Jake, my recycling dog

It's Friday, which means it's time to loosen up a little and enjoy ourselves. No one wants to focus on scary chemicals or overflowing landfills right now....at least I don't.

So, in honor of my late dog, Jake (or Jakey Poo Poo as my husband affectionately called him), I thought I'd post a video of Jake showing off one of his many talents.

You see, Jake was a unique dog. As an American Eskimo, he was protective to a fault. But that stemmed from his loyalty and affection for us. He protected everyone in our family, from the two-legged creatures to those with fur and feathers.

One example of his role as a knight-in-shining-armor was the time I came home to discover the parakeet cage had been knocked over and Maggie, our animated little bird was on the floor of the family room surrounded by a semi-circle of four of our cats. Why Maggie hadn't flown to a safer perching spot, I'll never know. Perhaps it's because the little bird knew somehow that it was safe, because there on the floor between Maggie and the posse of kitties was Jake, who wasn't going to let a single one of them near the bird.

Speaking of kitties, we've had a whole slew of them. Jake was definitely outnumbered and suffered a bit of an identity crisis at times. He was an intelligent animal who learned sign language and tried his best to talk...an occasional "I love you" or "I hate school" (when the kids left in the morning) was decipherable. But speaking wasn't enough. Jake decided to master the meow. Thus the video, shot just about a year before he died.

I hope you enjoy this light-hearted moment. This coming Monday would be Jake's 14th birthday. If he were still with us, we'd grace him with a stuffed toy, even though he always gravitated back to his worn out yellow platypus.

Aww Jakey, you're missed, buddy. Oh to be as devoted and eager to please as you were.

Oh, but wait. I still haven't explained how he came by the title of a recycling dog. That's simple, albeit not too pleasant. Jake had a very sensitive stomach...or so we thought. He basically threw up all the time. While we blamed it on a digestive disorder, it's only in hindsight I realize it wasn't about being sick at all. Jake was just trying to pave the way for a Green Grandma movement. He recycled nearly every piece of food he ate...and seemed to enjoy it more the second time around.

With that said, grab some popcorn and enjoy the video! Oh, and it's perfectly acceptable that it's not the recycled kind!

Keeping it green,

Hana