Remembering Farley: Browse The Strips

Monday, October 4, 2010

Lynn's Comments: When Farley came to live with us, my thinking was "leftovers disposal unit" but my husband had other ideas. A dog was not to be used for recycling; he was to eat foods naturally consumed in the wild. This meant regular trips to a mink farm to retrieve freshly ground and frozen meat by-products. This unpleasant stuff was then mixed with a special kibble, which Farley ate without relish. Whenever I could get away with it, I'd break down and slip him a treat...ham, beef with gravy, you know, the GOOD stuff. Eventually, I discovered that my husband was doing the same and once he had tasted people food, Farley held out for the goods. He became a little choosy - and I didn't blame him one bit!

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Lynn's Comments: When this strip originally ran, folks asked "What in the world is a GARBURETOR?" Well, in Canada, that's what we called a garbage disposal installed in the sink. I was told it was called "insinkerator" and a variety of other things, but I was not about to change a Canadianism and so the word stayed. Whatever it's called, I have never owned one. The dog and I took care of the leftovers.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Lynn's Comments: Farley...the REAL Farley was both the source of dirt and the mop which picked it up. He would go about the house sniffing and rooting for crumbs and other household flotsam, his fuzzy face pressed to the floor. When he raised his head, his chin would be flattened and full of dust. A lot of the dust was his. He was so hairy that even with regular vacuuming, a slight breeze would cause a wave of grey to float across the kitchen. It was unending. Still, despite the responsibility and the extra work, he was loved and he was part of the family....and in retrospect, he was probably much, MUCH cleaner than the kids!

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Lynn's Comments: Part of the fun of drawing Farley is the dirt, the sound effects and the facial expressions. Humans have to be kept believably human, to some extent- especially in a strip that is supposedly realistic...but I could always push the limits when it came to pets. I doubt that a dog would see a pumpkin as a threat unless it was on fire...but in this instance, a cartoon dog has a cartoon experience - and I had a laugh drawing it.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Lynn's Comments: When Aaron was born, Farley the dog was well established as part of the family. Certainly my first introduction to "training" another living thing was the DOG, and from time to time, I clapped my hands and shouted "NO!" to both kid and canine. (I stopped at spraying the kid with water or using a choke chain). Aaron was crawling around the same time he was teething, so kibble and other Farley fare was readily available. When I discovered Aaron teething on a Milkbone and enjoying the grit on his gums, I happily allowed him to indulge. Milkbones, after all, didn't disintegrate into mush like other teething biscuits and it was cheap. The smell of it on the breath of both my charges didn't bother me in the least. Compared to some of the other odors emitted, this was "kissing sweet".

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Lynn's Comments: Farley the dog - in real life - had come from champion stock and had a list of names a yard long (aside from the names I called him). For a while, my first spouse and I belonged to the Old English Sheepdog Owner's Association. We attended shows, meetings and picnics and I did the heading for the monthly newsletter. We thought about breeding Farley and happily chatted to members about all the caveats involved. He was a beauty. Unfortunately it was discovered that he had mild hip dysplasia and we had to make other plans. I often wonder how life would have changed had we become more involved with the serious business side of dog ownership!

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Lynn's Comments: I let my frustration overflow sometimes, sending a tsunami towards my kids. What I discovered was - kids can accept an apology. This wasn't something my folks did too often. An apology was considered a sign of weakness, I guess. For me, it was just plain honesty. When I was at the end of my rope, all I could do was to let the kids know I was human, was in error and was sorry. I think a sincere apology comes from strength, not weakness. Sometimes it's the hardest thing to do but the results, in the end, are wonderful!

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Lynn's Comments: When a neighbor's dog barks incessantly, I can't stand it. I lie awake or pace about the house, getting more and more verklempt. I imagine myself doing unmentionable things to both neighbor and dog and so, when we acquired a pooch ourselves, he was not permitted to bark outside at the wind or whatever it is they bark at. The only thing Willy could not resist protecting us from was the snow plow. After a fierce attack of nonverbal abuse, it would recede from the driveway cowering as our small black spaniel ran after it as fast as he could. It was funny and the noise didn't last long. I have never been able to understand how folks can put up with their own dog's incessant barking - much less inflict the misery on others. I also find it hard to understand how a dog can bark for so long without going hoarse or passing out from lack of breath! I suspect the first query can be explained by suggesting that some pet owners are completely unfazed by the noise and don't give a frog's fart about anyone else in the neighborhood. But, what about the dog? I think I can understand why, but if anyone knows HOW they can bark for so long - please tell me. I'd like to understand...'cause, when it comes to pets and their owners, I sometimes have much more respect for the pet!

Monday, June 20, 2011

Lynn's Comments: Aaron was a baby when Farley roamed the house. Because he was my dog and I was used to him, I didn't panic when he'd sidle to the jolly jumper and remove Aaron's lunch from his face with his big, wet tongue. When I see a dog licking a baby's face today, I cringe. Perhaps that's because I no longer have either one!

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Lynn's Comments: The real Farley rarely left the property, but if he did decide to go AWOL, he'd be gone for the day. It was hard to find him in our housing complex and there was a ravine to get into as well. It was the highway close by that really worried me. He was big and cuddly, but a pretty dim bulb; as canines go, he was no "Lassie"!

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Lynn's Comments: Whenever someone or something goes missing, we are programmed to think the worst. Maybe it's the news or the stuff we see on television that makes us panic, but we find ourselves preparing for the most awful of outcomes - just in case! When Farley disappeared I wondered if he had been stolen - but someone loading his dirty, hairy, odiferous butt into their vehicle was pretty hard to imagine!

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Lynn's Comments: This was based on a scenario which once kept my neighbours, Marg and Kenny, up all night. Their small dog "Pixie" took off for parts unknown and Marg was so upset, she had to be sedated. Meanwhile, police, firemen, neighbors and family combed the area without success. Pixie later appeared on her own. She had been under the porch, too afraid to come out with all the crying and commotion going on.

Friday, June 24, 2011

Lynn's Comments: My brother was not living with me at the same time Farley did. This was all part of the creative process. Having the dog, the brother, two kids and a husband all under one roof appealed to me as a cartoonist. Had I really shared my space with this lot, I think I would have been the one to run away from home!

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Lynn's Comments: This is a situation where a really bad and insensitive "joke" can be nicely covered up by putting it within the strip, not completing the sentence and using a friendlier punch line!

Monday, June 27, 2011

Lynn's Comments: Farley the dog was a lot of work. Not only did he bring every manner of grime into the house, he was a constant source of hair. There was hair everywhere; soft, fine, fly-away hair. Even though I vacuumed the house several times a week, balls of grey tangled fluff would blow across the room if you opened a window or a door. He was lovely to look at, but owning him was a full time job!

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Lynn's Comments: Here it is; the truth about Farley and the family car. When I did travel with canine, I put a metal barrier between the hatch back compartment and the rest of the vehicle. This meant that baby and I could inhabit the space safely and without dander. The one time I left Farley in the car sans restrictions, he not only covered the windows with spittle, he jumped on the doorframe and locked himself inside.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Lynn's Comments: Washing a large hairy animal is a challenge - even out of doors. I had tiled the bathroom floor, the bathtub was one of those old, deep ones and we had plenty of towels. I would wait until I had the time and the patience to tackle him and then the fun began. Farley tolerated bath time. He even seemed to enjoy it. The trouble was... what smelled clean to me smelled awful to him and as soon as he was dry, he couldn't wait to go outside so he could roll in disgusting, unmentionable things!

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Lynn's Comments: We tried tying him up, but he howled pitifully and we didn't want to annoy the neighbours. We took him to obedience school, but he was really hard to train. Farley never seemed to get the concept of being lead by a leash and in the end... I was at the end of my rope.

Friday, July 1, 2011

Lynn's Comments: It was fun to connect a pet, which was not allowed to go free, to my husband at the time, who complained about the same thing! I was called a "keeper" and my lack of understanding for "pub night" (which was pretty well every night) made me both judge and jailer . Husband and dog even looked alike! Not long after the man left (for a larger bosom and fewer responsibilities) the dog went too!

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Lynn's Comments: It amazes me how resilient and stoic some dogs are with young children. They put up with being sat on, pulled at and strangled. Their patience and good humour is remarkable. They seem to instinctively know that babies don't know any better and just have to learn. On the other hand, some dogs can't tolerate young children at all. Some bark and snarl, some just ignore kids and walk away. Amazing, isn't it... to see how often dogs behave like people!

Monday, October 10, 2011

Lynn's Comments: The MaGoon family did live on McVeigh Avenue in Lynn Lake. The funny part of this strip was that their dog was the size of a chipmunk and sounded like a squeaky toy, no matter how furious he was!

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Lynn's Comments: One of my childhood neighbours had a dog that was specifically trained to defend his owners. The result was that their young daughter would march down the road, dog in tow, and insult us all - knowing that we'd be unable to touch her. She was particularly mean and so was the dog. Eventually this family moved, but even with them gone, we kids were very nervous around large dogs for a long time to come.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Lynn's Comments: As a new single mother, with nobody around to give me advice, I often turned to the one instruction manual I was familiar with: "How to Train Your Puppy". This booklet got us through much of Aaron's toddlerhood and I don't think it warped his psyche too much. He grew up to be a fairly normal adult... he still does, however, stop and point when he sees ducks.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Lynn's Comments: Aaron seemed to roll in dirt. I would send him out clean and tidy and in seconds, he would return with sand in his hair, stains on his shirt and knees the colour of swamp crud. We didn't have a dog at the time, but with a son who brought in as much dust as Aaron did, we didn't NEED one!

Monday, February 13, 2012

Lynn's Comments: This scenario is based on the time I lived alone with Aaron in Dundas. Our house was not close to the neighbouring houses and backed onto a steep ravine. The wind would often whistle across the awning over the front windows and the sound would creep me out! Even though you know you're safe and there's nothing to worry about, the childhood fears still come back. Sometimes, I really did think there were spooks in the rafters!

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Lynn's Comments: Every so often, I'd realize that I had not featured Farley in the strip for a while, so I'd find a way to write him in. Although I never slept with any of my pets, this is how I imagined sharing my space with a character like Farley.

Friday, March 16, 2012

Lynn's Comments: This strip a favourite. Folks who came home from a hard day's work to see their dog happily lolling on the living room carpet in the warmth of the sun let me know that this strip was on target. Forgetting that a dog's life is really a kind of captivity...we do tend to envy them. The one time I was glad NOT to be a pampered pet was when I opened a can of dog food and watched ol' Farley gulping mystery meat from a grubby plastic bowl.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Lynn's Comments: Farley had great wide hairy feet and every time he came indoors, I wiped them as best I could--knowing that dirt would come in anyway and I'd just have to deal with it. When my kids came in carrying the same amount of flotsam, however, I bounced around pointing at the inevitable grime and water, telling them in no uncertain terms that they had to be more careful and considerate and bla, bla, bla.... Maybe we're so much more patient with them because dogs can't talk back!

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Lynn's Comments: Farley, at this time, had been given to another family. He was now living on a farm himself, and I wondered how long it had taken him to adjust. His new family must have shaved off his long, thick fur, because he was a dog who loved to roll in everything awful and then trail it into the house!

Friday, June 29, 2012

Lynn's Comments: The real Farley never saw the insides of a kennel. He was always billeted with friends, and I, in turn, looked after their pets.