Peg Leg and Prince

* * *  COUNTDOWN:  19 DAYS TO LA/XC-2  * * *

Less than three weeks till Ricky and I hit the road again for Cross-Country Road Trip With Beagle, Part Deux!  I’ll tell you, there’s gonna be lots of quality bonding going on between me and my pooch — especially after the time we’ve spent apart these last two weeks.  Carol and I are out here in Paradise (MTK) on vacation, and Robby insisted that Ricky stay home with him in CT, playing the “Ricky is my dog” card.  Even though he doesn’t even know where we keep Ricky’s leash.  Which is okay, since he never walks him anyway.  Don’t get me going . . .

So without my beagle out here at the beach, I’ve had to make do with my surrogate pets.  I’d like to introduce you to Prince the Frog and Peg Leg the Piping Plover . . .

Prince lives in the corner of our deck, where we stash beach chairs, Wiffle ball bats, and the canvas “toy bag.”  (Robby’s friend Tyler opened the bag earlier this summer and Prince jumped out.  Tyler jumped even further.)  Prince spends hours at a time in one spot, absolutely

motionless.  He’ll almost let you pet him, but when your hand gets within a few inches — boing! — see ya.  Most people think of frogs as kind of dull-looking and monochromatic, but take a look at Prince’s coloring.  Handsome!  And you should see Ricky and Prince together.  Ricky has no idea what to make of my little amphibian friend.  The two of them just stare at each other.  Very, very cute.

And then we have Peg Leg.  Ah, Peg Leg!  First of all, you’ve got to see piping plovers in action.  Talk about entertainment!  Think wind-up toy, with two little legs motoring faster than Road Runner’s.  All day long they scoot down the slope of the beach in the wake of a receding wave, peck-peck-pecking at whatever it is in the sand they find so endlessly delectable.  And then they scoot back up as the next wave roars in, never getting caught in the surf.  And they do this over and over and over and over again.

Now picture one of these adorable little creatures doing this on one leg. Talk about heart! I’ve been watching Peg Leg do this for three summers now.  Can I absolutely swear it’s the same bird?  I guess not.  Although how many one-legged plovers do you suppose hang out at this stretch of Napeague?

Peg Leg the Piping Plover.  Prince the Frog.  Ricky the Beagle.  Now there’s a threesome for the ages.

WE HAVE A WINNER! Remember the BEAGLE MAN Tell me your dog’s favorite tune contest from June 5?  Well, the winner is T. Langdon Allen of Somerville, MA who writes that his golden, Brodie, loves Nancy Sinatra’s 1966 hit “These Boots Are Made for Walking.”  Congratulations, Lang — your CD of “Beagle Man’s 20 Favorite Songs Of All Time” is on its way!

LOOK FOR A NEW BEAGLE MAN POST EVERY FRIDAY.  OR PRETTY CLOSE TO FRIDAY.  COULD BE THURSDAY.  OR SATURDAY.  LET’S NOT GET TOO OBSESSIVE HERE . . .  OH, AND BTW, YOU CAN ALSO FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER