Reality is an Egg Stealing Scottish Terrier


It was George and Albert's ever cheerful demeanour that has energised me this morning, as it was their unwavering ability to be sweet natured despite any brickbats the weather can throw at us, that has lifted my mood from a rain soaked apathy to a wry smiling positivity.
For the sixth week in a row, the week has started out wet, cold and miserable. "Bosoms" is now dreadfully overgrown with weeks and filled with puddles and  even the most robust of the field animals are looking somewhat shopworn and bedraggled. The weather has a strange ability to zap the strength and knock the teeth out of positive resolve and good energy.
Yet animals like Albert and George seem to maintain their jaunty good wills whatever the season
It is just not in their nature to be anything else but cheerful
This morning was a case in point.
As I was rebuilding part of the compost pile which had collapsed under the weight of heavy over night rain showers ( a bloody smelly and disgusting job) I watched as George carefully ambled towards the duck house.
He was doing so, with that slightly forced way people walk when they want to appear casual and invisible , so I knew immediately that he was up to something.
Very slowly George  approached the duck house. He stopped to sniff here and stopped to pee , there, but it was clear to me that his major objective was the indian runner duck eggs that had been laid that morning in the corner of the coop furthest from the lane.
George knows, that he  always been told him that he has to keep away from sitting eggs, but greed had over taken  from obedience and he was desperate for an early breakfast.
I stopped and watched him as he ambled up to the house door then pretended to be busy when he snatched a quick look over to me, to see if I had noticed him.
Slowly ( and I am sure he was actually holding his breath at this point!) he pushed past the assertive hens that were sat in the doorway, sheltering from the rain, then seconds later reappeared with a large blue egg in his mouth.
You could almost see him smiling gently to himself at the very thought of eating it, and he craftily turned his head away to the left, so that if  I had indeed spared him a glance, I wouldn't have noticed the egg perched firming between his teeth
Now, knowing that he risked a real bollocking if caught with the egg in his gob, he then bolted for a patch of long grass behind which he could eat his prize in peace and was immediately joined there by Albert who had also noted his extracurricular activities with some interest.
Cat and Dog shared their eggy spoils amid some loud yet good natured banter and I had to smile that when both finally emerged from the grass, they were licking their lips and banging heads playfully together like little schoolboys in the playground


This simple little everyday event has been enough to lift my attention away from dystopian thoughts, bad news days and the bleak depressing weather of our  typically sad summer days and the thought crossed my mind .
If I could bottle the enjoyment of watching this little drama...I would be a  very rich man

A Belly Full of duck egg!

39 comments:

  1. A lovely sweet story!

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  2. Cheerful is good...

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  3. If I could bottle the enjoyment of watching this little drama...I would be a very rich man

    Aren´t you already very rich for having shared the moment?

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  4. The do lighten our days plenty more then not ! Caught with "egg on their faces" in the act ... lol

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  5. Anonymous11:54 am

    One duck egg was a small price to pay for so much fun.

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  6. The cleverness (and sneakiness) of some cats and dos is always surprising and always entertaining. What a great story and the shot of the dog bounding happily across the grass perks up my day, too.

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  7. My first dog 'Hamlet' used to walk 200 metres every morning to steal two fresh eggs from our neighbours. Being such kind folk, I was only informed of his daily routine after he had died.

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  8. John, you are a very rich man.

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  9. What a little tinker!!
    Jane x

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  10. Animals can be just as crafty as humans when they choose to be! Like the local cats who're always trying to sneak into our house through any half-open door.

    Don't think I've ever eaten duck eggs. Are they very tasty?

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  11. I can just picture the mutual gaze averting between you and George. Albert, typical smaller sibling, joins in after the worst of the danger is past!

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  12. Sneaky devils :-)

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  13. I agree with Hippo and Jim.

    We're having absolutely lovely weather today. Wish i could send you some. x

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  14. We have an egg eating Pygora goat at our farm. One of our hens lays her golden goodness in the hay rack, while Twizzler stares patiently at her. Twizzler is rewarded for her patience with a fresh warm egg.

    I have this artsy hippy watercolor picture of bosoms overgrown with weeds in my head...not the talent to paint it though! :)

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  15. I just laughed and laughed John.
    Thanks.

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  16. I really loved this little tale, much better than the snail one.
    Briony
    x

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  17. Thank you for such a wonderful post John - it's made me smile and I'd almost forgotten how to this week. Don't ya just love the little varmints?!

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  18. Partners in crime, and you were kind enough to look the other way .
    We had monsoon rains last night, the town flooded, I feel your pain.
    ~Jo

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  19. Just come home from having a tooth out, and read your blog first. Must say it has cheered me up. Thanks John.

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  20. Really entertaining story, well told!

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  21. How can anyone *not* love and admire dogs? :-)
    *Dumb* animals? Pah!

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  22. When I lived on the farm that egg steeling dog would be six feet under. This behavior will just escalate in the future.

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  23. Horst: hummmm a tad severe!
    awholeplotoflove: thank you chuck!

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  24. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Oh, wait. it was George and Albert. Lovely that they got away with it.

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  25. oh I love that wee dog!

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  26. What a cute story. xxx

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  27. I laughed and laughed! Lovely story, and the photos are great too. You made my morning!

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  28. My Aunt Bea always said, "There's nuthin' worse than an egg suckin' dog." I think she was most often referring to real estate salesmen and preachers, though.

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  29. Sneaky little blighter.
    A lovely story.

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  30. Tee hee. We love George. xoxoxo

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  31. a classic example of how life's minutiae, when carefully observed, can be as fascinating and rewarding as major events.... the catch is being able to stop, look, and listen for a short period of time - something not many of us do.... we're all too busy treading water.... beautifully observed Mr G!

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  32. They actually shared the egg! How sweet of you to enjoy their escapade and not enforce discipline :-)

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  33. You....once again have made my day!!

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  34. That's so sweet, I love the thought of them coming away licking their lips and playfully banging their heads together!

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  35. You are a very rich man - "savour the golden moments" - quote from my sponsor - I wanted to smack his head in when first sober about this shit but these are life's golden moments, bottle it inside to pull out when you need to.

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  36. Loved this post!

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