No one seems to be writing opinion pieces quite the way I would, so I decided to do it myself.

The name? Taverns are places where one goes to discuss the interesting events and things in the world, so this is my tavern.

I will offer my views on politics, economics, and whatever else strikes my fancy.
I will occasionally publish the entire article from another journal for purposes of causing discussion.

A Dog Story

I accidentally adopted a dog a couple of years ago. My first dog, if you can believe it. She is a sweet-tempered brown-and-blond furred part sheltie who apparently had been treated badly when younger, then was abandoned. Needless to say, she is uncertain that she belongs to “the pack”. We called her “Foxie.”

When Foxie first moved here, my son and his wife had another dog, and two cats. My daughter-in-law brought Foxie home since she was found alone, abandoned and starving near her work. We couldn't find Foxie's owner, so she stayed. We were her new dog/people pack. As near as I can tell, Foxie sees people and other dogs as pack members, but cats aren't. They are just entertainment. She tries to herd the cats.

Since then my son, his wife and their dog have moved out, and we sent one cat to Tennessee. Now it is just me, Foxie and the small cat.

Foxie has recently been taking one pellet from her food bowl and dropping it in the middle of the living room, near where I am frequently on the computer. That behavior puzzled me. But I think I have it figured out.

Pack behavior.

Foxie is a subordinate dog, and considers me the alpha dog. She is bringing a little of her food to me. An offering to the alpha dog.

Hey, I’ll take it. I don’t get much respect anywhere else.