Photo by Angela Kirk

It took over a week for all the snow to melt here in the Midwest but when it did I found many treasures that had been buried for weeks. Two tennis balls that I though I misplaced, a frisbee and a very big stick I had become quite fond of were just part of what had been beneath all that ice and snow.

Doc forever vigilant concerning what I consume came right outside when she saw me chewing on the big branch, looked at me and shook her head. ” If you get sick from eating that bark, don’t you wake me up at night with an upset stomach.” she said with authority, Thinking quickly I retorted, ” I’ll have you know that just like President Teddy Roosevelt I too speak softly and carry a big stick.” ” Oh really, she exclaimed, do tell.”  I slowly began to formulate my words carefully because I knew I was in deep and needed to sound like I knew what I was talking about.

” Well I know the president was talking about the importance of  thinking about things before they happen and having a decisive plan before there is a military crisis, but I have a different spin on it.  You know Doc, more often than not you humans walk into situations without thinking things all the way through or procrastinate until you are in a pickle and are then forced to act in the midst of chaos. Then you all act shocked by what happened and call it bad luck when in fact it was your choices that got you into the problem in the first place. ” I said with conviction.  The stick my dear Doc represents the good boundaries we need to set with ourselves and others in order to avoid a crisis.”  I sat in the yard proud of what I had come up with when she replied, ” Nice try Grover you made a good point,  now put down that stick and come inside, for supper as she pointed to the door with a smile.”

As I walked past her into the house I made a mental note to myself to never try to outsmart Doc again.