Dumb and Dummy

One of the first things you always hear about Duck Tollers is how intelligent they are.  After what I saw this past weekend, though, I’m really not so sure.  Ah, Kemba, Kemba, Kemba.  Okay, here’s the picture:  Beagle Man brings Kemba to stay with Elise, the dog-sitter, on

Friday.  Elise’s friend Chip (photo right, black shirt) is seated comfortably on a wing chair in the living room.  The first thing Kemba does is grab a tennis ball off the floor, in his jaws, and deposits it on Chip’s chair.  Then nudges it onto Chip’s lap.  Then stares at Chip, expectantly, with those big, intense black eyes.  Waiting for Chip to throw it.  The thing is, everyone knows Chip is a mannequin — a freakin’ dummy, for heaven’s sake!  Elise knows it.  B-Man knows it.  I would have known it — and I’m

not even one of the quote-unquote smartest breeds.  Seriously, K-Dawg,

a kindergartener could tell that thing wasn’t alive!  Although, to be fair, Elise did tell the B-Man that another one of her charges, a yellow lab named Sumer, tries to place her head under Chip’s hand so he can pet her, and then settles under his chair.  And Pepper, one of Elise’s own dogs, will cozy up for some snuggles when Chip’s on the couch.  Sheesh.  You think I would ever fall for something this lame?  I know, I know, I used to bark at basketballs rolling on the driveway.  But I was young back then.  And they were moving, at least.

The Roof Rack Report used to appear regularly on Mondays. Now it appears once in a blue moon, when Beagle Man deigns to give me some space . . .