Trina Machacek: Doom and grin

Strange events that come into our lives sometimes come more than once in different circumstances. But! Yes, a strangely different “but.” The sameness comes through no matter the differences. For instance…

Some time ago my father-in-law, LaVerne, and I were out bailing hay one warm summer night. The moon was about half so there was some moonlight, and we would go back and forth, up and down the field and wave at each other as we passed. He was fun to work with mostly because when the horn went off when the baler ran out of wire he would stop and rethread it for me. Yes, I played the “girl” card when it needed to be played.

As the sun started to brighten the sky, he waved at me to stop so I did. He came over and asked if I saw anything strange on the last round. I hadn’t but apparently, he had so he stopped me, and we turned off both bailers and tractors and stood out in the field and looked and listened. Off to the south we both heard like a clink, clink sound. The ground is pretty flat, so we watched and saw the strangest sight. It was one of his dogs. He had a lot of Border Collie dogs. This one was out in the field and his head was tipped down and he was bumping into the new bales like he didn’t see them. So LaVerne whistled and the dog stopped and turned our way.

What we saw made us both laugh. The poor dog had found an old aluminum coffee pot down in the junk, stuffed her head it in and got it stuck in there. As soon as she heard her owner’s well-known whistle, she started toward us. It took some doing but we got her head out and she was free, and all was again right with the world.

Now you wouldn’t think something like that would happen again, would you? Well come on it’s me here. Sometime later my brother and his wife had acquired yet another Border Collie and while they lived in town the dog was still an inquisitive dog. I admit I was not really part of this story, but I take it as a part of my family therefore a part of my life.

Apparently, their dog was out and about. You know, doing dog stuff. When what can only be explained as another dog incident happened. Somehow their dog also got a jar stuck on his head. A glass gallon mayonnaise jar. I remember thinking that at least the poor dog could see where he was going! After a scuffle and a kerfuffle, the dog was freed and again, all was right with the world.

Now you wouldn’t think that something like that would happen again, would you? Well again, come on it’s me here. About two weeks ago I was out feeding my outside cats. All my cats are outside, and I will always have cats because I live in a farming area, and I do not like mice. My cats are my front line of attack to keep mice out of my silverware and underwear drawers! HAHA I was taking feed out to them when I saw the most unusual sight. It was a cat with, again, a mayonnaise jar stuck on her head. My good gravy Marie! Not again.

Poor thing had gotten up in our trash trailer and found something yummy and as she went in to get the very last lick — she acquired a new accessory. Her saving grace was that at least it was plastic! Some of the cats around here are catchable and some are not. I am here to tell you that a cat with a plastic quart mayonnaise jar on her head is not catchable. I knew I could cut it off with tin snips if I could just catch the little dickens.

I tried every day to grab her to free her. For a day, then a few days, then a week. I talked to God and told him if he wanted me to catch her, he would have to make her slower than I am! Finally, about 10, yes 10 days later I was out looking for her so I could try to catch and release, that’s when I saw the mayonnaise jar laying on the lawn.

She’d gotten thin enough for that silly thing to fall off her head. It went from a doom to a grin of an event. She’s now called Mayohead and she’s fine. So, again all is right with the world. Now you wouldn’t think that would happen around me again… Would you?

Trina Machacek lives in Eureka. Her books are available online wherever you buy books or email her at itybytrina@yahoo.com to buy signed copies.