IT'S A MANZ WORLD

A PLAYFUL POOL PUP - Note: Most of my Manz World stories are fictionalized accounts of howthe painting shown here came to be. However, some of the stories are rooted in truth.

Several years ago I visited a friend who had recently moved to Florida. I had known Nick for years, initially meeting when both of us were members of a nudist camp in Pennsylvania. His move south was made because of his accepting a new position with the company he worked for. Since moving to Florida Nick had not only gotten that new position and bought a new home but also gained a new member of the family. That new ‘member’ was a dog named Abe.

Before his move to Florida Nick had a pet dog, a cocker spaniel named Buffy. Nick loved that dog and Buffy loved him. That mutual love lasted almost 10 years but ended tragically when, one day, Buffy ran into the street and was accidentally run over by a car. Because of the deep sadness felt after Buffy’s death Nick vowed not to ever have another pet, saying that the pain brought about by Buffy’s death was too great to bear once again. However, that vow ended when, just a few weeks after Nick’s move to Florida, a co-worker, George, told him that his ailing father had a dog that was needing a good home. “Abe is only two years old and in good health. You’d like him, Nick. He’s really very friendly and easy to care for.”

At first Nick resisted the thought of taking in this dog even though he knew that Abe was going to soon be without a home. George told Nick he had offered his father’s dog to several others but, for a number of reasons, no one could take him. Nick remembers well George telling him, “If I don’t find someone soon I’ll have to take Abe to the shelter.” Then, with a slight plea in his voice, George said, “And you know what they do to dogs if they don’t get adopted.” Nick knew all to well that pets not adopted after a while would be euthanized.

That latter knowledge weighed heavy on Nick, so much so that it didn’t take long for him to agree to rescuing Abe from the brink of death. George was delighted to hear that news as was his father who had worried that Abe would not get a good home. Within days Abe was moved from George’s father’s house to Nick’s place.

Upon entering Nick’s home, Abe was a bit leery of what was happening. This new place was so different than the home he was coming from, going from a home crowded with antiques and overstuffed furniture to a very modern, rather stark environment with sleek furniture sitting on marble floors and floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over a beautiful backyard. Once in the door Abe moved through the house slowly, sniffing out all the new smells, looking cautiously around all the corners and, from time to time, looking back at his new owner who was following him as he checked out this new space. Wisely, Nick let Abe move about on his own, allowing him to become more familiar with the new environment at his own pace.

One thing Nick did that seemed to delight Abe was to open the sliding doors that led out to the patio, the pool and the yard beyond. Once the door was open Abe sniffed his way outside, raising his head, smelling the aroma of the freshly cut grass. As Abe began moving about, he did so cautiously. But soon he was more quick in his walking, wagging his tail as he explored the area, sniffing here and there. After his walk in the grass and the smelling of the surrounding plants and shrubs, Abe came to poolside. As he approached the pool he leaned over and looked into the calm water. Upon seeing a mirror image of himself he began to bark as if he was warning off the doggy in the pool. It was at that time that Nick walked over, picked Abe up and brought him back into the house where Abe continued to explore.

By the time I visited, Abe had made himself at home. Without a doubt I saw that he had taken over ownership of the domain and had become the king of the backyard. He had even come to understand that the doggy in the pool would not hurt him. In fact, upon occasion, when Nick was swimming, Abe would come to the edge of the pool, eliciting permission to jump in. That’s because Abe had learned to enjoy swimming but only after being initially coaxed in by Nick.

The painting here reflects the image I had when, on one very hot evening when Nick was skinny dipping in the pool, Abe came to the edge and leaned toward his master, almost begging to join Nick in the cool water. It wasn’t long after that that both Abe and I joined my naked friend in a joyous evening swim.