January 2, 2017
I just came across two "articles" I wrote for The Starter Barks, the quarterly magazine published by the Welsh Springer Spaniel Club of America. The first piece was published in the January 2007 issue; the second in April 2007 .
December 15, 2006
PUPPY ESCAPES KINDERGARTEN -- Leads Wild Romp
(South Hadley, MA) A 3-month-old puppy escaped from her kindergarten class on Wednesday, leading her classmates on a romp through Exercise Finished, a local facility that offers obedience and other dog training classes.
It was during recess that the puppy, a Welsh Springer Spaniel named Randi, slipped through the accordion-style gate that sectioned her class off from the other parts of the building. A German Shepard pup tried to follow but her head didn't fit, and the structure tumbled over.
A parade of puppies, including a Golden Retriever, English Springer, Bernese Mountain Dog, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, and Cocker-Poodle mix, seized the opportunity and raced after the Shepard. While Randi slipped into an adult obedience ring, the others raced down a hallway to the door, with a line of owners, leashes in hand, in hot pursuit.
While an assistant stood by helplessly laughing, the second assistant retrieved the Welsh Springer from the adjacent ring. The other pupils were rounded up and sent back to their classroom. Recess was brought to an immediate halt, and the recalcitrant students returned to their mats.
The guilty party who instigated the breakout was observed panting happily with what appeared to be the canine equivalent of a grin on her face. A rumor that the laughing assistant was related to the preteen owner of the puppy could not be confirmed at press time.
The instructor declared "We haven't had an escape this good in a long time."
***********
January 14, 2007
MISCREANT WELSH SPRINGER PUP GRADUATES -- Surprises Everyone
(South Hadley, MA) The red and white puppy responsible for a ruckus during her kindergarten class last month has earned her diploma.
The Welsh Springer Spaniel led a class breakout during recess the second night of class, but six weeks later, the puppy known as Randi managed to contain her exuberance long enough to call herself a Kindergarten Graduate.
Although Randi had difficulty with the "Sit for Greeting a Friendly Stranger" portion of the test, her tail-wagging enthusiasm served her well for the other requirements.
Thanks to her limber body and lightening quick recall, Randi led her team to the win in the "Dress Your Dog in a Shirt Relay." She was also the big winner in the Spoon Race.
In the culminating event of the evening, the pup completed the baby agility course in first place, finishing 5 seconds faster than her closest competitor.
At the close of the graduation ceremony, a class assistant, now confirmed to be the parent of Randi's owner, was heard breathing a sigh of relief. "I'll believe it when we see that certicate in the mail," she commented.
(copyright Catherine Lee for WSS News Service)
***Postcript: Randi now lives with the Mikulskis family in the Boston area, where she has four children to supervise and a yard that she can go in and out of whenever she wishes.
December 21, 2009 - I was inspired by the dogs playing in the snow today, as well as by their recent behavior, to write this "poem."
Dedicated to my four fine freckle-faced friends,
with apologies to Elizabeth Barrett Browning
How do I love thee?
Let me count the ways:
I love thee for the way thou makest elephant ears
when thou art caught doing something naughty.
I love thee for the way thou pretendest thou wast retrieving
when thou art discovered snatching socks from the laundry.
I love thee for the way thou climbest into my lap uninvited.
I love thee for the way thou growlest at the other dogs
to let them know my lap belongs to thee alone.
I love thee for not barking at my mother,
for remembering that she’s family
even if thou hast not seen her in months.
I love thee for being delighted to see me again
when I come back inside with the mail,
as if I’d been gone all week.
I love thee for how clean and soft thou feelest after a bath.
I love thee for thy patience
when thou hast been on the grooming table for an hour,
when one hour must feel like 7.
I love thee for thine enthusiasm at mealtime,
as if it’s the most exciting food thou hast ever tasted.
I love thee for the way thou racest to the back door
to bark at sparrows on the deck.
I love thee for the snow that covers thy head
when thou hast been diving into the snow drifts.
I love thee for the way thou barkest
at the wooden reindeer in the field next door.
I love thee for the rapt attention thou payest
when I read poetry to thee.
I love thee for thy tail that wag’st
half thy body when thou art happy.
And I love thee most because thou lovest me best.