263, It's Just a Number...

 When I was a kid we had an old dog named Smokey. He was brindle colored and had some chow dog in his linage as evidenced by his partially black tongue. Smokey was aggressive and protective of the family and his food. He bit a neighborhood kid running by his food bowl and also the Avon lady when she knocked on the front door selling her wares. 

It was a different time. The old man could be pretty dismissive of some people which included door to door salesmen or women or some neighbors and I don't remember Smokey ever being subjected to the kind of regulations we have now that require reporting, quarantine and in some cases liability. I don't recall what ever happened to Smokey. My brother might but seems there was a bloody injury, out with the old dog, long live the new and I doubt the old man was sensitive to a  rainbow bridge crossing.    

In 1804 Lewis and Clark set out on an expedition to map the western part of the USA. It was one of the most well documented events of American history.  Both leaders kept extensive logs and the men themselves were encouraged to journal their experiences. This was a grueling experience often involving boating upriver against the current and to keep up the exertion the men required 8-10 pounds of proteins a day. They ate their way across the country consuming elk, deer, beaver, horse, birds and by the records they ate 263 dogs bought from the Native Americans. Eating dog is part of our history, our culture, out cuisine. 

It should be noted that Lewis did not eat his own dog, Seaman, and in April 1806 he wrote in his journal:

 “The dog now constitutes a considerable part of our subsistence and with most of the party has become a favorite food; certain I am that it is a healthy strong diet, and from habit it has become by no means disagreeable to me, I prefer it to lean venison or Elk, and it is very far superior to the horse in any state.”

Just as things were different in my childhood things were different from that in Lewis and Clark's days. There was not much effective first aid and at the first sign of illness expedition members were often administered a laxitive called Dr. Rush's Bilious Pills or "Thunderclappers." It was their CONCEPT that this mixture of mercury, calomel and jalap would cause the body to rid it's self of the aliment. My wife was able to retire a couple of years early due to insurance offered by the Affordable Care Act and this treatment was not covered or even an option under that plan. 

Back to the dog, my neighbor has elk in the pasture next door. I have pictured killing, butchering and transporting a carcass to my freezer and I just can't see it happening for me. I have extensive small game hunting experience and have skint squirrels, the occasional rabbit and plucked ducks. I could probably hull a dog out pretty easily so dogmeat, maybe. 

You know there's always those things you would like to ask your parents after they are gone and my mother used to say she hated cooking squirrel because it reminded her of cat. I'd ask her how she knew what cooking cat was like. I guess I'll ask the old man what happened to old Smokey and I'll double check that dog count with Lewis and Clark.