I was watching an ad last night. I don’t remember what the ad was about, but it was talking about a guy who was out shopping for food. He’d spenT $50 on his own food and was bringing home an 87-pound bag of birdseed. I thought, “Hey, that’s ME!”

One of the big issues of my life has been finding pet food — dog food too — that is good for my dog and seeds that I can afford and which the birds actually like. I finally found feeds for both at our local lumber yard cum feed store. We buy huge bags of bird seed and enough kibble for a dozen dogs for a lot less than half the money we had been spending. And as for canned dog food, what used to cost me $10 for two dozen cans a year ago now costs $24 for half a dozen cans and the food isn’t all that good.

On the other hand, our grocery sells (human) ground beef — the fattier stuff — for $1.99 per pound. I cook it with a can of tomato sauce because, for reasons of his own, the Duke loves tomatoes. Fresh or canned, sauce or diced, it doesn’t matter. He also get some kibble as well as the freshly cooked human-quality (right out of the meat chest at the grocery store) beef. He really likes yellow squash, so when we have leftovers, he gets some of that too. He prefers watermelon for dessert. He won’t eat potatoes or bread, but pasta is okay as long as there’s sauce on it.

A pound of cooked beef plus whatever leftovers are available lasts 5 or 6 days. I cook about 2-1/2 pounds of meat at a time. I freeze half. The rest gets eaten immediately. I don’t know if the tomato sauce is good for him, but he likes it. Who am I to deny my dog his tomato fix?

I do NOT spoil him. His food contains no sugar or salt,. There are no onions or garlic. Also no preservatives, chemical additives, soy, or corn. Sometimes, when it’s available, I add a bit of cooked rice.

He isn’t spoiled! Not at all. Meanwhile, there’s about 100 pounds of birdseed in the dining room — in case the squirrels or birds are feeling peckish.

Categories: Anecdote, Animals, birds, dogs, Food, Pets, Photography

Tags: birds, birdseed, dogs, food, humor, Marilyn Armstrong, pets, Photography