Kiera, Graidy, Wink and Me
So goes a recent phone conversation between Cait at home after school, and Andrew and me at work. Cait calls. Andrew picks up the phone.
… Read MoreCait: Dad, there’s a mouse in the dog food drawer. How do I get it out?
Andrew: Yell at it.
Cait: Yell at it?
Andrew: Yeah, that’ll scare it out.
Cait: Is Mom there?
Andrew (handing me the phone): Cait wants to talk to you .
Me: Hey honey, what’s up?
Cait: Mom,there’s a mouse
Kiera, my Australian Shepherd, has a vocabulary of a hundred or so individual words and a couple dozen expressions — last time I counted. On the one hand it makes life much easier for me. For instance, I can just tell her to go get Cait for dinner, instead of yelling upstairs. Or I can ask her to help me find my other shoe that Graidy, my Border Collie mix, has hidden somewhere. The “helpful” list goes on and on. … Read More
Amuse themselves by putting on skating shows for the only friends to be found for miles — their animals.
(That’s Finn sitting on the fence post.)… Read More
A visiting friend asks, “Do you want to me to let Graidy out? He’s pacing by the door.”
“Nah, must be around 4 o’clock,” I say, looking at the clock to confirm. “He wants to be fed.”
A while later the same friend, noticing Graidy at the door again, says, “Is Graidy hungry again already?”
“Nope, he wants to go out now.” I get up to let him out.
“This is like having a mother translate for her babbling baby!” … Read More
I’ve received several requests asking that I share how I introduced Finnegan, our Maine Coon cat to Kiera and Graidy, our two dogs at the time (Wink came after Finn).
First, a little background. When Kiera was a puppy, we had a cat with whom she got along just fine. And Graidy had been tested on cats by his rescue group. So I knew that both dogs, even with high prey drives, stood a good chance of eventually being fine … Read More
There are a hundred reasons not to get a dog. And only one reason to get a dog. On the Don’t Get A Dog side, Reason #34 is:
Mud Season
Muddy Yard
Muddy Dog
Muddy Floor.
So don’t say I never warned you.
Oh, and the one and only reason to get a dog? If you can’t live a day without unconditional love and laughter. There’s nothing else in the world quite like it.
I always find it interesting how life events cluster together. Perhaps you’ve heard of this phenomenon known as “The Law of Threes.”
My little cluster at the moment has to do with healthcare. Within a few months of each other, my family doctor, dentist, and vet have retired. I’ve yet to find people to replace them. That’s because essentially they’re irreplaceable. They all came from the old school where they were human beings first and medical practitioners second. If any … Read More
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