And During Quarantine

by Jimmy Johnson

March 3, 2008


This series has run here before, but I thought it might be appropriate these days. You can view the week-long sequence by clicking on the date above, as usual. And in the Where Do You Get Your Ideas Department: the current Arlo & Janis strip (which is a repeat from 2015) literally came from real life. There was a dog on one of our favorite walking routes who did the exact same thing as the dog in the strip, with a few glaring differences. The fence was a chain-link fence, the gate was the width of the driveway, and the dog was a snarling German shepherd and a big one at that. Every time we walked by, he’d meet us in the near corner of his front yard, barking and slobbering and lunging against the fence, the only thing between him and the sidewalk, and us. He would continue in that state, keeping apace with us until he reached the open driveway. Then, he’d politely trot alongside us, across the driveway, until he’d reached the fence on the other side where he’d resume his assault until we had passed beyond his jurisdiction. We became quite used to this behavior and trusted him to play by the rules. We’d speak to him in a friendly voice, which would drive him to higher paroxysms of gleeful fury. What I don’t recall is, how we ever worked up the courage to walk past him the first time.


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23 responses to “And During Quarantine”

  1. emb Avatar
    emb

    Today’s newspaper comic is cute, but I think such “worse than its bite” barkers would continue barking in front of the open gate, safely on their own lawn. On another note:

    https://www.gocomics.com/onebighappy/2020/03/26

    Peace,

  2. Steve From Royal Oak, MI Avatar

    Jimmy, I was thinking the exact same thing once you wrote “German Shepherd! Animals are creatures of habit and very OCD. Being home, our cats cannot figure out what is going on, but they like it. I do have one vocal one that likes to join conference calls. She likes the sound of my boss’ voice!

    I saw a story on FB about a teleconference where one of the participants dog was barking, which caused everyone else’s dog to start barking. The organizer had to put everyone on mute! However when people started joining back in, they got a terrible case of the giggles!

    1. Mark in TTown Avatar
      Mark in TTown

      I am a medical coder working for a hospital, part of a group who work from home. When we have meetings the people who live close enough go to a meeting room at the hospital and the rest of us join in online. And there is always a dog that starts barking, vocal children or noisy household machinery that will interrupt and cause giggles and necessitate putting everyone on mute.

  3. Steve From Royal Oak, MI Avatar

    Not sure why I was typing !!! all the time….sorry 🙂

  4. Otis Avatar
    Otis

    We call that “fence protective”. Our fuzzbutt feels the need to warn off anyone who approaches his backyard border.
    When a new neighbor moved in, we gave him a box of Cheerios to feed the dog. Now they’re best buddies.

  5. Neal H Sanders Avatar

    Any website that incorporates the use of ‘paryoxysms’ is one well worth reading! How erudite!

  6. emb Avatar
    emb

    1 or more eggs in the Great Spirit nestbox.
    https://explore.org/livecams/birds/peregrine-falcon-cam
    Peace,

  7. Bonnie from Gloucester MA Avatar
    Bonnie from Gloucester MA

    Re “Cooking With Arlo”. I’ve been cooking up big batches of very hearty soup: meat protein, veggies, beans and/or pasta. Plus batches of spaghetti sauce. They go into serving size ziplock freezer bags. Labelled and lying flat in the freezer, ready to go. Most of the fresh produce and meat is still available in my supermarket but some of it is depleted rather quickly. Toilet paper? Fuggedaboudit! I didn’t hoard it and I’m running low. I’ve been told by a store employee that a case or two of TP arrives overnight and by 6 am it’s gone. I guess I have to hope the trees leaf out soon with the soft young leaves. Stay well everyone!

    1. Jimmy Johnson Avatar

      Just remember, Bonnie, “Leaves of three, beware of me!”

      1. Bonnie from Gloucester MA Avatar
        Bonnie from Gloucester MA

        Oh yeah. I actually had that unfortunate experience once. I didn’t use the leaves, they were just “there”, if you know what I mean. Not fun.

    2. Alan Avatar
      Alan

      Bonnie – try drugstores and such: the big groceries around here got swept clean and each restock has quickly followed, but I saw plenty available in away from the stampeding hoarders. Not sure if that is still true, since my wife and adult daughters have grounded me, but I suspect it is.

  8. emb Avatar
    emb

    Chesapeake osprey having lunch. Two are back. Misled you recently. That is not the end of a pier, it’s their regular nest platform [or a new one] seen from a different angle.
    https://explore.org/livecams/birds/osprey-cam-chesapeake-conservancy
    Peace,

  9. emb Avatar
    emb

    Canada goose in MT asking for trouble. There’s a lake nearby w/ an adequate supply of fish, and that’s the Charlo ospreys’ nest platform. Saw an osprey on it within the last week. Fun.
    https://explore.org/livecams/birds/charlo-montana-osprey-nest
    Peace,

  10. Ghost Avatar
    Ghost

    Life In The Slow Lane: Seen elsewhere on the InterWebNet, re social distancing: “Eating hoarded canned food and avoiding other people? I’ve been preparing my whole life for this!”

  11. Ghost Avatar
    Ghost

    Life In The Slow Lane: Also seen elsewhere on the InterWebNet:
    January 2020: “This is going to be my year!”
    March 2020: “I’m wiping my butt with a coffee filter.”

  12. emb Avatar
    emb

    Wonder when they’ll get here? Actually, we’ll see few Sandhill Cranes in Bemidji. These are in E NB, & will mostly go to & through the Dakotas. BSU ornithology classes have seen a few in NW MN. Some were doing courtship dances. Edda is more graceful.
    https://explore.org/livecams/birds/crane-camera
    Peace,

    1. curmudgeonly ex-professor Avatar
      curmudgeonly ex-professor

      Edda probably sings better, too.

  13. TruckerRon Avatar

    I have tried to comment on my local weather today but my comment never showed up here. I wonder why? Will this one make it?

  14. TruckerRon Avatar

    I give up! So much for talking about a “perfect snow”.

  15. TruckerRon Avatar

    And cooking breakfast for everyone!

  16. TruckerRon Avatar

    And cleaning up afterwards. My wife is still in shock, but smiling!

  17. Ruth Anne in Winter Park Avatar
    Ruth Anne in Winter Park

    Hmmm, something must be stuck. I’m sure somebody had something to say today!

  18.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    I wondered about that too, Ruth Anne. After all, most of us are supposed to be at home, aren’t we?
    Stay safe, all.