Friday, November 13, 2009

Wolfie's Tail

My German Shepherd, Wolfie, has a 20”-long tail. Sorry, let me rephrase that: my German Shepherd DOG, Wolfie, has a 20”-long tail. It emerges from the downward slope of his hips, 20” off the ground, and hangs mostly straight, with a bit of a curve at the end.

As you can envision from these measurements, Wolfie's tail can sweep a tray of hors d'oeuvres and half a dozen wine glasses off the coffee table in a single swish. At our house, attempts at civilized conversation are punctuated with cries of “Watch the tail! Pick up your glasses!” We have to be especially careful when we introduce Wolfie to small children, whom he adores, because they find being lashed on the face by his tail unpleasant. On the other hand, on a hot summer day, his tail displaces enough air to have a cooling effect if you're standing near him.

Lately, a new use for Wolfie's furry scimitar has emerged. I have moved my two large pots of rose-scented geraniums into their winter quarters: the back porch, close to the door that leads to the garage. This is the spot where Wolfie waits for my return. It is the spot where he greets me, wagging his tail for all his worth, twisting his long body from side to side, slashing into the geraniums...and releasing the most heavenly clouds of rose scent as I make my entrance.

Makes me feel like the Queen of Sheba.

7 comments :

  1. hmmm... the words "heavenly scent" and "dog" will never be together in one of my blog postings. but i don't have rose-scented geraniums.

    ReplyDelete
  2. You've brought "images" to each one of my senses in this brief post. What a writer you are!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Laurie, I've been known to dab a little lavender oil on my dogs' coats. That's another heavenly scent, but it doesn't last long.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dona, I wouldn't be any kind of writer without a reader or two....

    ReplyDelete
  5. I wish I felt like the Queen of Sheba.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Mali, It doesn't last very long, but it's nice while it lasts.

    ReplyDelete

Followers