The Muffin Saga, Part III

Muffin was intelligent, perhaps the most intelligent dog I have ever known. She swiftly accepted being walked on a leash, walking beside me at whatever pace I chose. During out walks she sometimes reverted to the survival habits she had acquired while being neglected on the farm on which she grew up. At times she would leave the sidewalk and begin digging in the earth at its edge. Muffin was acting more like a chicken than a dog, scratching beneath the soil for insects and worms that she would eat. She continued to do this even with the fine cuisine we provided for her. I rather suspect that she had subsisted on small crawling creatures and one seldom forgets survival skills.

Another of her survival skills was raiding garbage cans. To do this she had to escape the fence that surrounded the parsonage and church. It was a metal fence constructed with iron bars perpendicular to the ground. In the front of the yard the bars were too narrow for even a small dog to squeeze through. However, the fence at the back of the property had more space between the bars.

The first time I noticed Muffin outside the fence she was in the alley that ran behind the parsonage yard. She was digging through the garbage set out by Irma, our next door neighbor. I called Muffin from inside the yard and expected her to slide back in through the bars in the fence. However, I think Muffin was reluctant to expose her avenue of escape; she walked all the way around the property to the front gate and stood there, smiling and awaiting me to open the gate. As I said, Muffin was quite intelligent.

This has been Part III of the Muffin Saga, which I shall continue until the story of this marvelous dog is complete. The previous installments may be accessed by clicking below:

• The Muffin Saga, Part I

• The Muffin Sage, Part II

Today Alex and I plan to spend most of our time watching the National Football League’s Conference Championship games on TV

• The San Diego Chargers play the New England Patriots for the American Conference Championship. I’m pulling for the Patriots.

• The New York Giants play the Green Bay Packers fro the National Conference Championship. I’m pulling for the Packers.

Alex seems to enjoy watching football games. During each game we’ve watched together, he has curled up beside me, rested in my arms, or sat on my shoulder. I wonder if he can make it through two games this afternoon and evening.