I had just got Zoey-cat’s duck buried next to the new tree, when MomPerson came marching up. I sat on the dirty hump in the grass and gave her very big brown innocent Fox Hound eyes.
She sat next to me. “I wonder if you can help me,” she said looking where I was sitting. I did not move. But of course Hank showed up and sniffed around me. I snapped at him.
MomPerson sighed. “Zoey’s duck has gone missing. She’s very sad.” MomPerson stared up at the sky not saying anything.
I looked up and spotted that turkey vulture who likes to swoop over our corral and make me bark. I started to do just that when MomPerson spoke again, “Do you know what Sunday is?”
I looked around the corral. I didn’t see another tree to be planted. DadPerson had just mowed the grass. Nothing special coming up that I could see.
“It’s almost Mother’s Day. Do you know how good a Mom Zoey is?” she said.
I was ready to tell her I was pretty sure that was wrong.
“Do you remember when Zoey and her kittens Tucker and Ratchett came to live with us?”
Hank looked at me with that tilt to his head that says, “I don’t remember.”
MomPerson is very good at reading Dawg expressions. “You hadn’t come home when the cats came to live with us, Hank.”
Hank laid down. He remembers when he came to live with us in what DadPerson calls our Forever Home. Forever Home means our family, not just the house we live in. We used to live in a nice house in the woods. I liked to sniff the woods, and Hank made friends with the deer who came mornings for corn that MomPerson put out.
Then we moved here, which is now our Forever Home. We have woods and cow pastures the farmer grazes his mama cows and new calves in. And there are big fields that are great to run in and sniff. And a LOT of squirrels to bark at.
“Zoey was very young and was doing the best she could to take care of her new kittens. She was living on a neighbor’s back patio. But they asked if we would take her and her kittens. She is a very good mama cat, and she even takes care of me.”
I gave MomPerson my skeptical look.
“Rufus, we love all of you. But there’s something you need to know about Zoey’s duck. Zoey
gets me up early every morning by bringing her duck to me. She does it to make sure I get up. Every morning. After she gets me up, I make sure DadPerson is up in plenty of time to get you and Hank your breakfast.”
“And my partrol around our property,” I bark.
“And do your morning perimeter check,” MomPerson adds. “What if I didn’t get up in time? What if Zoey couldn’t bring me the duck?”
I see the problem.
“Zoey is looking for her duck all over the house. Do you know what I think would be a really great Mom’s Day gift to her and to me? If a certain very accomplished Fox Hound could find her duck and return it to her.”
Hank pushed his nose under my bottom. I moved. And we both started digging.
Just Saying, Happy Mother’s Day to MomPerson and Zoey.
Rufus and Hank
