Monday, September 7, 2015

The Dog Ate My Homework



That’s the oldest excuse in the book, right? Yesterday I was outside taking care of some chores, and when I walked back into the house I saw half an envelope lying on the living room floor. Murphy, my yellow Labrador retriever, was lying next to it, watching me intently.


 “Uh, what have you been into?” I asked, my eyes turning to mere slits.

His tail whacked the floor with force, but only once.

I picked up the envelope which contained half of an electric bill. Uh oh. That’s when I noticed a trail of paper leading to the kitchen, which I followed. I found the other half of the bill, but it was in several small pieces and spread across the floor.

I heard Murphy’s long thick tail whack the floor again – and I started to laugh. The dog ate my homework, or in this case, my bill. Returning to the living room, I found that he hadn’t moved an inch, but he was grinning. Dogs do smile, you know.

I could have become upset with him, but he’d provided me with a laugh that I needed.

 Dad feeding baby roadrunner

This morning I walked outside and saw a feather duster lying on the patio. Where had it come from? Another oddity, except that it suddenly moved and stood up. I took a deep breath, realizing it was Larry, a frequent roadrunner visitor. He was begging for food.

Sugar, my other yellow Lab, tried to chase Larry off, but he just jumped up on the block wall and stared at her. He wasn’t leaving without food.

Animals keep me chuckling, and they make great characters in books. They’ll always give a writer fodder for a story or a scene.

 Thank goodness for closeups

 There’s an odd little bug that keeps showing up on my patio. He just sits and watches me, which I think is really odd. I have no idea what kind of bug he is. Since the bug is a regular visitor, I brought my camera out with me and took his picture.

Murphy watched us through the sliding glass door. He pulled himself up and strolled out the doggie door, walking over to the bug. He bent down and sniffed it, but the bug didn’t budge. In fact, he stood his ground. Murphy stood and turned his attention to me for a moment before turning back to the bug. His head swung back and forth a couple of times before he lifted his paw and slammed it down on the bug! I started to laugh when I noticed the bug was faster than the dog and he’d moved out of the way.

That strange bug still comes to visit once in a while.

Sitting in my back yard can be quite entertaining. The dogs, the bug, and the roadrunner all seem to crave attention. Ha! They all want food, and I’m the source. Well, I guess the bug doesn’t want food, but I don’t know what it is that he wants.

Of course there are the geckos, too. Twice I’ve saved geckos’ lives when they ended up in the pool, and twice they’ve come back and stood by me as though saying, “Thanks, lady.” They’re actually kind of cute.

So what does this have to do with writing? Like I said, these animals and insects can be inspirational. The bug might be just a curious bug, or he could be changed into a person who makes a character in a book very nervous with his unblinking stare.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Look around you and pay attention to even the smallest of things. You never know when they might trigger an idea.

Let’s see. I could create a bald man with a buggy face who wouldn’t look out of place if he had filmy, pointed wings. Hmm. He’s a man who stares mercilessly, taking in every movement the protagonist makes. And while he stares, he rips an envelope or piece of paper to shreds. The protagonist takes a step toward him to ask him what he’s doing, and his face seems to shrivel up before he turns and hurries away.

When I sell my house and move to Washington, I’ll miss the desert critters. Of course, I’ll still have the dogs to brighten my day, and there will be a Chiweenie to add to the laughter. In fact, if I ever finish my current book, you’ll learn about Chiweenies.

Until next time, use your imagination and watch nature. Let your mind run wild.

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20 comments:

  1. You certainly have a bevy of creative creatures for laughs. Let us know what utility says about you being unable to pay because dog ate your bill. Fun article thanks.

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    1. Thank you, Jake. Glad I could give you a chuckle. The bill gets paid anyway. Darn!

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  2. Marja,
    I always enjoy your posts and this one was no exception. I don't have the same animals and bugs in Cincinnati but I love to watch the squirrels, birds and the cutest little bunny comes to visit too. Like your bug, he often just sits there and stares at me. I can't help but wonder what he's thinking.

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    1. Thank you, Pat. Can you imagine knowing what a bug is thinking? LOL

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  3. Loved your post, Marja. Here in the northern mountains we have a variety of wild animals to entertain us, including deer, antelope, an occasional elk, rabbits, badgers and a variety of small birds, eagles and hawks to name just a few. It's a wildlife photographer's paradise. We have a variety of bugs as well but I've never wondered what yellow jackets are thinking while I'm dodging or running away from them. Mosquitos I'm sure are thinking, "I vant to drink your blood." : )

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  4. LOL Thanks for a good chuckle, Jean. At least my little bug isn't a biter -- that I know of.

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  5. Marja - that bug looks to me like a Robber Fly. It's a vicious little predator. It attacks other insects in flight. A real bandit.

    So watch out!

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    1. Yikes! Dac, I'm almost sorry you told me what it is. I'll keep a closer eye on him. Now I'll have to look Robber Fly up on the Internet.

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  6. You are right. It's so easy to read human emotion or thinking into a look or action by an animal. It's fun, and it's story fodder. Mostly, though, I run from bugs.

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    1. You don't want to live in Arizona then. We've got some weird bugs. : )

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  7. Food for thought. What can I do with that hummingbird who comes around daily?

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    1. Stalker? Annoying neighbor? Sweet little old lady? Maniacal hummingbird? LOL You'll think of something, Lesley.

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  8. Your posts are always a lot of fun to read. There a baby opossum in the neighborhood that jumps into my veggie garden and nibbles on my tomatoes. We used to have a lot of squirrels until my neighbor cut down his two trees. Other than that, it's pretty dull around here, except for my dog, that is.

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    1. Thankfully, dogs always keep thing lively, Evelyn. We have some chipmunks, but they're fast and don't stick around. I hope the baby opossum decides to leave your tomatoes alone. : )

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  9. I don't know what's wrong with my keyboard. It doesn't always keep up with my typing. The second sentence should read: There's a baby oppossum...etc.

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  10. Hi Marja, the way you managed to create a person merely from a bug was truly fascinating. And you are right, dogs do smile, and I am smiling too, after reading your enjoyable post, thank you for that :-)

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    1. Thank you, Ramla Zareen. I'm glad I could bring a smile to your face. I think, if we try hard enough, we can create a character out of almost anything. : )

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  11. Animals can certainly be entertaining. A friend's cat, Ziva, never fails to amuse. I was over there this weekend when Ziva couldn't find either of the two orange balls with which the two cats had been playing earlier. The bag was lying on the coffee table, so she just stood up, stuck her paw in the bag and snagged a new one. Naturally all three suddenly turned up out of nowhere hours later. *G*

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    1. Doesn't it just figure, Heather? My dogs toys turn up in the darnedest places, when I least expect it. I like the name Ziva.

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