… Have you ever heard of that song “Me and My Shadow.” (sorry, an ear-worm if ever there was one) I need to go back and read the lyrics because I am sure this song is about a man (or woman) and his dog. It is an old song – from the 20’s I think.
I am willing to bet that your dogs do this too:
The moment I reach for even the slightest of my outside gear (like my little first scarf) TonTon (Border Collie) races to the kitchen and sits there to guard the door in case I get away without him, and Boo (Blue Heeler cross) leaps up and glues himself to my side. While Ton guards the door Boo will not let me take a step without him. He tracks me through the house pace for pace. If I move right he moves right, left he goes left. He adjusts his position by throwing his bottom across first, to land it on my shin, then shuffles his front paws across. Watching me from the fartherest corner of his eye. If I am still he is against my leg facing forward.
He will follow me through the house up and down the basement steps, DOGGING my every step. When I stand still to pull on extra socks or pull up the second layer of yoga pants he is right there. Against my leg, facing forward. Once I am ready to step into my boots we are joined by the door minder. I stand at the door gathering my buckets. They sit. I open the door. They wait. Watching me. Tails a quiver. Eyes locked on my body. I say (very softly) “Ton, see Sheila” and Ton is up and out the door within a milli -second. I shut the door. Boo and I watch Ton as he races down the steps and bolts for the barn. Then I pause – to give him a head start. Then I open the door and look at Boo. Boo waits and I wait. Both facing forward. Eye corner to eye corner, shin to shin. “BooBoo, ” I whisper and he shoots through the doorway like a horse out of a gate racing as fast as he can to catch up with Ton who has already disappeared from view. Then I follow. I shut the door.
By the time I get to the steps with my buckets both dogs are back. They whirl about so there is one dog on either side of their woman. Ton is genteel as he gently aligns himself with me. Boo’s body shrieks around like a cross country motorbike in full skid, whirling his front wheel in one spot while flinging his rear into position but all in mid air then screeching to a halt and dropping to the ground perfectly placed against my leg. They sit. Very pleased with themselves.
Then with great dignity and a word of command we process towards our afternoons work followed by two turkeys, a peacock and a Tima in full – blown song.
My shadows.
Of course like so many of my blog pages the words have nothing to do with the images. The pictures are all about the twins Molly and Tahiti waiting for their dinner and the big birds.
I hope you have a lovely day.
Love celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
63 responses to “Me and My …”
So enjoyable! This needs to be saved. I’m saving it for myself in a slightly edited form (no pictures, a few words cut, only one or two added, line arrangement changed) which makes it look and feel like the fresh spontaneous poetry it is:
MY SHADOWS
Have you ever heard of that song “Me and My Shadow”
about a man and his dog.
I am willing to bet that your dogs do this too:
The moment I reach for even the slightest of my outside gear
TonTon (Border Collie) races to the kitchen
and sits there to guard the door in case I get away without him,
and Boo (Blue Heeler cross) leaps up and glues himself to my side.
While Ton guards the door, Boo will not let me take a step
without him. He tracks me through the house pace for pace.
If I move right he moves right, left he goes left.
He adjusts his position by throwing his bottom across first,
lands it on my shin, then shuffles his front paws across.
Watching me from the farthest corner of his eye.
If I am still, he is against my leg, facing forward.
He will follow me through the house
up and down the basement steps,
DOGGING my every step.
When I stand still to pull on extra socks
or pull up the second layer of yoga pant,
he is right there. Against my leg, facing forward.
Once I am ready to step into my boots
we are joined by the door minder.
I stand at the door gathering my buckets.
They sit. I open the door. They wait. Watching me.
Tails a quiver. Eyes locked on my body.
I say (very softly) “Ton, see Sheila” (big pig) and Ton is up
and out the door within a milli-second.
I shut the door. Boo and I watch Ton
as he races down the steps and bolts for the barn.
I pause – to give him a head start. Then I open the door
and look at Boo. Boo waits and I wait.
Both facing forward. Eye corner to eye corner, shin to shin.
“BooBoo, ” I whisper
and he shoots through the doorway like a horse out of a gate racing as fast as he can to catch up with Ton
who has already disappeared from view.
I follow.
By the time I get to the steps with my buckets
both dogs are back. They whirl about
so there is one dog on either side of their woman.
Ton is genteel as he gently aligns himself with me.
Boo’s body shrieks around like a cross country motorbike in full skid,
whirling his front wheel in one spot while flinging his rear into position but all in mid-air
then screeching to a halt and dropping to the ground
perfectly placed against my leg.
They sit. Very pleased with themselves.
Then with great dignity and a word of command
we process towards our afternoon’s work
followed by two turkeys, a peacock and Tima (little pig)
in full–blown song.
My shadows.
* * *
So you mind if I send it to friends this way, your name and blog address attached?
I meant, “Do you mind . . .”
That is so great. While reading the text that way again I get the rhythm that’s in it. Well done, Celi! Well done, Albert! – It’s touching!
How cool! You are most welcome to send anything to your friends.. much love!
Well donw!!
I think those adorable pigs want to come too 😉
I just adore your dogs and pigs and birds!
I love your shadows. My one kitty, Buddy, has a similar behavior. When I head for the stairs to go to my office he streaks out of wherever he is hiding or sleeping or whatever and races to the top to beat me. And then waits patiently by my desk to get a treat from the bottom drawer of my desk. I guess I got him trained because when I work on cards and writing I have to get him off of my desk/arms/lap and give him some treats on his cat tower so that he will leave me alone so I can work. Now it is a thing. He can be sound asleep in the bedroom but when he hears me head towards the stairs (which don’t even squeak, mind you) he comes racing, knocking against me to get beat me to the top. It cracks me up. Who says animals are dumb? Not when there are treats involved!
What a clever cat! c
I loved reading how your dogs work. Detailed and vivid. Both are good breeds. My mother almost ruined her dog before I got it a year later. She was a good dog but no discipline. She wouldn’t stay with anyone. Then I trained her with treats in my pockets. After that we called her Velcro. She never knew when the treat would come out or if I indeed had one. I just patted my pocket and got immediate attention. It was very useful since we were in bear and coyote country. She stayed right by my side and didn’t notice anything else. Good training, any training is essential for animals. I didn’t know much about training but learned the best I could. Love all your photos, especially the twins on the fence. 🙂
Dogs respond well to training – especially the ones who like to please you – like your Velcro.. c
She was a really great dog. I miss her still. Most people let their dogs behave badly but would admonish others for poorly behaved children. I treated my dog the way I treated my children. With kindness and respect but firmness. Lots of discipline,, lots of love. Works well every time. 🙂 Your bunch knows that too.
Interesting…I have been singing that song for years but never occurred to me it could be his dog. I have believed for a long time that we sing what we are feeling. I sing his usually when I feel sad and lonely and become conscious that I am nearing a slight depressive state. The “shadow” for me was the aloneness I was often perceiving . Also, the shadow in Jungian terms can mean our dark side may be surfacing…the side of the coin we are not too fond of in ourselves.
I love your interpretation and wish I had called my dog Shadow….for truly he is.
Love your work.
Diane
Here’s the words to ‘Me and My Shadow’ – and a link… to this song being song by Judy Garland. http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/judygarland/meandmyshadow.html
“Me And My Shadow”
Shades of night are falling and I’m lonely
Standing on the corner feeling blue
Sweethearts out for fun
Pass me one by one
Guess I’ll wind up like I always do
With only
Me and my shadow
Strolling down the avenue
Me and my shadow
Not a soul to tell our troubles to
But when it’s twelve a clock
We climb the stair
We never knock
‘Cause nobody’s there
Just me and my shadow
All alone and feeling blue
And when it’s twelve a clock
We climb the stair
We never knock
‘Cause nobody’s there
Just me and my shadow
All alone and feeling blue
Love the shot of the two pigs, peeking through the fence!!
You reminded me of another delightful song, ‘Me and My Arrow’ from the sweet film The Point (Harry Nilsson) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1n9QTkrkP0 . Arrow is, like Ton & Boo, a dog, and also a winsome and wise one. Another excellent earworm! But gosh, what a joy to have so many animal companions altogether as you have, and such charmers. Then again, they are all incredibly lucky to have *you* for *their* companion! What a happy post. 😀
❤
K
Hi Kathryn – I will check out this song – thank you… c
Somehow I missed that you had guineas too! And I spied Sheila lagging behind Molly and Tahiti… my GOODNESS she’s large!! She’s much bigger than the wild hogs I’ve seen in these parts!
All your training and building of trust has paid off one hundred fold. Molly and Tahiti look so healthy and ready for fun. Mind you with the meals you serve, they cannot be anything but happy.
I’m pleased to see the shot of the guinea fowl, I had been wondering if they were still with you. I was so engrossed with your words I had to go back and looks at the pics. At the moment I have the G.O. dogging my steps… hilarious, if I go to the clothesline to hang out or bring in clothes I can be almost sure of him lighting a cigarette and being in the vicinity… but many years ago I had a dog and 2 cats as my three points.
well at least he is not running to the treats jar!! – laugh – c
Too funny, those dogs. All I have to do is pick up my goat milk lip balm and the both leap up ready to go along outside. If I pick up my purse they know they’re probably staying home and race to the cupboard where the treats are kept.
Ah, dogs. They do love you and love to please. Your Molly and Tahiti are so cute! And your Guinea fowl is gorgeous.
and old – the oldest birds on the property those guinea fowl.. c
It’s all the bugs they eat, combined with therapeutic shrieking…
Yes I love the Frankie’Sammie version of ‘Me and my shadow’ also but it surely was not taped in 1927 😀 !!!!! !960s/70s methinks ? The song became ours in the 1930s courtesy of Billy Rose and ‘the shadow’ I believe is a man, Rose’s wife’s previous lover/husband, whatever 🙂 ! But just love your connection of Boo and the lyrics and music . . . now you have me singing it in the middle of a very busy day . . .
Thank you for clarifying that Eha – a quick search of mine the other night noted it as written in 1927. c