Am I Too Late for National Dog Day?...

I just flat missed National dog day. I was busy. I went to the eye doctor, got new glasses, followed the news of more senseless gun violence, tried to get my head around the rash actions of presidential candidates who then tell us that rash action is just what we need (see gun violence) and otherwise just spent a lazy day watching, doing nothing really important. Hey I think I am the dog.   

It's good to be the dog. I don't have a dog right now. I have had a bunch through the years. They mostly died out from eating too much steak and being too free and I have been ok with that. I now have no responsibility, no feed bills, no vet bills. I am now the one that's too free but I do take myself to the doc when I need it and I had a midnight supper at IHop last night. I did not eat the steak but I understood why the coffin nail was in the coffee. When you are less free you don't have midnight suppers at IHop.

So for my late dog day celebration I choose a picture of an old dog I had named Buckwheat. Best I remember Buckwheat passed away peacefully in his sleep in the early to mid 1990s. Maybe not the best dog (definitely makes the top 5) I had but good genes under that shiny black coat. With that strong heart it took some years for all the steak to kill him. He howled and sang when I played the harmonica. He was always on pitch in the key of E. He knew how to drive the boat when I was too drunk to and all he asked was that I always keep plenty of cold Schaefer beer on hand. 

And best thing of all was he never shot anyone or had a rash. Happy National Dog Day Buckwheat. May you rest easy in the warm summer East Texas ground. He's buried out back somewhere but I don't remember exactly where. Hopefully the kids will remember and put me at least in the vicinity so we can rest easy together.