When we got Zoe T. Beagle, we didn’t know what we doing.
C had never had a dog. I’d only had very large dogs (Great Pyrenees, Newfoundland, and Great Danes). Large dogs sleep more than smaller dogs so my experience as canine cohabitant was very different than that of new dog owner.
Zoe was a little demon. Whirling teeth, check. Unholy glint of mischief, check. Inability to sleep thought the night, check. Behaves only at puppy obedience class, check. Insane hound of hell, check.
Beagles are described as “genially stubborn” or “merrily independent”. What this really meant was that our puppy thought we were idiots and was happy about it.
The first time I saw a beagle on leash, walking politely (without being dragged along as it tried to snort whole plants), I pointed it out to C and said, plaintively, “There’s a good one.”
He looked, just in time to see it stick its nose to the ground and start tugging at its leash as it caught a scent.
So now whenever I see a non-Zoe beagle, I say, “There’s a good one.” Well, except that time the beagle was dragging the child into the busy street (that turned out fine, don’t worry). I think after we for done laughing ourselves sick, I remarked it reminded me of Zoe’s puppyhood.
Zoe has gotten older and calmer (it took four years so anyone with a beagle puppy, don’t believe the two year stuff they feed you at the vet). She still thinks we are stupid and is still kind of happy about that (and everything else) but she sleeps more and occasionally goes along with our idiot ideas just to keep the peace (and for liver snacks which she doesn’t believe the dumber-but-more-obedient Bear should get any of).
Yeah, I miss the pups.
Anyway, after lunch today, C pointed out a tall cloud, lit by the sun in distance. I said, “There’s a good one.”
As it traveled over us, the cloud rained in fat drops and sheets for the next thirty minutes.
