O...THAT SMELL

JUNE 1996

It was a beautiful day today. Sunny, warm and wispy clouds. As always a nice breeze. I was hoeing when one of those breezes came by with what had to be the worst smell I ever had the displeasure of smelling. It reminded me of the city dump when I was little. Dad use to haul off the garbage and stick around to see what everybody else had hauled off. There was this huge pile of eggs that were heating up quite nicely smelling like a giant dead chicken.
And here it was again. Phew! I scan the garden but no giant decomposing chickens. Just the big dog laying over by the fence. Watching me. Looking smug. Like he has something I don't have. I eased over a little closer and sure enough it's the dog causing the fumes.
I chase him out of the garden up toward the house and notice the smell is considerable better up here. I check the dog again. Ah! So it's not him. He starts slinking back to the garden again, right back to the spot he had before. Chase him out again and start digging. Gawed! Giant dead chicken! Cover it back up real quick and add two glad bulbs and more dirt. I wonder if my-mother-in-law has counted her chickens lately? Big dog gives me the eye. You know the kind. It says "You can't watch that pile of dirt all night."