Vern Sees Dead People!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Last night on our nightly trek outside, Vern spooked me.  I had lots of company over the Easter holiday week, including our grandson, and his little portable crib is still up. No big deal, right?....unless, of course, my very large dog keeps stopping at night to look in the crib.  I wouldn’t care that he stops, despite the fact that I have rear-ended him once or twice, but he gets so excited as he looks into the empty crib and wags his tail and carries on like he sees something that I don’t. This is the part that creeps me out.

 

I like scary movies. I don’t know why, because I get very scared, spend a great deal of time grabbing the person next to me, and covering my eyes and ears and pleading with my date to tell me when I can look again.  The last scary movie I went to with my nephew, Jeremy, was The Conjuring and it took me a month before I could stand the sound of hands clapping.  It began with this horrible doll doing horrible things and of course, ended like it is just a matter of time before the horrible doll starts trouble again.  I like Criminal Minds, even though one episode in a campground bathroom still keeps me vigilant when I am in a public bathroom alone. Don’t get me started on Jaws. After that movie, I didn’t even like swimming in a lake and never fully appreciated John’s attempts at humor when he would come up behind me humming the “shark is getting ready to attack” song.

 

Even now, when I am on our beach vacation in North Carolina, I love the ocean, but I try and stay within a group of people in the water figuring my odds of surviving a shark attack are better if he has a greater selection to choose from amongst his human smorgasbord.  At the very least, I could push some unsuspecting person into the shark’s jaws as I swam for shore. There would be no newspaper story the next day proclaiming me a hero as I valiantly fought off a shark to save a member of my family, because I would be the person careening through the other swimmers in a mad dash for shore, shouting, “Get out of my way. I want to live!” I once told all my nieces and nephews my survival theory and now they consistently try and put me on an end when we are all in the water together.  I guess they think the shark will start with the first person he sees and since I am betting there is a lot to see of me under water, it seems like a reasonable plan to all, but me. I am also learning to be more guarded with my survival secrets. 

 

On occasion I have had the dogs growl at nothing and Vern barks at my neighbors every single time he sees them.  Sometimes, I think he may need glasses and I even warn house guests to identify themselves to Vern if they get up in the middle of the night.  My Uncle Bob got up at 1 am to eat a bowl of cereal once and came up from the basement looking like a crazy man with wild hair and boxer shots. Vern, understandably, unable to visually confirm that this was the same conservatively dressed man who usually sat in a chair in the living room watching Fox News, went wild.  Seriously, it woke the whole household and I was sure whatever was out there had come to kill us all, so of course, I suggested John be the one to investigate. When he came back alive and told me it was just Uncle Bob eating cereal, I couldn’t help but wonder what Vern would do if both my Uncle and Aunt had come up for a nightly snack.  I really think Vern is just being proactive and hedging all bets that sooner or later one of these times he barks it really is going to be for something important.  I tell him all the time he is my best watchdog, because to tell him he may need a refresher course in danger, seems mean.

 

Vern also doesn’t like things to be different. He doesn’t like his bed moved, or his toys put away, or someone sitting on his dog bed. When I mop the floor and move his beds, I can tell he is worried and just wants me to put everything back where it belongs. When the Frenchies are here and have the audacity to sleep on one of Vern’s beds, he will dig and roll on his Koolaroo bed until he calms himself down. He is far too polite to ask them to leave, but not so polite as to stop digging so we can hear the TV.  It makes sense to me that Vern would stop and take note of the crib since it is slightly in his way as he makes his way to the door and it deviates from his memorized floor plan, but what doesn’t make sense to me is that Vern stops, wags his tails, and stands there like he is greeting someone.  One night found me telling him over and over, “Vern, Archer is not here,” and moving the clean blanket in the crib to make a point.  When he continued to bounce around and peer over the top of the crib, it spooked me, and I have now convinced myself that Vern sees dead people, or at the very least, little spirits camping out in Archer’s crib.

 

He did it again last night and this weekend, we are putting that pack n’play crib back in the box because I am tired of trying to convince Vern and myself that nothing is there.  I am hoping that puts an end to this nonsense and the whole thing was all about Vern’s OCD when things are out of place.  If not, and I go downstairs and find the crib mysteriously set back up, we are getting a priest in here before Vern’s head starts to spin and I have to clean up green vomit.  That’s another movie that scared me. 

[Janie, Jackson and Jilly]

Aww Vern, you are the sweetest! I do believe that you are missing Archer! 

[Charlotte and Bo]

Well, if you believe in such things, they do say that animals are sensitive to spirits.  However, I can't imagine why one would be hanging out in Archer's crib.  I think Vern is just hoping Archer will show up if he wishes hard enough :-)

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Ricki, Don't start trouble by adding although. LOL I have never seen Don't Look Now....I looked it up after you mentioned it. Hmmmm.....am I brave enough? 

Thanks, Lori!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Gail, LOL...thankfully, Vern does not bark at stinkbugs. I hate those things. I washed all the blankets, but that is a good idea. 

Christine, Thank you! I saw your storm pictures and hope things are back to normal. Poor Shelby having to contend with a downed fence :) Back at ya' with the hugs for Shelby!

Jane, LOL...John said he felt like barking at Uncle Bob when he saw him :) 

Nicky, Thank you for sticking up for me :) I am alive...LOL! I need to get Archer to stay with me for a couple of weeks. If only his parents would just give him to me :)

Camilla, You know darn well I am alive...LOL. You saw me :) LOL

DJ, A mouse or a ghost....hmmmm...not sure what I would pick. LOL That Chance is a pip!

Donna, LOL...what makes you think I don't have all that in my camera bag along with a clown nose, train whistle, etc. I remember redrum too. Scary :) I will have to check out that line. I guess I was more mature than you because I forgot it. LOL By the way, I have that outfit in orange.

[Gail and Bailey]

Awwww...Vern, tell your mommy to give you one of Archer's little blankets so you can snuggle with it in your own big bed.  Such a sweet doodle!        Bailey always stares at things and barks...so unsettling.  The other day I went to where she was sitting in the house staring at the floor.... intermittently giving a loud bark.  Upon searching the area I found a stink bug who had gotten into the house.  I am thinking of getting her a part time job with Terminix!

[Christine & Shelby]

Love this blog.... Love all you blogs, but this is so sweet. I think Vern is a sweetheart! He clearly misses Archer and gets excited just thinking about him being in the crib. Shelby is also very OCD.... And hates things that are not as they should be. Bulk trash day is always a challenge when we walk.... The other day - due to serious storms we had a section of fence come down.... Shelby stayed far away from the fence, even while we were trying to get it propped up and stable until we can do the repairs. Give Vern and Fudge a hug for me!!!

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Another sweet Vern story.  I agree that he's just missing Archer....I'm sure that the crib has little "baby Archer smells" which seem to make Vern really happy.  I now have a visual of Uncle Bob in his boxers and it's kind of creeping me out.

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

I can assure you Camilla. Laurier is very much alive Lol. I think Vern misses Archer and is reminded every time he passes the crib. So sweet.

[Camilla and Darwin]

Darwin does the same thing!

Not to be morbid - but the kid from the sixth sense saw dead people, and it turned out that the main character was dead all along, unbeknownst to himself. Maybe you are already dead??? He he.

[DJ & Chance]

LOL, this made my weekend!  Chance gets spooked also, but the last time I thought he was barking at a ghost hiding in a closet,  it turned out to be a mouse that had wandered into the house.