A couple of days ago Tobyjoe cooked up our last batch of Copper River salmon for the year. I love the stuff. It’s some of the best fish I’ve ever had and it’s probably the best salmon there is. Given it’s only available for about three to five weeks out of the year, it’s become a special treat for the both of us. We look forward to it each and every year. I guess one might say that Copper River salmon time is a bit of a holiday in our household.

Now, I’m willing to make a bet that some of you have fancied yourself clever, that you’ve put two and two together and figured out how this story is going to end. It would stand to reason that since I’m talking about salmon and the title of this post is “Tuesdays with Murray” that one might assume that Murray ate our precious salmon flanks. He did not. He did something much more peculiar – the little weirdo.

Tobyjoe cooked the salmon using nothing more than a little heat. He also made my all time favorite vegetable, broccoli. He made a small portion of pasta as well. It was going to be a delightful meal. I set the table. I set out cloth napkins, two plates, some silverware and two glasses of ice water. Tucker and Murray playfully danced around, taunting one another like they do, rolling around like two small children. I watched them until Tucker became bored and walked into the foyer where we have a some storage space. I watched as he pried one of the storage unit doors open with his paw.

A few minutes later, the salmon was served and we both sat down to eat. Tucker immediately darted from the other room and assumed his position on one of the free chairs at our table. Usually both he and Murray join us for dinner and become forces to reckon with. They are actually kind of annoying. I have witnessed starving dogs beg less than these two. But I usually don’t have the heart to lock them up. So we fight them off with napkins, toys, or easy shoves.

This time, only Tucker joined us, which was odd given we were having Murray’s all time favorite: food. And usually a house without a Murray in sight becomes a house of question. “Where’s Murray?” But this time, I chose to let it go. I wanted to enjoy my Copper River in peace and Tucker is much easier to handle than Murray.

We were almost finished with dinner when Tobyjoe looked at me and said in the most mundane voice, “It appears someone has brought you a present.” His voice held no hint of humor or amazement to it. I was (still am) flabbergasted by his ability to not spew food before me when he called my attention to what he’d seen.

On the floor rounding the corner of our foyer – the corner leading into our dining room – was one skinny and very determined Murray. Only Murray wasn’t alone. In his little mouth, he carried with him an extra large Christmas stocking. It measures 16 inches from top to bottom. He held it in his mouth by its white fluffy top, as the rest of it dragged between his legs. He waddled into the dining room, ungracefully, all four of his legs far apart to make room for the large sock.

Precious Copper River salmon flew out of the holes in my face. I snorted with laughter. Murray looked at me from below all the fluff as if it say, “Why are you laughing at my present, you ungrateful bitch!” He then dropped it at my feet and began kicking it with his hind legs. I laughed even harder and then went to grab the camera. And just when I thought it couldn’t get any funnier, a reindeer popped out of its interior. And then a New York Transit Museum ornament.

Murray has officially turned Copper River salmon day into a holiday, reminding us that everyone could use a little Christmas in June.