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I want a dog. Not my wife Jean. I think I deserve a dog. Not my wife Jean.
In our 62 year marriage contract, this is an argument I probably won’t win. My wife Jean wants a cat.
While I refuse to provide columns for a “dog versus cat” debate, it is safe to say that I would look a little strange strolling into our nearby park with a cat on a leash. I would be the mockery of the neighborhood.
Not so with a dog, who loves almost every life. Every boy’s life.
Over the past six decades we have enjoyed three dogs and a cat. Two of the dogs were killed by cars. One died of old age with the cat. They are all missed, the dogs more of me.
My wife firmly says that when my fascination with dogs wears off, she will be the one in charge – she feeds; Grooming and tidying up afterwards, the latter during the puppy phase. A cat, on the other hand, sleeps most of the time, she says.
Without a doubt, the current COVID-19 crisis has resulted in dogs walking on a very noticeable scale. Dozens, accompanied by adults and children, stroll past our door every day. It is really quite amazing. I’m jealous.
To make things better, two neighbors have beautiful dogs, both non-clearers, who never interfere with my regular dozing outside. I often “speak” to them over the side fence.
While extremely unlikely to win this existing advice, if luck prevailed, it would be my duty to select a breed of our choice. I would of course want a beagle.
Jean, I know, might want something smaller, like a dachshund, a Chihuahua, or a cocker spaniel. We’d probably end up throwing an engraved biscuit.
The truth is that pet prices have skyrocketed due to demand. The cost of a small puppy can range from $ 300 to $ 3,000. The feeding can be anywhere from $ 500 to $ 1,000 per year.
With prices between $ 200 and $ 2,000, cats aren’t cheap either. However, they don’t eat as much as dogs.
So let’s go: a beagle puppy vs. a Persian tomcat.
From now on I’m honestly dog tired and deserve a nap.
A new day has dawned
On July 16, a new day dawned in Whitchurch-Stouffville and throughout the York area.
It was more than step 3. It was a welcome step free.
A minute past midnight we moved forward marking a milestone no one will forget. At 6 a.m., I was part of the procession, a sit-in at Stouffville’s Tim Hortons.
What a feeling of satisfaction. COVID-19 is finally on the defensive. The sun was shining, the birds were singing and the early risers were beaming.
As a sit-in patron, I was Tim’s first guest. Others followed, most of them on the run. Bumper-to-bumper drive-thru customers were greeted an hour earlier.
While the atmosphere was less formal, certain earlier rules and regulations regarding the wearing of masks and physical distancing were strictly enforced. Of the usual 24 coffee consumers, only eight were allowed to sit at the same time. Additional instructions had previously been given by Markham-Stouffville MPP Paul Calandra and Whitchurch-Stouffville communications coordinator Candace Darbyshire.
“The province allowed us to move into the next step of reopening ahead of schedule as we received significant vaccine rates,” said Mayor Iain Lovett. “My thanks go to residents and businesses for their efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19 through vaccinations and compliance with health regulations.”
Jim Thomas is a longtime Whitchurch-Stouffville resident and former newspaper editor. His column “Roaming Around” appears weekly. To contact him, send an email to newsroom@yrmg.com.
