The Dog.

Goose the Moose – Destroyer of Worlds and Pig Ears, or just Goose. Gooser, Gooseroni, and often “Hey Buddy” is one of our two Great Danes. The other is Gerdie the Kamikaze. But this isn’t regarding her. I’m still not speaking to her since “the incident “. Anyway, Goose is a whiner. A horrific whiner. He had a rough start to life. Spent about 6 months in a too small cage being ignored as punishment for being a puppy. It wasn’t meant to be cruel, I hope anyway.

I met Goose when he was on a too short chain cowering behind a bush on ground worn bare by his pacing. He was gangly, awkward, shy and ready to be angry with anyone who wanted to yank his chain. Trying to show how he responded to control, someone did yank his chain. Attempting to drag him from the bush. I reacted to that without thinking and stopped it. I asked to be left alone with Goose. I just sat down on the step and listened to him. His tale of woe. His yearn to run unleashed with ears flying and drool spraying. He said it all with a sorrowful wrinkled brow.

I told him of our life. The old farmhouse I renovated to be warm and open. How below zero winds would make the wood stove flare and his belly warm if he chose to stretch in front of it. How the open fields wave inviting in the spring. How the creek flows near and fresh and happy. How happy a place we mean it to be.

He cocks his head and I see a glimmer of something in his eyes. A question maybe.

I walk inside with my wallet out and say yes.

We drove home with him whining in our laps.

He weighs over 150 pounds now. He still tries to sit in my lap.

He still whines. Today it was because his ball was out of reach. I moved the table and he was joyous in reunion with it.

Tomorrow someone, somewhere will have that question in their eyes. Their ball might be just out of reach.

Answer the Question. Move the Table.

Be a Man.