Merrifield Times

You've heard the expression, "He's all thumbs!" Well in this case, he has no thumbs. That's the only explanation we can come up with. If it happened only once, we could chalk it up to chance. But this story has been played out not just twice but at least five times. We're talking about deep seeded acts of rebellion driven by inner frustration or feelings of inferiority that most of us can't comprehend. It must be buried down in his subconscious. Something so traumatic and troubling that these acts... these cries for help are not only difficult to express but so complex and mysterious as to defy understanding. You see... It all began (as the theory goes) as an infant... Yep, when Lido was very young and very small (which is not difficult to imagine), his dewclaws were removed. We're talking elective (not by Lido mind you), cosmetic (his legs do look quite shapely) surgery. What's puzzling (and perhaps at the root of Lido's psychological issues

Yes, winter is winding down and summer seems to be on its way... That's the definition of spring isn't it? Around here (at least on the "Wet Side") it starts in February and continues... more or less through May. April was a very interesting month for outdoor activities in the Merrifield household. On the first, Trevor and Mike went downhill skiing . They took a friend of Trevor's and his brother and Dad. The four of them had taken snowboarding lessons earlier in the winter. Seemed a little strange to be skiing on April Fool's Day but the joke was definitely not on us. We had a great day. Then sailing started the following week for Mike. All are happy and thankful to have our local lake back again. The original earthen dam was build in the 40's and the drainage system was failing. (Earthen dams actually leak but it's supposed to be a controlled leak...). Somehow the Army Corp. of Engineers prioritized the repair project higher and found the money to f