Dogs and Cats

I hope everyone that reads this has a dog. A cat will do. I also hope that everyone that reads this blog intends on keeping their pet at home and not taking it to any restaurant I'll be dining at in the near future. Why do hold this smug wish? According to the friendly news lady on the television set last night, North Carolina law now allows for folks to take their pets (not service animals) in to restaurants, as long as the restaurant has a pet-friendly atmosphere. You can rest assured that service animals are only welcome at the Eastern 4-H Center...

Don't get me wrong, my favorite little dog in the world, Olivia, can sit below the table I'm eating at, as long as it as at a private residence. Miss Olivia will not be approaching the table looking for dinner. Actually, she will. That's why I wouldn't take her anywhere to eat. Dogs lick, sniff, and bark at any food item. Just like a crying baby, it gets annoying. I will never take a crying baby into a restaurant, either...especially one with dogs.

Who needs to take their dog out to eat anyway? My parents had 30 cows as pets...are they welcome at a restaurant? Animals belong in a restaurant...on a plate....especially livestock.

I once ate at a restaurant that had a proficient amount of felines in and around the restaurant. The former restaurant served decent eats, but I always left sneezing. Sure, the 6-toed cats of Key West may be cute, but they belong on the streets, keeping the rat population in control.

Service dogs should be in restaurants. They can behave themselves, as long as humans can behave themselves. It's not a good idea to touch a service animal, either. They might actually be working. I don't like to be touched while I'm working?

I'll get off that tangent and begin another act of randomness. Fellow Bulls Bay Blogger Mega Jones has "Take it or Leave it Tuesdays"....I look forward to these. And I generally agree with her. And while Megan takes lots of wonderful pictures (www.memory-lane-photos.blogspot.com) her music recommendations always leave me curious. Eric Church is good, but my all time favorite band, Bush, is finally releasing a new record!

Today, I'm trying mullet for the first time. Terri, our housekeeper, says it tastes like Rock (rockfish, striper, whatev) but that it can also taste muddy. Here's to that. I think Rockfish season is just around the corner, too. Prevalent visitors to this blog have read all too much about my shortcomings as a fisherman. However, it is time for North Carolina's resident Canada Goose season. East of HWY 17 (my location) has a generous limit, but it is far more restrictive than those that live in the piedmont and westward. Resident Canada Geese my look docile, but they are far from it. They terrorize local grops and vegetation, as well as golfers. They have few enemies, too. Their willingness to live in your backyard is conducive to keeping predators at bay. Canadas also nudge out other herbivorous species that were long native to the area. They also go to the bathroom too much. So if you have the opportunity to harves a goose or 7, do so. It's help native species out and put a little meat on the table. Also - these are the "Giant" race of Canadas, so they are the biggest. Some scientists think that there are as many as 12 "races" of Canadas, ranging from the 2 pound Aleutian (which numbered only in the hundreds 20 years ago) to the 15 pound giants. The smaller the race, the more shrill the honk, too. Nevertheless, they are all flocked up on big water and feeding on local farmers waste grain fields at the moment. The grain helps to "clean out" the birds normal summer diet of animal matter and swamp seeds. These items give the animal and it's meat an extra strong flavor. The animal matter is high in protein, which is needed to recover from nesting and raising a brood, but it also makes the meat extremely lean...find a way to cook it, though! I once prepared snow goose as I do other species of waterfowl...big mistake. It lacks the fat of other birds, but if there's a way, I'm gonna find it...

Enjoy the day