Halloween Dog

A long dead dog finds its resting place

It was around Halloween. And it was a damp and chilly night. Friends and neighbors gathered at dusk in our backyard for the burial of a long dead dog. Jim dug the hole; Ben gave a eulogy; Pete brought a gravestone. The small gathering joined voices in song as Benjamin and Josie, the two youngsters in the group carried the dog to its final resting place. We each took turns throwing clumps of dirt into the hole and one last shovelful finished the job. There were a few claps on the back, a few hugs and then we all trouped inside to a large pot of piping hot chili, tortilla chips and salsa and warm cider. Sitting around the table with steaming bowls of soup, the story of the dog was retold.

When we bought our current house, we had one final appointment to sign all the papers and receive the keys from the former owners. As they handed over the keys, the realtor asked, "Are you going to tell them about the house pet?" Jim and I looked at each other.

What pet? "Oh, yes. When you open the door to the basement, don't be surprised to see a dog staring at you." And so they told us how the previous and first owners before them had a daughter. She had a dog whom she dearly loved. When it died, she could not bear to part with it so her parents decided to have it stuffed. For fifty or so years, the dog had lived its taxidermied life on the main floor of the house, until the current owners decided they had to move it to the basement. They did not want to get rid of it, out of superstition, and thought that if it stayed with the house, it could only be good karma.

So, along with a house, we inherited a stuffed dog. Jim moved it to the backyard garage so it wouldn’t surprise us every time we went to the basement. Sometimes we would bring it out when our neighborhood held its yearly yard sale. We thought long and hard about what to do with it and one solution finally became clear. We would bury it in the yard where it had lived all those years. Since Halloween was just around the corner, the timing was perfect! We invited neighbors and friends who all joined in the business at hand. Josie researched the breed. Pete brought the headstone. Quips and quotes flew through the air. "He was such a good dog. “ “Never barked once." “Always stayed in its place.” “Faithful forever.”

That Halloween was one to remember. And every now and then, when the moon gets full and the jack-o-lanterns smile their crooked and spooky smiles, and I hear a dog howling, I think about a long dead dog who finally found a resting place.

Here’s a recipe for a Bourbon Cider Warmer to go with your fall festivities.

Spiced Bourbon Cider Warmer for 2

1 lemon wedge

3 cloves

1 cinnamon stick 

2 slices of fresh ginger

1 apple, diced

2 T. sugar

¾ c. water

1 T. maple syrup

4 oz. Bourbon

1 c. warmed apple cider or as needed to top off your mugs

Put the first 7 ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Strain then divide into two mugs. Add Bourbon and top with warm apple cider. Serve with a lemon slice and a cinnamon stick.