The (Last) Penny Chronicles

My name was Penny.

I’m not sure where I am now, but for some reason I don’t mind.  I was in pain, but now I don’t feel any pain at all.  My legs ached, and my belly hurt so bad I could barely stand it, and I couldn’t eat at all.  Now all of that is gone.

The last thing I remember is getting a big hug and a kiss from the Leader.  I will always remember the loving look on her face and how good that hug and kiss made me feel.  Then I closed my eyes because I was sleepy, and the pain was gone.  Everything was gone.  And I moved on to this new place.

I will miss the Leader, and Kasey, and the Young Masters who played with me and gave me treats.   I will even miss the old boring guy.  Poor Kasey will have to keep an eye on him now.  I hope that I will meet up with them all again some time.  But for now I feel happy and contented, like I’ve just eaten the best meal I’ve ever had. I feel warm, like a puppy in the sunshine, and protected, like I am still nestled against my mother’s fur.  I think I may find her here.

I am in a good place now, and I feel like I am moving and heading in some direction that will be even better.  I am eager to find out.

The Penny Chronicles

My name is Penny.

Lately I like sleeping more and more.  I am tired, and my leg hurts, and now my belly does, too.  But when I fall asleep all of that is gone.  I sleep, and suddenly I am a young puppy again, quick and light and playing with my brothers and sisters in a green field with cool grass.  We see a squirrel far away and we run, run, run to chase it.  Our tongues hang out and even though the squirrel gets away, it is okay.  We drink cool water and then run some more, then plop down next to the pond in the shade of a tree.

When I sleep, I remember the good food I have eaten.  So much very good food!  I am eating the food the Leader has given me, and the special treats I get from her when the old boring guy isn’t looking.  I am eating the scraps the Young Master has given me when he thinks the old boring guy isn’t looking.  I am eating the meat the old boring guy gives me when he thinks the Leader isn’t looking.  And I am eating the food left out for Kasey when Kasey isn’t looking.  Sorry, Kasey!

These days, I like sleeping even more than food.  I seem to have a hard time eating now, and when I do it I get sick.  But those dreams are sweet.

The Penny Chronicles

My name is Penny.

Today I am very thirsty.  These days, I am very thirsty every day.  My mouth feels dry, dry, dry, all the time, and when I drink I drink a lot.  I bet I drink more water now than I ever did before.  Each day, I seem to set a new record!  Some days, I even want water more than I want food.

The Leader knows this.  It is why she is the Leader.  So there are water bowls everywhere.  There is a bowl by where I sleep.  There is a bowl where the packs stays in the morning.  There is a bowl in the hallway, where I like to sleep on the rug.  And, of course, there is a water bowl next to my food bowl, too.

Thanks to the Leader, I never have to go far to drink my fill.

Sometimes the old boring guy will not see a bowl and will knock into it and the water will slosh over the side.  Ha ha!  But the old boring guy doesn’t seem to get mad any more.  He just shakes his head.  And when he hears me drinking, he walks over and pets me and scratches behind my ear and asks how I am doing.  I bet he feels thirsty some times, himself.

Speaking of water, where is that bowl?  I am thirsty!

The Penny Chronicles

My name is Penny.

I have a new favorite place.  It is in the back yard, on some smooth stones.  I like to stretch out on them when the sun is out and the stones are hot.  When the sun is shining, the stones feel warm and good against my belly and legs and head. I can lay down and look at the yellow bush and green pot and smell the mulch.  It is a very good place.

Kasey likes doing it, too.

I don’t like going for walks any more.  I never really liked it very much, anyway, but now my leg hurts all the time, so I like walking even less.  I am tired, too.  Who cares about walking?  I don’t need to see anything.  Everything and everyone I like is right here, behind this fence.  The Leader is here, and so is Kasey, and my food is here, and that is good enough for me.  Even the old boring guy is here.

Speaking of food, isn’t it about dinner time?

The Penny Chronicles

My name is Penny.

I am a good dog.  I really am.  I am a faithful member of the pack.  I guard the house and patrol the perimeter.  I keep an eye on Kasey and try to keep her out of trouble.  I am good company for the Leader, too.

So why do the Leader and the old boring guy keep moving into places that have these terrible things?  When I saw these yesterday, I said:  “Oh no!  Not again!”  But when I saw our pack’s things here, I knew I was stuck.

I hate these slippery and slidey things.  I even hate them more than I hate cats, or that mean dog that tried to bite Kasey once.  When I try to walk on these things, I feel like I am on an icy pond.  I am afraid that my paws and legs are going to go shooting out sideways and I am going to fall on my chin.

Why oh why did we come here?  You know, I bet the old boring guy had something to do with this.  But I’ll teach him a lesson.  I won’t go up them, period.  At night, I’ll just sit at the bottom and whimper and bark.  Ha, ha!  Good luck getting some sleep, old boring guy!

The Penny Chronicles

My name is Penny.

I’ll tell you one thing about our new place that Kasey and I really like — there are a lot of dogs around.  When we are going for a walk, there are dog smells everywhere.  I mean, EVERYWHERE!  There are dog smells on the brick sidewalks, and dog smells on the trees, and dog smells on the little metal fences, and dog smells on the sides of buildings.  And we all know that nothing smells better than a dog.  I could sniff dog smells all day long!

And then there is this big park that is like dog heaven.  Every time we’ve gone there we’ve seen lots and lots of dogs walking with members of their pack.  We’ve seen spaniels and boxers, dachshunds and Corgis, Great Danes and little yapper dogs.  There are even kinds of dogs that I’ve never seen before.  And somewhere, we’ve heard, there is a special dog named Mitzi who is the queen dog of them all.

There were some dogs who lived near our old place, like my friend Sassy, but I bet this new place has more dogs than just about anywhere else in the whole world.  It makes makes Kasey and me feel proud to be part of it.  And, for some reason, it also makes me feel hungry.  But then, I am always hungry!

The Penny Chronicles

My name is Penny.

Something big has happened to our pack. I mean, really big! Yesterday the Leader took Kasey and me to a new place that we have never seen before — but some of our things were there. I’m not sure, but I think we might be staying here.

I don’t know why we left our old place. It’s the only house I’ve lived in. I liked it there. I miss it already.

I have to admit that this new place has some interesting smells.  Kasey and I have had some fun exploring.  But I hate this thing about our new place — the stairs and the floors.  The stairs are way too tall, and I have to really jump to get up them.  And the floors are just too slippery and slidey for me.  Who wants to be slipping and sliding everywhere?

But our whole pack is here — even the old boring guy.  Kasey and I like it best when we are together, wherever we are.  And our food is here, too.  That is a good thing, because with all this slipping and sliding I am hungry!

 

The Penny Chronicles

My name is Penny.

I’ve always gone au naturel.  I figure the rest of the pack is entitled to see me in all my glory as I stretch out on the carpet, and I don’t want to be hindered by any dumb clothing when I go outside to do my business, either.

Kasey is different.  She is just a little, shivery dog.  When the weather is cold she hates to go outside.  The cold doesn’t bother me, but Kasey starts trembling in the cold air like a dog in an earthquake.

The Leader noticed this.  The Leader always does.  So the Leader went and got Kasey a coat, just like the ones the Leader and the old boring guy wear when they go outside during the winter.  Kasey likes it, and it seems to keep her warm.  At least, she doesn’t shiver as much as she used to.

I’m happy for Kasey, but that doesn’t mean I want to start wearing clothes.  I look good just the way I am, and when I go outside in the buff it stimulates my appetite.  Which reminds me — I am hungry!

The Penny Chronicles

My name is Penny.

Ugh.  Today the old boring guy was pushing around the Loud Thing.  What is the Loud Thing, and why does he push it around?  Who knows — but sometimes he does.  He moves from room to room, and keeps moving a long black string that looks like a snake while he does it.  And when he moves into a room with the Loud Thing, that’s when it’s time for me to go somewhere else.

Boy, is the Loud Thing loud!  It’s so loud that it scares Kasey, and I don’t particularly like having it around, either.  It makes a noise that not quite like a bark, or a growl, or a snarl.  It’s almost like all of those things combined, and a wind storm besides — but much, much louder.

And I keep wondering, what is it?  When the old boring guy is pushing it, it is loud.  But when the old boring guy is away, it is totally quiet.  And it smells like dust.

Fortunately, in our pack the Loud Thing only comes out once in a while.  Kasey and I are happy dogs when it goes away.

The Penny Chronicles

My name is Penny.

It is not Whizzer, no matter what the old boring guy says.

Ever since I came back from the place where everyone wears white coats I have been thirsty.  My mouth feels very dry and salty.  So I drink, and drink, and drink some more.  My tongue is getting worn out with all of this lapping!

The Leader knows this.  So now, there are water bowls in almost every room.  There’s even one in the room upstairs with the hard floor.  I’m not sure why the Leader put a bowl in there.  After all, there is already a big bowl of water in there with a lid on it, although the old boring guy yells at me if he catches me drinking from it.

Speaking of the old boring guy, I’ve figured out a new way to make him mad.  I drink so much water, I need to go all the time.  The Leader takes me outside to do my business, but sometimes I just can’t hold it.  Really!  I just can’t!  Of course, I usually can’t hold it when the old boring guy is around.  I’ve had a few “accidents” right in front of him.  Ha ha!   Sorry, old boring guy!  When you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go!

Just thinking of that makes me thirsty again.

The Penny Chronicles

My name is Penny.

The Leader has been gone the last few days, which means we’re stuck with the old boring guy,  That means no snuggling, no kisses, and no treats thrown to us when the Leader leaves the house.  The old boring guy doesn’t do any of that good stuff.

Kasey and I sure do miss the Leader!

When the old boring guy is in charge, we know he’s going to take for a long morning walk.  And when I say long, I mean long!  It takes forever!

But there is one good thing about it.  The old boring guy always walks by one of my favorite places and let’s me stop and have a good sniff around.  I love that little stretch of fence and patch of ground.  I’m not sure why.  I’ve been stopping there since I first joined the pack, smelling the smell and leaving my own sign for any dogs that might follow.

And in the morning, like this morning, when it is cool and dark and peaceful, this little patch of grass and fence is a wonderful place.  When I come home and lie down on the kitchen floor, sometimes I think about it.  And then, eventually, I get hungry.

The Penny Chronicles

My name is Penny.

I’ve always thought and hoped that I was a special dog.  I’ve tried to be good, I really have.  I’ve chewed a few things, sure, and sometimes the food I eat comes right back up again, but I can’t help that.  I protect our place when cats come around, and, unlike another dog whose name starts with K, I never have “accidents” in the house.

But I knew I was special when I saw my picture on the cover of a magazine.  And, at about the same time, the Leader started giving me wet food out of cans!  Food out of cans, can you imagine?  That’s when I knew how special I really am.

Now, when I was through the neighborhood, I know all eyes are on me.  “There she goes,” they are saying, “the special dog who was on the cover of a magazine.”. Other dogs in the neighborhood, like Sassy, act like nothing has changed, but they can’t fool me.  I’m famous!

If being famous means getting that wet food from the can, I like it!  Speaking of which . . . I am hungry!

P.S.  Don’t forget today is National Dog Day!

The Penny Chronicles

My name is Penny.

Every once in a while I see one of these things on the counter.  When that happens, I get very excited!  I jump up, put my paws on the counter, and knock it off and take it to where I can give it a good chew.

These are great things to chew!  They are brittle and small, and with my jaws and teeth I break them easily.  They snap and crackle and crunch, and it makes me realize I am a powerful dog.  That feels good!  I bite and chew and munch, and soon the basket is a splintered, slobbery mess.  I look at it, and I realize my work is done.

But then the real fun begins.  The old boring guy finds it, and boy does he get mad!  He says bad words and gets down on his hands and knees and picks up every little stick and piece of slobbery wood.  Ha, ha!  Time for the old boring guy to get some exercise!

The Penny Chronicles

My name is Penny.

Sometimes the Leader can’t sleep at night.  When that happens, she goes to another room to read a book, and I go with her.  She will lie down on the couch, and I will snuggle in next to her.  She reads for a while, then falls asleep, so I will, too.  It’s my job to keep an eye on the Leader.

Sometimes the old boring guy can’t sleep at night, either.  When that happens, he will get up and go to another room, too.  I don’t know exactly where he goes, because I never go with him.  Never.  Sorry, old boring guy!  The Leader is my number one priority, and you don’t even make the top ten list.

Kasey always can sleep at night.  I know that because she snores.  I mean, she really, really snores!  But when the morning comes and it’s time for food, Kasey is up like a flash, runs down the stairs, and starts barking.  Who can blame her?  We are hungry!

The Penny Chronicles

My name is Penny.

The other day I was hungry.  So what else is new?

On the counter I noticed some green and white balls.  They looked like candy.  The Leader likes candy.  Sometimes she will get it, and sometimes she will leave it where Kasey and I can get it.  It’s why we love the Leader.

So I got my paws up on the counter and knocked them down.  Then I had a few quick bites before the Leader could stop me.  Kasey came running, and she ate a bunch of them, too.  But these things weren’t candy.  Instead, they made my mouth feel hotter than the hottest summer day.  I went to water bowl and slurped up as much cool water as I could to try to get the hot feeling out of my mouth.  Then Kasey came running in and drank a lot of water, too.

It turns out that the old boring guy likes these things.  Why would anyone like these things?  They aren’t sweet, and they aren’t meat.  The old boring guy is weird.