Ballard Street by Jerry Van Amerongen for February 08, 2009

Some dogs are just attention seekers, lol.

Go ahead, Claude, finish off that doggy bag right in front of Cleo, and lick your fingers afterwards. It’s time she learned who is the master in this household. Of course, if you do, she’ll never again warn you not to push that button….

The “again” is what makes the whole gag.

And speaking of dogs, how about Cleo? She just literally beams into the picture at the first crinkle. But everyone knew Claude had no shot. In order to eat that undisturbed, he would have had to never carry it into the house. Once it was in the fridge, it was Cleo’s. The smell alone when he took it out had her on the way. She just happened to arrive at the crinkle.

That Mc Farland dog looks a lot like Scooter. Some dogs bark all day, and some tie tin cans to their tricycle….

I love Claude’s attempt at stealth. But if Cleo didn’t hear the crinkle, she would certainly scent the aroma. She has Claude dead to rights on the Doggie Bag issue.

Good evening all…. or morning, or afternoon…. depending on your sleep habits and time zone.

We seem to have a wide spectrum of those in our little community….

Dunno where you are, exactly, Roaming… (or should that be, “dunno where you roam”?) but it’s currently 1am on the US west coast and 8pm in Sydney.

Anyway… we’re here… and right now we’re posting our comments on

the Feb 8th  2019 “CLEO and COMPANY”

Find it on Sherpa:

http://www.comicssherpa.com/site/feature?uc_comic=cscwy

I see that Claude is trying to put one past Cleo….

which by now he should know is impossible.

A solution, of sorts, which could also get him some Brownie points for being environmentally friendly…

would be to anticipate this sort of situation, and bring containers when dining out.

Reusable containers, preferably, that don’t say anything about the dog.

Even a few ziplock bags kept tucked away in a purse or pocket can save the day..

especially when a restaurant wants to give you a giant styrofoam box for that tiny bit of steak and half a roll.

And you can use a permanent marker to write “My Lunch” or “Claude” or some such on the bag before you fill it.

Then if you choose to eat some and give the rest to Cleo, you’re a hero, not a thief.

Meanwhile…. tsk tsk, thinking the smell of steak ever won’t rouse a sleeping beast.

But of course, if Claude ever gets truly wise… learns to fool Cleo, and is never caught by surprise by any of her shenanigans…

Nighthawks will have to find a new line of lucrative work…

but how could he dream of matching his current Sherpa pay?

And he’d probably have to let StelBel go, too…. and dash her dreams of riches.

(in case you wonder…. my pay for helping out here wouldn’t change at all.

My hourly and per-pun rates are unemployment-proof.)

BTW, that might be Scooter’s cousin Jasper, on the tricycle.

He’s a bit smaller than Scooter…. and a bit younger, and very energetic.

I can’t remember who adopted Jasper…. but we’ll find out when we head over to the McFarland’s house today…

by coincidence. that’s where we’re having our Cleo discussion.

Livia is making some chicken vegetable soup that she says will take the chill right off…

and grilled cheese sandwiches on hearty 7-whole-grain bread from my bakery.

I’m bringing chocolate chip brownies, and I’m hoping Montana Lady will make cookies…. dare I go farther and ask for peanut butter ones, if possible?

That should cheer us all up, as we wait for Spring.

And if Jack and Livvy are the same McFalands who own the noisy little cyclist…. be it Jasper or another dog….

we’ll be glad if he’s already tired himself out before we get there.

Claude doesn’t know that Cleo installed a camera in the kitchen that is pointed directly towards the fridge.

Scooter is tirelessly working toward a laugh.

Doggie bag is such an unfortunate expression. Perhaps for Cleo’s benefit, it should have been called kitty litter.

Turd is the same way.

Crickle a chip bag and he’ll be out of a dead sleep and in the room in seconds.

Cleo’s sense of smell is superb, but, it’s her hearing that always sends her running. Must have something to do with those long silky ears.