Best Tomato I Ever Had

Once upon a mid-summer night, I had worked the 4 to midnight shift, followed with kennel duty from midnight to 8am.  Someone had to stay with the dogs at the kennel at all times, in case of an emergency.  During the swing shift, I was posted in the weapons storage area with another dog handler.  By weapons storage area, I mean nuclear bomb storage area.

The weapon storage maintenance crew only worked days.  Apparently they did not have a lot to do, so they did a little gardening.  They grew the nicest tomatoes, which the dog handlers, like Peter Rabbit, would steal from the garden.  Some of the dog handlers even carried a shaker of salt with them, in anticipation of finding a ripe tomato.

This particular morning, one of the handlers who had worked the weapons storage area, had to excitedly share upon entering the kennel office, "Hey Russ, you missed a ripe tomato last night!  That was the best tomato I ever had!"  I explained that I had seen it and he was correct, I did not take it.  I told him that I did not pick it because my dog had peed on it before I could pick it and there was no place to wash it.  His enormous grin vanished. 

Apparently, dog pee enhances the flavor of a ripe tomato.  Forgive me if I never check out that theory.