DOG STORY -- SALLIE TOMATO AND ME

MR. SALLIE TOMATO

My jaw dropped as I went to my small garden patch garden to gather some cucumbers, basil and tomatoes. I knew that there had been a horrific downpour of rain the night before but--- but -- not this bad that it would do such destruction!

I cannot even bear to take a photo of it now! Is all I can say is that it is 50 percent obliterated. Cucumbers -- smashed to the ground, dill gone, tomato cages tilted or completely pushed down to the ground, flowers stampeded looking forlorn on the ground.

Did a deer get into this fenced in little garden? Something looked suspicious -- the small homemade gate I had made was pushed to the ground. I don't think a deer would bother to push down the gate when it could easily jump the fence. Hmmm.

MR. INNOCENT LOOKING GUY -- SALLIE TOMATO COOLING HIS HEELS BY THE DOWNSPOUT

Now along comes Mr Inocent to give a look at this destruction with me. Hmmm I thought could this be the work of Sallie Tomato -- the dog I got 11 months ago. Mr. 100 pound golden retriever that is a frisky five year old.? No, it couldn't be, could it?

YOU BETTER RUN YOU BIG TROUBLE MAKER

I watched Sallie Tomato rather closely the rest of the day. Then when he thought I wasn't looking he went straight for the garden and pushed through the chicken wire fence like it was feathers. He had a smile on his face as he lurched toward the tomato cages that were still standing.

Caught you, I yelled. He looked at me as if to say, "who me?" "Why do you think they call me Sallie Tomato." "I do have a reputation to live up to you know."

I chased him out of the garden yelling, "you better run you big trouble maker!"

For an hour I stewed and couldn't even look at him as he brought different toys to me, I think now this was his peaceful way of saying, "I didn't know I wasn't supposed to eat the tomatoes."

Sallie and I need to have a "beer summit" to talk over this atrocity.