WISHING 'SUGAR' a really HAPPY 10th BARKDAY!

GREETINGS FROM SOUTH AFRICA!

MAXMOM, TOBY, TAMMY and TOFFEE here...

Dear friends,

In honor our our friend, 'SUGAR's 10th Barkday today, Toby wanted to do something special.  He ventured into the garden and sat in Maxmom's flower bed, contemplating some ideas.

"Flowers perhaps? All dogs like flowers!"

After some time, he wisely reconsidered it. Something about the idea had bothered him.

 

"Maxmom won't be impressed."  he said sadly to himself. "She prefers her flowers intact.  I'll have to think of something else!"

After waltzing around the garden for sometime, something interesting caught his eye.

It was lying quietly behind the fence.

"I'm sure she'll enjoy that stick,"  he thought.

He tried and tried, for a long while to pull the pesky stick through the fence. 

Unfortunately that didn't work either. 

So he returned to the flower bed, to think some more...

Finally, after much thought, he had a brainwave.

"The poem!" he thought.  "It's perfect for a wise old dog!  I'll send her the poem, written by our ANGEL MAXDOG! Maxmom really liked that poem and I am sure she'll enjoy it too"

---xXx---

So, dear SUGAR, here is the poem - especially for you on this your 10th Barkday! 

 I hope you'll enjoy it.

---xXx---

Adapted from the poem “IF” by Rudyard Kipling, 1865 - 1936

YOU’LL BE A DOG, MY PUP!

If you can find a household that is a happy home

And adopt its styles and ways,

And honour all its human hands

So that you will be there for many days,

If you can find the Master of that home

And sniff out exactly what He needs,

And learn His cues and all His tasks

To purposefully carry out His deeds,

If you can “Fetch!” on His command,

And “Down!”...and “Stay!”...and “Wait!”

Or jump through hoops on His demand

Or bark at strangers at the gate,

If you can tune your ears to sounds

Which maybe have no place,

And puckle your nose to stay alert,

Or wag your tail to start the race,

If you can sniff the air for a change of scene

Or read the news on a trunk of a tree,

And guard your bones, but share your treats

And celebrate when you are free,

If you can growl or huff and call His bluff

And ask to soon be fed,

Or lie at His feet when the day is done

And know that it’s time for bed,

If you can bare a bath – to clean your fur –

To make you spruce and bright,

To accompany Him with a heart assured

To show off His delight,

If you can do all this without a slouch

And know your Master’s thumb is up,

Yours is the Earth and everything in it

And – what’s more – YOU’LL BE A DOG, MY PUP!

(Caryl Moll - July 2009)

---xXx---

Have a wonderful day and please go and visit SUGAR and wish her well too..

HAPPY BARKDAY, SUGAR!

Sending lotsaluv and licks to you all,