September 3, 2016

White Dog's ears perked up, along with those of every other pup resting in the living room, when Sachi came charging in from the yard joyfully screaming that everyone should come out and help dad. "Really," he gasped, "NOW! Dad is out in the shed looking for DUCK tape!"

The word "duck" in our house is an automatic high alert for incoming tastiness so Sachi's message had the White Dog Army moving out of the dog door before I could explain that Steve was seeking DUCT not DUCK tape.

From the yard, I heard Steve's surprised, "Hello everyone! Nice to have so many helpers." He of course did not know that the WDA was pushing noses into the stacks of things in the storage barn looking for quacking and feathers...or processed ducky jerky of such great volume that it was turned into tape on rolls.

Steve was working on a project to protect a foam mattress from Trixie's sometime nighttime incontinence. He was using an old mattress cover and wanted to secure it on the bottom. But he could not find the tape that would silently flex and be readjustable.

When he came in, trailing the entire White Dog Army, I suggested he just run over to the hardware store and pick up a roll or two. "By the time you hunt down the roll, IF you find it, you will be so frustrated and have wasted so much time that this shortcut will be worthwhile."

WORTHWHILE? The Army looked at each other. "If it is as simple as just buying rolls of duck down the street why haven't we been doing this all along?"

Steve got his keys and signaled White Dog to join him. "She is SO lucky," was the groan. "I hope she doesn't eat all of the best parts before they get back." "Dad, won't let her; he will make her wait and share." No one even heard me say, "Duct, not duck."

WD came back rather subdued. "Where is the duck tape?" her brothers and sisters wanted to know pushing close and sniffing. She nodded to Steve who took a double pack of grey tape out of the bag and tore open the plastic packaging.

"What in dog's name is that?" every pup wanted to know. "DUCT tape," White Dog replied, "what dad has been looking for all along." Unhappy eyes all turned to Sachi who came to hide behind my legs.

I reached for the familiar purple bag on the speaker. "How about we have duck jerky STRIPS instead?"