The beginning of the saga

Yesterday was photo day for the dogs.

Time for their "Dress Up" Halloween debacle. Fun all around, I tell ya.

I know, I know, dogs don't like to be dressed up. But they do like food and water so they humor me.

I can't show you the final product yet, since I used it for the Halloween card for my kid and it has not arrived yet. Trust me, when I say it was not easy, and no one enjoyed themselves, not even a tiny bit.

Olive, the small exceptionally dim witted Bernese Mountain Dog, and Herbie, the small will do anything for food pug, were the cast and I, the lovely, caring, and oh so patient, was the director.

Like any good director. I had a vision. They like the two dim witted dogs they are, did not. Well, they may have had a vision, but it was not MY vision and therefore I was not considering it. They were hell bent that not only was I considering it, I was DOING it. Battle lines were drawn. The gauntlet was thrown.

Small chicken dog treats had been purchased, two Goodwill Halloween outfits had been obtained, the living room had been redesigned and it was go time.

Olive, masquerading as Ms. Pumpkin and Herbie, camouflaged as Mr. Ladybug, were dressed. I had the camera at the ready. Dog treats were in plain sight.

So far, so mediocre.

Olive decided that it had always been her dream to catch a ladybug. Maybe not a 17lb one, but sometimes a girl has to work with what she is given. How, Olive knew not, did it come to be that a ladybug was perched right next to her? In her sight, her smell, her couch? Glory be, Halloween is awesome, she thought. I will just politely nudge the small cute ladybug, just a little nudge to show how much I care. To show that I am indeed a lover of all nature, living and the deer poop kind.

Her nose moved closer, her eyes were closed in total love, her tail was whipping back and forth in delight, her pumpkin stem standing straight up on her head like a lighthouse. Her head moved.

It touched the ladybug.

A small sigh escaped her.

Ladybugs are awesome, she thought. Ladybugs are ........ WOW! big, fast, and pissed, she thought, as Mr. Ladybug had had enough of the photo shoot and had launched himself right on her chest.

Mr. Ladybug wasn't sure who was at fault for this most horrible of days, but he was going out on a limb and guessing the big pumpkin next to him had contributed to a large part of it.

The pumpkin was surprised, surprised to be wearing a ladybug on her chest. A ladybug holding on to the stem, the stem of the pumpkin. The pumpkin stood up, the ladybug dangled, still holding tightly. Nature had gone wild, JUST WILD, I tell ya.

The director was, what the hell was the director doing. Oh that's right, rolling on the floor with laughter.