Before Boze – we had another Portuguese Water Dog named Cricket.

We actually got Cricket in much the same way we got Boze. Our friends Linda and Ford gave her to us.

Much like Boze, Cricket was a pure delight. Cute, funny, sweet, and unlike Boze, Cricket did not have a brain in her head. Her cuteness and personality made up for the fact that she just wasn’t very smart.

Oh, how we loved her.

Something happened to Cricket though and it’s made me think and ponder about it for a while now. If I was Art Baner, I’d get the pondering pipe out on this one. But, since I’m not Art Baner, I’ll do my pondering while looking out a window.

The story:
Cricket was 8 years old when we got her. Like all other dogs and living things, Cricket ate out of the same dish everyday and was just fine doing it.

Then one day, the tag on her collar got caught on the lip of her dish. When she went to move, the dish flew in the air, and food went flying everywhere. This scared Cricket beyond anything I’d ever seen and from that day forward, she was terrified of her dish.

Actually she was terrified of all dishes for a while after that. We had to hand feed her to get her to eat. Finally, with the help of a few hotdogs, a food trail, and a brand new dog dish, Cricket was slowly able to eat on her own again, but it took some time.

Everyone could understand her fear of the “the dish.” After all it did jump at her, and for all she knew it might again.

What I couldn’t understand, but am beginning to, is this.

Why after 8 years of eating out of the same dish, with no ill effects, did this one mishap, put an end to her ever eating out of the dish again. Why couldn’t she call on the many times it served her well?

I’m slowly getting it.

We can all be just fine and then one thing that has served you well for years, goes awry and Bam! Something we never thought would happen, happens, and now what gave us great joy and comfort is on the list of — nope. Not going there.

Life is weird. That’s all I’m going to say about that.

By the way – as I look out the window, it’s still cold and raining here.