Ballard Street by Jerry Van Amerongen for January 17, 2024

Tiny dog, fat human. I’d do more than fret. I’d be coming at him with a baseball bat. Then I send in Scooter for the finish.

Most alarming was his attaching that red rubber nose to his dog, Mandy, and calling her Rudolph… while singing Santa is Coming to Town.

Yes, Skippy isn’t big enough to pull you a round like that, Scooter or Phideaux would be more appropriate.

look! two politicians at work!

But…does Mandy seem to be enjoying it? Does she seem overtired? Is she pulling downhill and then being carried back uphill? Is water available when she wants it? Just the facts, man, just the facts.

Wait, I’ve got the SPCA app on my phone. Hang In there Mandy sweetheart, Auntie Rose is on it.

At first, most of the neighbors were just wondering.

Now, some of them are really worried.

Eugene is a big fan of the Iditarod. Mandy, not so much.

The Ropes & Pulley Club is not pleased either – those are not official knots.

Good morning Balladeers!

I’d worry too, in the neighbours’ shoes.

Fretful neighbors peeking out their windows from behind curtains or from lifting a slat from their mini blinds.

Eugene and his little hit-dog, Mandy, are really into fret-work… 益

Adjust the frets, pluck the strings, hear how Ballard Street then sings…

Eugene likes to ride on his waggin’ wagon.

Worth nothing.. if, they are just beginning to fret it’s gonna take at least a month before it works up to a full fret. And, that’s only Eugene, she’s the fastest fretter, the rest will be weeks behind her.

Thank you, my good man, for the heads up. Now, my bone-chasing associate and I must be off.

Eh, what’s it to ya??? WOOF!!!!!!!! :)

The only person I ever heard use the word “fret” (outside of stringed instrument musicians) was my grandmother.

Hopefully, their fretting will produce some nice designs.

I looked out our window, many years ago, just in time to see that my son had tied our 2 dashbounds to his snow sled. The dogs were pulling as hard as they could barking and having fun. I was trying to stop laughing long enough to tell him they were too small to do that.

What could possibly go wrong?

next thing you know, they’ll be irked…