Once again it’s me, the noble dog, Chess, filling in for the guy I live with who doesn’t have much of anything interesting to say. Big surprise. You may remember me from such superior posts as “Mister Always Right” and “The Mysteries of Life”. Here I am watching the pizza box leave the kitchen. It still had pizza in it.
I should explain that the guy I live with had set the pizza box near the kitchen door, and wasn’t actually carrying the pizza box and holding a camera at the same time. Oh, it’s complicated.
Today marks the third year I’ve been an only dog, except for one horrible night with a rescue dog who hated me and bit me a lot. It was all the guy I live with’s fault. Without making things too sad, today was the day my buddy Slipper died, on the back patio, after a scary battle with liver cancer. I was right there with him. He was only 9.
The guy I live with has talked about getting a puppy for me to play with, but if you want to know the truth, I like being an only dog. The guy I live with is almost always at home, like my mommy was. The two of them liked being at home best of all, and my mommy spoiled me rotten. We were best friends.
So what did the guy I live with do to me today? He left me alone all by myself, to get a prescription filled, and then, what do you know, “stop off” at Timberline. Like it’s right next door to the drug store. (It isn’t.)
He took some pictures while he was there. They have lots and lots of plants there and he always finds something to bring home with him. (Of course, if he didn’t dig up so many plants in his garden, and kill so many others, maybe he wouldn’t have to bring more plants home all the time.)
He said he wants one of these. I admit it is pretty cool.
The guy I live with says he could drive down the interstate at 9 miles per hour and everybody behind him would get really mad.
I guess I should end this post with a picture of a flower. It’s better when things are all about me, but the guy I live with says I have to show at least one flower. That’s the arrangement we have. I talk about myself, then show a flower, and everything is okay.
I’ll end with that, then. Here’s Iris acutiloba var. lineolata.
the miserable gardener 
Chess, I’m also trying to convince my dog that a puppy would be a Good Thing. She feels as you do that it’s a gamble; but – it might be time. Imagine the photo opportunities!
He’s so aggressive toward other dogs now I’m pretty sure it would be a terrible mistake. Not something I want to experience, though border collie puppies are mighty cute.
Chess, the guy is only thinking of you as he is convinced that you like different plants on which to pee every time you go into the garden. Try to be kind, people are not very bright. Do you think that if you were out and about and happened to find a new friend in a neutral location and invite him/her back to your house that it would be o.k? It might be nice to have some superior canine conversation every now and then.
I meet new friends all the time on what they think is neutral territory, and I nip them if I can get close enough.
So I’m hearing you say that you prefer to be the only dog taking care of the guy you live with.
Yes sir. He has to have some place to sleep on the bed, after all. The floor is kind of hard.