August 13, 2020

White Dog gave an exaggerated sigh, "I already told her she must sit down with me and you by two to make her final choices. So far she has made additions every twenty minutes and it is only ten."

In the White Dog Army we have a tradition that the celebrant gets to request a special party meal on his or her Gotcha Day or birthday. Today is Zsofia's sixth special day. She is one of the few who also gets to celebrate a birthday for so many of our Army the actual day of birth has been lost to the fortunes of life.

White Dog showed me the list Zso had going; it included salmon, lamb, duck , salad, pumpkin pie, and carrot cake, and cheesecake, and spaghetti, and gelato. "Wow! Everyone will explode with this menu," I said. "AND we have no oven. AND did I mention it is 101 degrees?"

"I have an idea but let me get our Darkest White Dog to realize that this won't be a Roman orgy and dad certainly does NOT need to clean up sickies from overindulging."

Thanks to White Dogs clever idea of small plate or appetizers we were able to make most of Zso's dream menu reality. She conceded spaghetti and carrot cake for another night in consideration of my carb sensitivity (and the no oven thing).

So to Wagner's Ride of the Valkyrie the WDA noshed on half tacos filled with duck sausage, ground lamb and mangoes drizzled with yogurt cilantro sauce. Stovetop braised salmon topped a salad of greens, carrots, almonds, radishes (the entire Army swoons for the little red orbs), and bits of goat soft cheese. Dessert had a tiny triangle of cheesecake with a dot of homemade pumpkin gelato at its point. Steve had drawn a smile using blueberry jam on the top of Zsofia's piece.

Pearl nibbled at the choices, as she still regains her appetite, but passed her "extras" to the Gotcha Day Girl and stuck to the broth and chicken she has been eating.

White Dog and Steve set a gift bag in front of Zsofia. "You must share, later, but we got these knowing you would like them." It was a large bag of duck cookies. Zso looked at me and I shook my head, "Not Now." Drooping eyes indicated it was time for a post-dinner pre-walk nap so nuzzles were given all around and comfy spots found.

The Gotcha Day Girl...right along with them.