This was actually something I spied the day before yesterday but I couldn’t help but throw it out there for everyone to ponder.
While visiting a yardsale here in Hooterville on Saturday, I made a purchase and was conducting the monetary transaction. The host family was taking the opportunity to teach their grandchild mathematical subtraction and how to count money. While they were prompting the young girl, I noticed the eyeglasses she was wearing on her round face were missing an entire ear piece. They were perched on her button nose and held in place by only one span of blue-gray plastic stretching from the oval frame back to and over her right ear. It was a a bit disconcerting and I opted not to stare at her while she made her pronouncement of the amount of change I should get back from my $5 bill.
While avoiding disturbing her thought process, I spied a chihuahua at the grandmother’s feet. The tiny dog sat quietly near its master. Unlike most small dogs, including my own, it did not yap and bark at the many strangers invading its driveway. It was alert, but silent, while on guard.
After the young girl made her correct guess on the dollar amount I would receive back from the pile of cash in their cigar box, I then noticed the T-shirt worn by the grandmother. While the wee dog at her feet appeared to be a truly loyal canine, the owner’s heart belonged to another. Emblazoned on the mustard yellow cotton of the shirt was a photo, dulled by many washings, of a rust-colored chihuauah sitting on its haunches and staring up at the camera with its large, round dark eyes from the carpeted floor. Below the photo, in large letters, were the words “In memory of Duke”.
The Squirrel Queen 