We’re All Here Because We’re Not All There.”Anonymous”
I have a little dog, my former husband named him Archie. I have had two husbands – I am a widow. The reasoning for the name was, “He looks like an Archie”. The Rescue Center he came from said his real name was Banjo. It was listed on his “Chip”. I wondered why anyone who would go to the effort to “Chip” a dog would just dump him on the street. The Rescue People told me there were lots of reasons dogs got “dumped” and would then never be picked up because of prosecution. Good for me, I thought, because now he’s mine, all mine and I wanted him. I didn’t care what he was called, as long as it wasn’t Banjo. Archie was wonderful and I was euphoric to take him home. The Rescue center even staged a small ceremony. Vows were taken, promises made, and papers signed. I used to think my former husband was wonderful because he agreed to adopt Archie. I thought my former husband was wonderful because, for the most part, he let me do or have whatever I wanted. I always thought that was so sweet. It was not till much later that I learned this was actually because he was doing and having exactly what he wanted, mostly in secret. Oh well, typical, live and learn.
Archie fit right in. He must have thought that he “died and gone to heaven”. Doted on and adored, he lived in a beautiful home and used to sit in the window or on the porch and gaze at the water. Lulled into happiness in the tropical paradise he now presided over.
The weird part is that Archie always idolized the husband. To Archie, the husband was the “Elvis” of his life. I just came with the package. I always believed dogs were good judges of character so this part of Archie I didn’t understand. I was the one that initially wanted and always pampered him. During the first months, we had him he did bite my then mother-in-law. This I understood, there were times when I felt like biting her myself. Maybe he is a good judge of character. He has never bitten anyone before or since.
He likes to just hang out and nap, a big throw pillow. The only thing that would stir him into barking frenetic activity was the approach of a motorboat, chasing it as far as he could go. This always caused us to wonder what would happen if he actually caught one? When not napping likes to trot around the Island and ride in the car. He has been everywhere and all over. Everything interests him: people, dogs, places. He has even been a guest sitting on Jack’s “Passenger Seat” at the bar. The Keys are lenient about letting dogs in everywhere. He’s been on invites for weekend stayovers in exclusive beautiful homes, because “He’s just so adorable, we love having him here”. I blissfully leave him behind and pick him up later. I had to put a stop to this though when on his last Weekender he came home ill having been stuffed with way too many treats and people food. He had to go to the Vet! He hates that – but he got home in such a daze with, well things coming out of both ends. He had to be medically treated. I have to say though that his favorite hobby is sniffing/smelling things. Delicately and carefully he will cover an area with precision. “Why is he sniffing along with the entire patio like that!” I asked my friend Jody. Jody is my Wednesday night “Let’s go out for Appetizers”. buddy. This is always an outdoor dining event. “Oh, leave him be” she advised. “A dogs’ real eyes are in its nose. It’s like he’s reading the newspaper”. “Well it’s just weird,” I said. “He could go over and look at the water or something”. Jody looked at me strangely and said “Sweet Pea, we are all weird. I’m weird, your weird, this whole Island is weird. That’s why we all live here remember? All nuts roll downhill?”.
P.S. I am not weird…..