Dog Days of November

I’m honestly not sure why they call the August the ‘dog days’, but I am pretty sure that it isn’t because they are dogs favorite days of the year. Actually, I am pretty positive that my dogs favorite days of the year come in November.

I have two dogs. I call one ‘big yellow dog’ (byd), and the other one ‘little black dog’ (lbd). They used to have real names, but I try not to use them. Every time I say one of their real names both dogs come running expecting something great to be in the offing. The same thing happens when I make eye contact – that’s why I wear sunglasses so often.

Anyhow, both dogs love November. There is bird hunting, time with family, rotten fruit falling from the apple tree, and best of all doody minesweeper. Most of the time a person can navigate my backyard without stepping in doody. In November that changes. I have a maple tree that drops red leaves, an apple tree that drops yellow-green ones, a willow tree that drops yellow ones, an oak tree that drops brown ones and a handful of bushes that drop purplish ones. It makes for a nice looking carpet if you don’t know what lies below.

So I go out to do doody duty yesterday. Naturally the dogs go with me, but they stop and watch at the end of the patio – they know what lurks beneath. I make it like three steps, the fourth step is a soft one, the fifth one slides a little bit then stops – argh – the old double doody. I look at the dogs. The dogs are smiling. My dogs love November best.