Blush
OK, I admit it. I was worried that my little Dolly was, um, in the family way. As in "puppies", since she is my 7 pound chihuahua. I will say that I've NEVER been happier to NOT be a dog breeder than I was this afternoon as my vet literally laughed in my face when I worriedly had her check Dolly out.
"Have you ever seen a pregnant chihuahua?" she chortled. Apparently, it's rather obvious. Ok, so I'm an innocent, a neophyte in dog breeding. In owning a female "intact" dog. In all of it. Let me tell you, living in Texas...land of the "breed her to your best bull" advertising for a governor back in the 90's (one reason Ann Richards won)...that makes me unique. And yes, come to think of it, a pregnant chihuahua should be pretty darn obvious...to "those types". But I couldn't even think of the possibility.
People in my neck of the woods throw breeding words out like it's something you can actually talk about in polite company. My mother didn't let me use the phrase "pregnant pause" even if I was reading aloud from a high school literature assignment. In Norway, the state-run TV often had "nature shows" that were absolutely forbidden to us as kids growing up. We could watch, say, any Charles Bronson slugfest, but NOTHING to do with nature and reproduction. So today was a good day when my vet laughed at me. I can put this doggie stuff to rest.
Not that life in the country really lets me off the hook. I still remember the 4H presentation which was entitled, "Bunnies, From the Backyard to the Barbeque". It was complete with slides on breeding rabbits, raising rabbits, er...."dressing" rabbits, and rabbit recipes. Only in Texas. Perfect daughter and I squirmed through the whole thing as she comforted our dog who was patiently waiting HER turn to be the subject of "Dog Training". We were up next. It didn't help that there were cute bunnies in cages just ten feet from Maggie's all-too-sensitive nose. This is the world in which I live.
My best friend raises emus, I know several kids who have nice bank accounts from selling hogs at auction, and I've learned why farm women shudder to think of eating anything with raw eggs in it (have you ever picked a farm fresh egg up from a nest?). I've sorta/kinda milked a friend's goat. I sorta/kinda drank said milk. I'm getting there, but I'm still a city girl. The blush factor is lessening by degrees...just give me a few more years.
But meanwhile, I know NOTHING of puppies and from whence they come.
"Have you ever seen a pregnant chihuahua?" she chortled. Apparently, it's rather obvious. Ok, so I'm an innocent, a neophyte in dog breeding. In owning a female "intact" dog. In all of it. Let me tell you, living in Texas...land of the "breed her to your best bull" advertising for a governor back in the 90's (one reason Ann Richards won)...that makes me unique. And yes, come to think of it, a pregnant chihuahua should be pretty darn obvious...to "those types". But I couldn't even think of the possibility.
People in my neck of the woods throw breeding words out like it's something you can actually talk about in polite company. My mother didn't let me use the phrase "pregnant pause" even if I was reading aloud from a high school literature assignment. In Norway, the state-run TV often had "nature shows" that were absolutely forbidden to us as kids growing up. We could watch, say, any Charles Bronson slugfest, but NOTHING to do with nature and reproduction. So today was a good day when my vet laughed at me. I can put this doggie stuff to rest.
Not that life in the country really lets me off the hook. I still remember the 4H presentation which was entitled, "Bunnies, From the Backyard to the Barbeque". It was complete with slides on breeding rabbits, raising rabbits, er...."dressing" rabbits, and rabbit recipes. Only in Texas. Perfect daughter and I squirmed through the whole thing as she comforted our dog who was patiently waiting HER turn to be the subject of "Dog Training". We were up next. It didn't help that there were cute bunnies in cages just ten feet from Maggie's all-too-sensitive nose. This is the world in which I live.
My best friend raises emus, I know several kids who have nice bank accounts from selling hogs at auction, and I've learned why farm women shudder to think of eating anything with raw eggs in it (have you ever picked a farm fresh egg up from a nest?). I've sorta/kinda milked a friend's goat. I sorta/kinda drank said milk. I'm getting there, but I'm still a city girl. The blush factor is lessening by degrees...just give me a few more years.
But meanwhile, I know NOTHING of puppies and from whence they come.
posted by herewegoagain at
10:58 PM
4 Comments:
You should have seen my cousin's and her friend's faces when they found out where Ham comes from. They knew it came from a pig, just not where. I must say, I laughed. I'm a city girl with country girl training.
By
Anonymous, at 1:29 PM
I know, I remember when all the kids in 4H referred to "pig meat"--the first time I had ever heard it put like that...like, ok, now we ALL know where pork and ham come from! :)
Yeah, life in the country!!!
By
herewegoagain, at 6:40 PM
Hailey's story reminded me of a time when I was about 5 years old and my best friend Jimmy was over at my house for dinner. We had hamburgers. My dad, with his ever dry and sometimes blunt sense of humor, asked Jimmy if he wanted more cow. Jimmy looked completely confused and my dad had to add that he meant hamburger, that hamburger came from cows. I will NEVER forget the look on his face!
Years later, as a college freshman, I had had PLENTY of country experience growing up in rural Pennsylvania. My freshman roommate, however, grew up in the DC suburbs. We went to a small, rural college and the smell of both skunk and manured fields was common. Natalie, however, did not know the difference and had to be taught. I still remember studying in our dorm room on warm evenings when Nat would turn to my suddenly and say, "Now THAT'S skunk, right???"
Now I'm a country girl at heart with a love for Starbucks.
By
Maria, at 6:54 PM
OK, until I was in college, I thought manure was pronounced "manyer". NO kidding. I always wondered what the "manyer" I read in stories, etc... was. I still remember the day it clicked...OH, that's what they are talking about.
I think I'm a city girl at heart who somehow got stuck in the country. But there are rumors that Starbucks is coming to town. Life is good.
By
herewegoagain, at 8:20 PM
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