THE TALES OF LILLY

The Tales of Lilly, The Mud Life Dog

What Gets Your Hackles Up?

by Karen Lee Turner

I love the origin of words and phrases, and I love weird words we use in modern speech, but never really think where they come from.

One such phrase is "That really gets my hackles up."

It's something I remember hearing long ago from a relative or friend, and it's definitely one that I'll use it next time someone really annoys me.

In speech it tends to mean 'to become irritated or angry, to become defensive, to prepare to attack', but I never knew where it came from until Lilly arrived.

She likes to sit on a box we put in front of the window in the second bedroom so she can survey her domain, oh and be on the lookout for cats, deer and next door's pug.

You know she's spotted something when you are jolted out of your computer screen coma by eardrum-piercing squeals of excitement. I'm sure our neighbours think we are murdering her.

Alongside the squeals, if her excitement goes into overdrive, something else happens. Yes, you've guessed it, her hackles rise.

Now the description in the dictionary on my computer states that hackles are 'erectile hairs along the back of a dog or other animal that rise when it is angry or alarmed', but it doesn't mention that it also happens whilst having an orgasmic meltdown due to the sheer thrill of seeing something you want.

It makes me wonder if it's just a weird Lilly quirk?

And Now,

Lilly Does Dogging !

Not a phrase I usually use, honest.

I'm expecting to get a phone call from the police in the near future along the lines of "Mrs Turner could you please come and get your dog whilst we process your husband for involvement in lewd behaviour." Now before you get the wrong idea Damian isn't partaking in any group naked gymnastics watching, or even partaking in any of it himself (as far as I know), but our lovely lady Lilly, well that's a different matter. Let me set the scene for you. ...

We live next to a very large park and woodland in Bolton, and we mainly walk Lilly there. During the day her walks are long trails that involve copius amounts of sniffing, plenty of squirrel watching/stalking and being on high alert for deer, but at night, her 'just-before-bed-pee' walk (we don't have a garden) is a short affair. It consists of a meander to the entrance to the park, a turn left, then a quick march of 100 metres to the main road and back.

This very short bit of the park used to have a street lamp, but the 'delightful' youths in the area decided to smash it. They repaired it, and after the same thing happened a few more times the council have given up, which means that it is now pitch black.

Therefore when Damian heads out with Lilly he takes his Ring Magflex (reviewed back in issue 32) with him as it doubles as both a super bright torch if Lilly decides to wander, and a handy cosh if someone decides to do mischief.

This is what can be seen without the Magflex.

Now within this 100 metres there happens to be a path just off to the left that can just about fit a car, and if parked there it can't be seen from the road, so it has become a popular haunt for the young and randy to have a bit of slap'n'tickle.

In the dark Lilly seems to enjoy exploring anything new within her reach, so on at least three occasions she has dragged Damian towards the path in an overexcited manner.

With his Magflex in hand, he switches on the light to discover her quarry, and because it reveals anything in it's path with the intensity of a football floodlight, Damian and Lilly have managed to freak out a number of lusty locals enjoying the secluded spot.

Behold the power of the Magflex!

We have PCSOs (local bobbies) that occasionally patrol nearby, so I have a dread that one day they'll think Damian is part of a dogging group, and I will get THAT phone call, all because we have a nosey dog (and yes, I have put this down in writing, so I have proof to show the coppers if this actually occurs).