Danny and the Mangoes

This morning I took Andrew, he’s my human, out for a walk before the sun came up. We were out hunting mangoes for his friend Peggy. Well, he was hunting mangoes, I was sniffing some great scents, but more on that later. I’m Danny the Dog and this is the story of my adventures in mango collecting.

Andrew and I collect mangoes for Peggy, and she in turn makes mango muffins, mango pies, mango chicken, and Andrew’s favorite, mango ice cubes. He uses them in his vodka drinks. Humans, there is no accounting for the dumb things they do, especially Andrew.

During mango season, we go out every morning in search of the elusive mango. Actually, they are not that elusive. They’re lying on the ground, but Andrew has to make a big deal about it. You would think he was in Darkest Africa stalking a mammoth rhinoceros.

So, this is what transpired this morning, actually, it’s the same thing every morning. We walk to the park where there are a few mango trees and Andrew picks up the mangoes that have fallen during the night. To carry the mangoes, he has these plastic grocery bags, which he fills up and they get heavy. Of course, he has me on a leash because if he didn’t, I’d be all over the place. Picture Andrew trying to manage two heavy bags loaded with mangoes and trying to manage me straining on the leash.

On the walk back, I stop at every mailbox post, stop sign and clump of grass where a dog had been before. There is even a fire hydrant. When I sniff it and then raise my leg, Andrew always says it’s a cliché. I don’t know what a cliché is, but if it means good sniffing then he’s right.

Ordinarily Andrew doesn’t mind waiting for me while I do my exploring, but when he’s loaded down with mangoes, he gets a bit impatient. And that’s where the fun comes in. I take my time doing my sniffing until Andrew can’t stand it anymore and tries to drag me towards home. But I plant my feet and refuse to budge; I always win. Andrew sighs and stands there with the weight of the bags pulling on his arms until I’m good and ready to move on. They are small victories, but necessary if I’m to keep Andrew well trained.

Well, I have to go now, Andrew and I are going over to Peggy’s for some mango chicken and maybe if I’m a good dog (which I seldom am), some mango pie.