PET PATROL

She was suspicious, she seemed to understand that she needed to take a stand, and she was determined to do so.

Checking the front door, she scanned the neighborhood, looking for the possible intruders from her vantage point at the front door. Oh, she was cracking down on the neighborhood kids this Halloween; she was on to them all!

‘Happy’ is her name, but she is anything but ‘happy’ unless it involves her eating. I coaxed her away from the front door, next to the candy setup, and gated off the hall way. Opening the basement door slightly, TLW (The Little Woman) and I sat down to lunch. (A great tuna on toast with green olives mixed in) Happy decided to sit on my chair in the den, and watch through the narrow opening to continue her surveillance.

No trick-or-treaters would get by her scrutiny, no siree!

After lunch, I retreated to my downstairs ‘office’ and while TLW went shopping. Deciding to go to my office upstairs to do some writing, I figured my canine sentry would alert me to any visitors.

I go up and start to write, when: “Knock, knock, is heard! Racing downstairs, I see two of my neighbor’s kids in costume. I dole out the treats and run upstairs again. Not moments later, again I hear the familiar sound of candy-starved children. Once again, I run down stairs and a neighbors kid is standing there, in a costume of a vampire. I dump some more candy in his little plastic pumpkin, and go back upstairs. Then it occurs to me, my dumb-ass dog is just like this dumb ass: deaf. Just as deaf as an earless pumpkin!

Soon, another little beggar comes, holding a shaving cream can and a paper sack.

“Trick or treat?” with a menacing look on his face. Just looking for trouble if I didn’t treat him. Well, I treated him to some good ole Delbloggolo treats. I reach into the candy bowl then deep into his paper sack, snap my fingers next to the wall of his bag, take my hand out and tap his bag hard enough to cause his candy to jump in his bag. He looks at me confused, but leaves. I had just snapped my fingers in his bag, and it sounded like I left him some candy. When he looked in, everything was not familiar!

The little bugger (about 13) got tricked!

The little bugger in the picture is Al, my new great nephew, and my beautiful niece, Annmarie!