OK, let me start by saying that I really do believe, in general, that there are no such things as bad dogs, only bad owners.

It all begins with our locally grown/organic produce box that we get from our green grocer every week. Among the other lovely things that have appeared in our produce box every week, apples are in season, so we've been getting lots of apples. Now I like apples, but despite the tried and true belief, I can't eat one every day, even if it will keep the doctor away.

What to do with a surfeit of apples? Make an apple pie, of course. (It helps that C loves pie, so this is one way I can stay in her good graces ;))

Also, some people we know from our baby play group just had another baby last week, so in addition to making them a dinner, I thought we could also give them a home-made apple pie ('cause there are *plenty* of leftover apples).

So this afternoon I set to - peeling, cutting, and spicing the 6 cups of apples, making the crumb crust for the top, etc. Put the pie in the oven and made sure the edges of the crust didn't get too brown, doting on it and telling the pie how pretty it was and kept myself from getting heatstroke from being in the *hot* kitchen.

Finally the pie was done and gorgeous and a lovely thing to give to the family with the newborn. I just had to let it cool. I put it outside, on the top stair of our small back porch. I didn't want to put it on the rail because I thought it might fall over. I figured it would be too hot for the dog to eat for a bit, and I would come back and block of the back stairs from the dog after I put the other thing I was making for the family in the oven.

[Time passes]

C came back from taking the baby for a walk and asked how the pie was. I said, "Oh, I'll show you, it's on the back porch."

As we opened the door, there was the big yellow dog on the back stairs, muzzle deep in the apple pie. She looked up with a guilty face [insert doggie belch here] and immediately went down the stairs to get some water.

More than half the pie was gone.

C and I almost collapsed with laughter and I seriously haven't had my sides hurt from laughing so hard in a long time.