Beagle Butts in Spring

Mid morning, and the Beagle Posse was gone for a long time from their normal nap places and carpet sun spots. I felt it wise to go look for them.

In the backyard, I spied two beagle butts stuck high in the air, with beagle heads together in a growing hole, and dirt furiously flying.

“DOGS! Stop that. Get in here.”

They came rushing, presuming if I was that excited about something it MUST involve treats. And, of course, in the rush, they brought large clumps of mud on their feet. “Wait! Wait! Stop!”

“You said get in here. Make up your mind.”

“I just wish you dogs could learn to wipe your feet before you come inside.”

“Why? The carpet wipes them for us.” Perfect beagle logic.

“OK, Posse, why did I find you with your butts in the air digging?”

Tuppence sighed and explained, “It's Spring. Spring is for digging. Everybody's doing it.”

“I don't see anyone else doing it.”

Tommy spoke up. “Oh, yeah? Just this weekend, Deborah had her butt in the air and was digging holes in the front yard. Since she claimed the front yard, we took the back. Just doing our part.”

“Dogs, she was gardening. The holes she was digging were to plant flowers. And she filled them in after she was finished. You never fill the holes you dig.”

Tuppence sniffed like a society lady with a cup of luke-warm tea, “If you dig a hole right, it doesn't need filling.”

I'll admit, I was close to losing it. “You certainly weren't gardening. Just what were you digging for?”

Tommy: “Digging is it's own reward. And sometimes you find treasures--like old bones or chipmunks.”

“Did you find any?”

“Nope, and all this talk is keeping us from our digging.”

“No more digging!”

The Beagle Posse exchanged the smug look of true canine non-compliance. Then Tommy asked Tuppence, “Are you gonna tell Deborah he was talking about her butt on the internet?”

“Not right now,” Replied Tupp. “We'll save that 'til we need it.”

And they walked off as I pondered my failure.