Life is made up of fleeting little moments with occasional happenings that surprise and give one that inner glow. Today you have given me a “welcome home” that left me both surprised and gave me that warming “inner glow”, and I am most very grateful!
That so many of you remember my little darling Liquorice leads me to make a “confession”. We live on a small acreage on Sydney’s rural fringe – our home is a good 200 yards from the road. I would take the wheelie bins, the garbage bin and the recycle bin, over to the road one at a time, and bring the empty wheelie bins back to the house the next morning, one at a time.
The reason was simple; the drumming sound of the wheels going over our rough track would drive Liquorice into a gleeful frenzy which sent her charging around in big broad circles about whichever wheelie bin it was that Keaton and I were taking over to the road. Now Liquorice was a big powerful girl and when she charged at such times her motion was of pure power with her black body lowered to the ground, forelegs reaching out impossibly far gripping the ground drawing her further forward while powerful hindquarters moved forward then thrusting with all their might propelling the lovely lady Liquorice ever faster. Her motion always reminded me of those steam locomotives of a bygone era where the steam cylinders thrust back and forth pushing then pulling the drive rods attached to massive steel wheels, where you can see the raw power of the locomotive transferred to the ground with unstoppable force. That is how Liquorice powered around in circles about the noisily drumming wheelie bin.
Keaton had an entirely different gait to that of Liquorice. Where Liquorice powered across the ground, Keaton glided effortlessly his long legs hardly seeming to move at all. Keaton had no interest in the drumming noise emanating from the wheelie bin, his interest was trying to stop my little darling and to that end Keaton would dash off at top speed trying to “crash”
into the powering Liquorice, and, being ever “prudent”, Keaton would avoid the collision at the last moment for at such times Keaton always came off second best for Locomotive Liquorice was unstoppable!
When Liquorice passed away, I still took the wheelie bins over to the road one at a time. For weeks Keaton would look around the paddock hoping to see Liquorice charging in. Finally Keaton would walk halfway along the track and await my return. Ruggles also has no interest in the wheelie bins and their drumming sound, and, like Keaton, walks halfway to the road there to wait for my return occupying himself scenting rabbits or seeking apparently delicious kangaroo poo while his dad’s back is turned. Kangaroo poo is Ruggles’ only “vice”.
As for my “confession”, well, after several years now, I still take the wheelie bins over to the road one at a time, and bring them back the following morning, one at a time – and I still “see” Liquorice making like a steam locomotive powering around me in great circles.
Arthur Witten
Ruggles – Everyone is entitled to one “vice”!