Soft Mouth

Every time I watch TV on the big screen I am mesmerized by the faces. I notice the male newscaster's lipstick and the long necks of all the women from the tribe where long necks are a cultivated trait, like the boxy heads of purebred Labradors.

Yesterday my pal Anita came for tea. She is 94. She loved Lily and wanted to know all about her. I explained that Lily is a Labrador retriever, which means when I throw the stick she brings it back, even in the water. I took out my dog books and showed her the photos of a hunter's dog bringing back a fallen duck. This is what they are bred for, I told her. They have a soft mouth so they won't puncture the bird. I told her about my friend with chickens and how his Labrador retriever will pick up a chicken and walk around with it dangling in his mouth. My friend says "drop it," and he drops the chicken and the chicken walks away unharmed. "Soft mouth!" says Anita, and we laugh.