Daisy Stories

I do remember Digger every evening at cocktail hour, with a bourbon and water in his left hand and Daisy's soggy chewed up rusty red ball in his right hand, out in the middle of the street throwing it for Daisy....until it was too dark or Mom called "vas coe". Daisy was particular about her ball. So when the current one disintegrated, Digger would get a new one, cut off all the outside skin and soak it and mash it to make it acceptable. It was a lucky day when one was found in the alley on one of Marnie's alley walks with Daisy. Already broken in.

And then there was the time that he was up on the roof checking out the air conditioner and he turned around and Daisy had climbed up the ladder! After that whenever a cat had been in the backyard he encouraged her to follow the smells all around and usually the cat ended up in the tree by the patio. And out came the ladder and he let her climb up it to follow the smells. Unfortunately, like Winnie the Pooh, she was better at climbing up than climbing down.

And this picture showed her with her original hair cut. Fluffy white all over. That white hair needed daily brushing (Mom's evening job in front of the TV). And frequent washing by Dad. Followed by her cowering up on the yellow metal table (that Terry now owns) with Digger drying her hair with a hair dryer. Later in life they switched to a lower maintenance saluki cut.

Daisy had the run of the neighborhood. If she wasn't at home for an extended time Digger would go next door to find her in the basement visiting with Jack and Mary.

And the games. Just like in Japan. Digger liked to orchestrate them all. Chase in the house. Daisy chasing Rick and Steve (and Greg?) around and around the hallways. Whose shorts did she rip the rear end out of as she jumped and snapped? Or hide and seek. We would all hide in closets and behinds doors and then Digger would send Daisy around to find us. She always did.

He loved to teach her tricks too. The usual - play dead, roll over, sit, stay, etc. But then more complicated ones too. Cho dai - give me your paw (opposite from shake) - go on a trip. And all this for the soggy dinner kibble that she hadn't eaten from her bowl.

He loved her and she just adored him.