Category Archives: Notes and Stories by Scott

The Great Manipulator

black basset hound sleeping on tan couch with rubber chicken
Carol and I were sitting in the living room when Betty started whining at Carol. Thinking that Betty needed to go outside, I put my coat on and coaxed Betty to the backdoor. Betty was not happy about this, but I threw a treat outside and she couldn’t resist that. I had to use the old ‘pretend to go to the front yard’ trick to convince Betty to come down off of the deck and into the yard, but this just pissed her off. She moped around for a few minutes and then climbed the steps up to the backdoor. Going outside was not what Betty had in mind when she started whining.
black basset hound looking pleading into camera, laying on tan couch
We went back inside and into the living room and discovered that Carol had gone upstairs. Betty leaped into Carol’s chair and spent some time getting all comfy. She gave me a stare which said, “You stupid human, this was my demand,” and settled in for a nice nap.
Carol came downstairs and tried to reclaim her chair, but Betty wasn’t about to move. But every superhero has a weakness, and Betty’s weakness is treats. Carol tossed a treat onto the couch and Betty was forced to vacate the chair. Betty finished the treat and turned around to see Carol now sitting in the chair. The only way Betty could address this terrible injustice was to give Carol the basset hound glare for five minutes and then the pathetic basset hound mope for an additional five minutes.
black basset hound sitting up on tan couch looking into camera
It seems clear to me that the chair is Betty’s property. Carol is playing a risky game sitting in Betty’s chair all the time. All that basset hound glaring and moping aimed her way can’t be good for Carol. I’ve been trying to devise a compromise solution, but there is no compromise in basset hound.
black basset hound curled up on top of blue blanket on maroon recliner, asleep

Betty’s Home Yard Improvement Continued

I thought the snow we had would make Betty put her sunflower stalk destruction project on hiatus, but I forgot that stubbornness is ingrained in Betty’s breed. I watched her find the snow covered stalk she’d been working on for the past few days and proceed to rip it to shreds as normal. Winter might be the off-season for most landscapers, but Betty doesn’t buy that wimpy it’s too cold stuff.

black basset hound standing on hind legs waiting for man to throw snow in the air

Betty’s Home Yard Improvement

basset hound footprints in snow

Yard improvement is one of Betty’s hobbies. One thing that bugs her is an unsightly pile of sunflower stalks lying in the backyard. These things have to go and Betty will make it so.

black basset hound looking up from a snowy patio

Her technique is to yank the largest remaining stalk (6 feet long and 6 inches in circumference) out of the pile and then take a few days to chew the whole thing into small pieces of attractive mulch. For variety, Betty will make me chase her around the yard while she drags whatever remains of the stalk until it disintegrates. It is certain that the pile will be gone by spring. Does your yard need an upgrade? Call Betty’s Landscaping for a free consultation.

black basset hound running in snow, ears flapping upward into the air