice and mash with a fork. Add seasonings and mix well. Ready to eat.
Place pits on top of mixture if not eating it immediately to preserve color, and cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge.

guacamole