The "Animal Vignettes" Story

Foreword

I have two small stories to share with you today.  Each has to do with a family pet and the activity they have been up to recently.  Hope you get a laugh from them.

#1 - It  was an ordinary day.  Weather report called for heavy rain after midnight.  Carol and I decided that we would keep our indoor/outdoor cat, Creamsicle, in for the evening, provided he would show up for his evening meal.  Creamsicle made an appearance a few years ago at our back door looking for food.  Has been a regular since that time.  We managed to take him to the vet for shots and also to make sure that he was neutered.  Well, he showed up for his meal and we didn't allow him to go out after eating, much to his dismay.  The last time we did this and it poured, he appreciated it so much he gave us a gift of a half-eaten bird on our doorstep.  So what's on tap for tonight.  It didn't rain, but didn't matter to him.  As the sun began to rise and the sky lightened, he became antsy and nervous, as he usually does when kept inside at night.  He jumped up on the bed, wrapped himself around Carol's head and ...... washed her hair.  Licked just about every last hair on her head.  Carol said she reached up to feel her hair and it was soaked.  Wow, no need for a shower in the morning.  Another fantastic gift of appreciation from our handsome friend.

#2 - It was an ordinary day.  Just called my son Derek to give him the details about his son's baseball game that was played the night before.  Derek had a night-shift last night and missed the game, so you see the reason for the call.  After spending some time on the game he told me about his new dog Julia.  Derek arrived home to a quiet house about 12:30 AM, after his evening shift.  Grabbed a snack and turned the TV on to try and unwind from his job as pressman at Donnelly Printing Co.  About 3:00 AM he decided it was time for bed so he thought he would leave Julia out one last time.  Since all was quiet and she was adjusting nicely to the house and grounds, he didn't put her on a leash.  He opened the rear door and she ventured out with him following.  He noticed that she headed to the air-conditioner unit immediately so he also walked that direction.  Then he realized what was happening.  Something was under the unit and Julia was trying to get to it.  Recently they had a skunk in the back yard and he was worried the dog would get into an encounter with the skunk.  Then he remembered that he left the back door ajar.  Well, the dog chased the varmint  out from under it's hiding place right towards the back door.  Derek grabbed the collar of the dog and also headed to the door.  As he reached the cement step he stopped.  There laying upside down on the step was a possum.  Laying perfectly still, dead as can be!  Julia must have bitten him and it only made it as far as the door.  As he and the dog looked at it, it opened one eye and looked back.  Realizing that both the dog and Derek were far enough away from him, he flipped over and took off as fast as can be, luckily not into the house.  The old adage "Playing Possum" finally came true in his backyard. 

Well, what do you think.  Hope you enjoyed them as much as we did!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.