Chapter 32: The Arrival of Archie. Mom, the Professor, and I recently spent two weeks in Indiana visiting with Bubby Josh, Sissy Jess, and Cooper. You remember Cooper, he’s their very tall and strong foxhound who sometimes tends to walk over top of me and likes to chase birds. I can’t understand why any dog would chase birds. Everyone knows that dogs can’t fly. Anyway, I also got to see Sissy Anna, Bubby Jon, Bubby Glenn, and Mary and John and Teddy. We stayed with Mary and John and Teddy and when I am at their house, Mary always spoils me. She boils chicken and then mixes the chicken with my own food. She also adds cheese to it. I really love Mary and I believe I have her trained quite well. The only thing is I have to be careful about Teddy, he sometimes eats my food. I get to go out in their big backyard. They have a new fence, so I had to smell every inch of it and pee on all of Mary’s flowers.
I got to go to Bubby Josh’s apartment for a few days because the Professor was taking Cooper and me on walks through downtown New Albany. It sure was wonderful with all the new smells and I really liked it. Restaurants, bakeries, garbage on two days, joggers and walkers, stop signs, different plants and flowers around big churches, and the smells of dogs that I don’t know. I was in Beagle heaven except for all the cars on the streets. The only real problem I had is that Cooper likes to walk a lot faster than I do, he just doesn’t get the fact that walks are for smelling and Beagles have to smell everything. He’s still a youngster and needs to learn to “stop and smell the roses” as the Professor would say and as I do literally.
I didn’t realize it but for 3 days Bubby Josh and Sissy Jess weren’t in their apartment. The next thing I know they arrive with this little bundle, this little creature, who cried, slept, and pooped a lot. Neither Cooper nor I knew what to make of this little creature but we began to smell him. Everyone called him Archie and Mom and the Professor were now being called Grandmother and Granddad. What is it with all these new names? I think they are just trying to confuse this wise Beagle.
When Cooper and I finally started paying closer attention to Archie, we discovered he was just a small version of a human. I think sometimes he looked like Sissy Jess and other tines he looked like Bubby Josh. He did sleep a lot, something I can without a doubt identify with. And when he was awake he was taking a bottle or pooping. I could smell that. After a day or two, Cooper and I finally started giving Archie little kisses.
Cooper and I noticed that Archie was quite helpless at this point. He couldn’t walk and someone had to feed him and take care of him at all times. We decided right then and there that it was our job to protect him and teach him the ropes as he grows up. I made Cooper promise to do this because I had to go back to Tallahassee. He promised to do so. And, the Professor and Mom got a picture the other day of Cooper sleeping next to Arche, protecting him, so I know he is doing a good job!
Just a little Beagle wisdom for you…you know it is important to help and protect those that are little and can’t fend for themselves. The world would be a better place if we all did that. On the way home we stopped to visit Bubby Ryan, Sissy Liz, and Max in Asheville and I loved their new apartment, especially the outside doggie play area. Anyway, I am now back in Tallahassee and I can’t wait to get back to New Albany to teach Archie, to kiss him, to love on him, and to help Cooper protect him. That’s what Beagle do.
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