There's Always Something...

Sleep...

I've noticed lately that both of our dogs seem to sleep all the time. Well, most of the time.

Now, what I'm wondering is why I can't sleep all the time. Well, most of the time.

Do dogs know something that we don't?

"Sleep in heavenly peace...

Sleep in heavenly peace." 

And a merry Christmas to y'all.

Our Love for Dogs...

Lee Bennion shared this - and I found it gentle, touching - and true...

Oliver...

All the Dogs Who Have Owned Me...

I've had dogs since I was 2 years old. The first was Jiggs, a Wirehaired Terrier.

Before I married there were some great ones. Especially Peanut, a rat terrier who was my best friend in Jr. High days. Mom was partial to Boxers - and Chris and Scarlett were fine dogs indeed.

But when you get married, having dogs takes on a whole new dimension. I sat down the other day and made a list of the dogs who have made their homes with us - and made a gracious difference in our lives.

Homer and Jethro - the Beagles.
Tony the Poodle.
Molly the Dachhund.
Polly the Golden Retriever.
Lucy the Golden Retriever.
Ginger the Airedale.
Daisy the Cairn Terrier.
Maggie the Brown Labrador.
Reggie the Corgi.
Dickens the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
Oliver the King Charles Spaniel.
Amy the King Charles Spaniel.

My idea of heaven would certainly include all of these fine old friends, greeting me and welcoming me in their unique ways, but with one characteristic totally in common. Unearned and unrestrained love and affection. What treasures they were - and in the case of Oliver and Amy - still are.

Amy




Oliver and Dickens

Yoked Partners...

You haven't lived until you yoke your Budweiser Clydesdales (oops, Cavaliers) and set out for your morning walk together. Strength, vigor, enthusiasm, teamwork. Good way to start the day.

Amy...

Well, we're just kind of proud...

New Pooch...

This is Amy, our new King Charles Spaniel - Oliver's new running mate! Happy, friendly little girl!

Dickens - R.I.P...

This is Dickens, our little Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, who died at 1 PM, just a week away from his 13th birthday. He was a wonderful little pooch, an unfailingly great buddy and one of the finest companions anybody could hope for. How we will miss him!

christmas dog...

OK. I don't like the song much. I do like Harry Connick. But I love the dog! Just wish I were that frisky.

Westminster...

Each February we find ourselves returning to the ancient traditions of the Westminster Dog Show. Like its running mate, the Kentucky Derby, it has suffered a bit with encroaching modernity and its gradual aging process, but still it fascinates. We are incurably lovers of dogs.

Neither of us appreciates the terrible grooming overstatements that compromise otherwise noble breeds like Poodles, but when good country breeds like Beagles and Australian Shepherds do well, as they did last night, it affirms that simplicity can still make its mark, even in the doggy set.

We were impressed with the number of contestants that do their stuff as therapy dogs in their spare time. The commercials done by PetCo and Pedigree dog foods were as good as the Budweiser Clydesdale line of ads and made up for some of the unimaginative photography that failed to bring out the personalities of the dogs. We saw so little of them. (but for some really inspired photos of the pooches and their handlers, see MSNBC's slide show at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23096596/)

But what a night! We'll be back for more next February, God willing.