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Question for the week
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Posted: 07/17/07 When my sons visited two weeks ago I served Pepperidge Farm’s Chocolate Decadence for dessert. It’s a rich chocolate layer cake with equally rich chocolate frosting between the layers and gobs of shaved chocolate on top. We all enjoyed it. But, since we had had a hearty meal that night, there was about half a cake left; and we never got around to finishing it before my sons departed. Yesterday, I found it languishing under a tent of tinfoil in our refrigerator. I didn’t really have to look to see Chocolate Decadence was way past its prime. As a courtesy, however, I asked Earl if he wanted any before I pitched it. “No thanks,” he said. “But don’t toss it. I’ll take it to the office. Those animals will eat anything.” “Are you kidding?” I replied. “I’m not sending stale cake to your office. What would your co-workers think of me?” “They wouldn’t care; they eat anything,” came the retort. Back and forth we bartered about what to do with the cake. Finally Earl said, “If you won’t let me take it to the office, then at least let me put it on the lawn for the critters.” I was about to object, but then I remembered that Earl has fed the squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, and opossums that share our land more than one treat. There was the leftover salad that disappeared in the proverbial eye’s wink. There were the dried French rolls that became some animals’ midnight snack. There was the watermelon we didn’t like; but some four legged creature did, although it left the rind. The only thing that didn’t disappear was some soup I brought home from a local restaurant. “Fine,” I said. “Pitch it out there. But if it is still sitting on the lawn in the morning, then will you agree to put it in the garbage.” Earl nodded affirmatively as he grabbed the cake plate. “And,” I added, “I don’t want the plate left out there.” So Earl did his thing, dumping the Chocolate Decadence on the lawn and bringing me the plate. He wore his confident smile as he handed it over. This morning, the cake was nowhere to be seen. Which just proves one thing: Those animals will eat anything.
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