Ballard Street by Jerry Van Amerongen for October 13, 2018

Probably some sort of secret society.

Those are some wicked smart dogs. I wonder what the flags mean. Are they like mood rings? Are they like semaphore? Only on Ballard could an animal with some degree of color blindness be able to pull this off. Or even think to try to pull it off.

Our local mutts just NEVER stop barking.

Back in Boy Scouts, I used to do Morse code with the flags, but I’ve never seen a dog trained to use it, let alone signal flags.

The flags are a supplement to the wagging. When you are too far away to give a good sniff. Red and yellow means “Postman coming.” Blue X means “You’re cute.” Blue and yellow means “I marked the spot last.”

And the red one just in the corner means “ female on the loose”.

Mickey learned from Scooter, who picked it up watching some of the humans:

https://assets.amuniversal.com/bcc56b80ed33012ff08b001dd8b71c47.gif

The two of them started developing a dog code….

and now they get together every Tuesday with other dogs from the neighborhood, to design and make new flags.

As some of you have surmised, they aren’t actual semaphore flags…

which are plainer, and signal an alphabetical code… after all, some of the dogs can’t read….

and most don’t know Morse code.

Along with the messages already mentioned… and kudos to those of you observant enough to have picked them up….

there are some that convey news of impending weather, unusual odors, visiting dogs, and the movement of local cats and squirrels, among other things.

Even though his “Papa” uses flags with his human friends, Mickey rather disappointedly reports that he seems unable to understand any dog signals.

He, Buster, and Scooter, with a bit of sewing help from Mrs. Rasmussen over on Oliver street, spent 3 days designing a beautiful turquoise and yellow one,

which they wave when their humans are getting into their cars….

It very plainly means “Bring home Liv-A-Snaps” …but so far, none have been forthcoming.

I’m receiving some mixed signals.

Just an old Sea-Dog.

Good morning, Sheriff.

Local dogs? Or loco dogs?

According to Wikipedia, red on yellow means: The letter “Y” or “Yankee”, or “I’m dragging my anchor”. But the wagging tail suggests the dog is too happy to be dragging his anchor.

They’ve only been using it since the cats hacked FaceBark…

Huh…It’s 2018 – I just assumed they’d be using wag-fi by now.

The Ballard Bowsers’ Boatswain Banners, Banderoles, & Burgee Band is the favorite all-canine club of our fair town’s handsome and handy hounds.

It here that they’ve secretively studied the system of signals and semaphores.

Even some of my intrepid crew from my galleon The Irish Rover® have taken lessons from these pennant waving pooches in the art of secret signing.

I love his waggy tail(s)!!!♥♥♥

As Bugs Bunny said, “This is a cartoon. What do you expect?” Of course my dogs used tail code. Could explain why they and squirrels understood each other.

I should have said, Red on Yellow=Woof. Blue on yellow=Arf. Orange=Bow-Wow.

Good morning Sheriff.