My Old Fishin' Dog!

Ms. Ez loves this time of year.  Not that she is much aware that it is any certain month on the calendar but I am quite sure she knows that her feet do not freeze to the pier, the deer flies are not nibbling on her ears and there are plenty of fish.  You see, Ms. Ez is a fishing dog in the true sense of the word..she absolutely loves eating fish!  Not just any fish will do for her dining pleasure, though, they must be menhaden.  Menhaden are what we use as bait when we fish for our supper.  When they are in the Bay, usually they are about two to three inches long..just the perfect size for an old dog to eat.  Early in the morning, I will ask her if she wants to head to the pier.  She responds by doing an excited little dance by the door.  I do believe she knows what I am saying because as soon as we move down the steps she bolts for the pier.  She will run about halfway down the hill before returning to my side.  She is overjoyed!

This morning was no exception.  She danced all the way down the board path and most of the way down the pier.  Once she was toward the end, she could stand it no longer!  She raced to the net and stood looking from Mark to me. She definitely was trying to tell us to throw the net for breakfast!  I tossed the net out and brought in a couple of hundred menhaden!  The dancing started again while she waited for me to empty the net.  Once the net was back in its resting spot on the pier, she looked at me wistfully..."Please????"  Her eyes shifted from me to the minnows flipping on the pier boards.  She knew that the longer she waited, the less she would get to eat as the minnows were quickly slipping between the pier boards.  From there they would drop back into the water and out of her reach.  Finally, I gave her the "go-ahead" and she dove into the pile of fishes!  She grabbed one by the tail to isolate it from the rest before she gulped it down her throat!  Over and over again, she pulled one from the wriggling mound.  She did not like the flipping of the Menhaden tails. Each flip would send a shower of iridescent scales above her.  Flippety-flip!  Menhaden were sliding all about the pier!

I let her eat about a dozen before scooting the remainder into the water.  No need for hundreds to die just so Ms. Ez could have her treat!  Yep!  That is one happy fishin' dog!