Shiva the Thief

[Renee750il]

Shiva, Kharma and Bimmer have a little neighbor-buddy, Stanley the Black Lab, who's the same age as Kharma and lives with his owner, Herbie, who's semi-retired and has a single-wide next to our lower pasture. The dogs all visit back and forth, usually according to whether or not Herbie's cooking out on the grill. Most of the time Stanley comes over here because there's more to do on a farm. He also comes over here after he's gotten into trouble and Herbie's had to scold him. When that happens I always end up putting him in the car and driving him home if he's still here after dark so the coyotes won't get him.

Yesterday evening, when we were taking the Jeep out in the field to check the cattle, Herbie was outside and had a story to tell us. I'm awfully glad he's got a sense of humor!

It seems Herbie went to the store, but left his door open since all the dogs were around and he'd just put Stanley's dinner in his dish. He was only going to be gone for a minute.

Herbie had also left a chicken in the sink to thaw.

You know how "they" tell you to always thaw poultry in the refrigerator? Well, there's a reason for that.

Herbie came home and went into the kitchen to fix dinner.

No chicken.

Shiva was outsite, laying on his deck, finishing off the last of it!

Herbie made another trip to the store to get something to fix for his dinner. This time he shut the door. I think there's an old saying about shutting the door of the coop after the chicken's already flown.

Herbie was laughing so hard telling us about it that there were tears running down his cheeks.

 

[tl_ashmore]

Oh my gosh, how funny!!!! Haven't those dogs gotten into some trouble at Herbie's house before? It's a good thing he has a good sense of humore. It looks like you've got yourself a great neighbor. Good thing he's friendly!!! You could have a neighbor that was not friendly at all. Your lucky to have Herbie there! Someone else might not take that as funny! (like some of my neighbors) My neighbors are so scared of my dogs, they won't have anything to do with them. Especially Bula. But all Bula wants to do is play with them. She wouldn't hurt anyone!!!

 

[Renee750il]

Yep, we're lucky with Herbie, but then, Herbie's a dog guy. He's Stanley's "Dad." He's got to have a great sense of humor 'cause Stanley's a handful, too.

Stanley comes over here every morning to have a bowl of milk replacer with the girls, go on a morning hunting expedition with Bimmer, take a quick dip in the pool and track soaking wet Lab feet through the house to look for a bowl of Innova. And Herbie wonders why he has trouble getting Stanley to eat at home!

When I come up the driveway, Stanley runs out to meet the car, then runs alongside all the way to the house. Stanley's figured out the answer to the question; he knows "who lets the dogs out?"

One of our other neighbors, Jay, who really appreciates the fact that no one bothers his tools since our dogs have adopted him and his wife, Linda, thought the whole thing was just too funny. His observation was that if Herbie didn't want Shiva to steal his food, he should shut his door.

I think Herbie just enjoys the dogs and all the funny things they do. He seems kind of lonely, being out of place here in East Tennessee and not really knowing anyone here. He's from the Detroit area, I think, by way of Florida - one of the group we call "halfbacks," having moved from up North down to Florida, then back up halfway in between. Anyway, being a non-orange wearing (University of Tennessee football), non-football playing halfback in a small, rural community here is a real good way to feel isolated. But the dogs like Herbie, Herbie likes the dogs, so we like Herbie.
And Shiva seems to have a knack for winning people over. Even people who don't particularly like dogs seem to like her. She's so big, but she's such a baby - she still hasn't come into her temperament. I'll be surprised if she ever does.

 

[chazhound]

That sounds like a great dog! Never heard of 'halfbacks'...

 

[Renee750il]

I think it's a term peculiar to the football-crazy alternative universe I live in, aka East Tennessee - or more correctly "Tennessee-GO-VOLS." (You have to say it all in one breath with a wild-eyed fervor usually reserved for charismatic fanatical cults. (lol)

 

[Cindi]

Cute story! Reminds me of the time I went to town and forgot to close the front door. I came home to find Baby the goat eating from the kitchen trash can and about a half dozen chickens scratching around in the living room.

 

[soccerwoofer]

Heh. That makes me think of the time I came home from school and forgot to put my shoes away. I went upstairs to do my homework and since I didn't have a lot I thought I'd finish it and then put my shoes away, but when I came back Luke destroyed my sneakers.

 

[MEG126]

Cute story! Reminds me of the time I went to town and forgot to close the front door. I came home to find Baby the goat eating from the kitchen trash can and about a half dozen chickens scratching around in the living room.

HA that scene makes me think of that movie "Babe" with the pig and his duck friend... lol

and, soccerwoofer, that has happenned to me on many, many occasions with my golden. one day it was one of my brand new birkenstocks (they cost me about $115 with tax) but fortunately my mom caught her before she destroyed it... i got a new sole put on it and some cork filler and we're good to go- but whoa i think penny know she'd done something wrong because i won't even look at her for a few hours... lol but she knows i can stay angry with her for too long.