family

Yesterday my son-in-law came up to mow grass and help with other chores. He went back home in the early evening but his two dogs stayed. They are spending the fourth of July with me. The smaller one is a Pomeranian and the larger dog is a rescue dog which they found in a foster home. He needed a lot of T.L.C. and he has certainly gotten that. He is part chow and it is amusing to me to watch the two dogs together as they both have that back curled tail. That is where the resemblance ends. The Pomeranian is named Cujo and the other, Rocky, so named as her face was reminiscent of a famous boxer, Rocky Marciano. Rocky has an underbite and when she takes a treat she does it ever so gently, like the lady she is. Rocky is a replacement for Bruno, a sheltie who was a beloved pet for all of his 17 dog years. Rocky has some of the characteristics of Bruno as she will lie down next to you almost on your feet. Shelties are good family dogs and I think Rocky is too as she likes to be close to her master or mistress.

So, today was our first full day together in over two years. They stayed with me once before and it so happened that I had a broken arm. My sister was here visiting and thank goodness for her presence, not to help me but to hold the leash for Rocky. No sooner had my daughter left than Rocky took off for the lake and when she returned she had been wallowing in stinky, dirty water that she found irresistible. It was nearing dusk and I could not leave her outdoors, time was of the essence. My sister assisted me while I got Rocky corralled and inside. Then I was able to pull on the leash with my good arm and get her upstairs and into the bathtub. With a flexible shower hose and liquid soap I managed to get her cleaned. I was one hot, sweaty, dog sitter by the time I finished. the cast on my arm was now the color of Rocky's mud bath. I have since learned that as long as I am inside the house she will not run off down to her private spa. If I need to do outside chores I leave her INSIDE, it all works fine. My daughter felt so bad about the incident that she said she would never ask me to keep the dogs again. At that point I pretty much agreed with her. However, the trip was an important one to them as their only son and my first born grandson was graduating from Columbia College IN nEW yORK and they wanted to be there. Once when they left Bruno at a dog kennel he went into depression and it took a long time for him to recover from that experience. So, no more kennels. I have learned to love these two doggers, and I pride myself on being able to do most anything !

This trip is the first they have taken without the dogs since that fateful day. I no longer have a weak arm and in fact I did some canning this morning. Three quarts and two pints of bread and butter pickles.

I feel more confident this time around but I am careful to adhere to the formula of ME in and the dogs out or me out and the dogs IN. It is a good plan !!