Go Pet Friendly

The web site GoPetFriendly.com Pet Travel allows you to find hotels and other accommodations that allow pets.  Ideally, I think vacations are to give me a break from taking care of critters, but not everyone feels that way.  I did find Red Roof’s policy of allowing pets very handy when I drove three cats and an elderly Golden Retriever from Plano, TX to Colorado Springs.  Dairy Queens were also very useful, because they were spaced about every sixty miles in Texas, allowing me a break from driving, a refill of coffee, a bathroom (needed after all the coffee) and a chance to walk the dog.

Lily and Orion

It was unseasonably warm here in Colorado today. I took Orion to play with my trainer’s rat terrier Cheney while I rode Lily in a lesson. I had planned to ride yesterday, but after longing Lily for a while, I didn’t see a horse I wanted to ride. (In middle-age, I’ve become a lot more conservative about when I get on a horse. Of course, the first four or five years I had Hap, I would have rarely ridden if I’d waited for him to calm down.) Today, although it was no warmer and even a little more windy, Lily was much calmer on the longe line, and almost perfect under saddle. She seems remember all the stuff we were working on last fall, although she is not quite as strong.

Afterward, my trainer and I took Cheney and Orion for a short walk. Cheney, who D got from the shelter at around 18 months of age, has issues and has apparently hated being taken for walks off her property with other dogs. D was hoping that Cheney would enjoy a walk if his best-friend-forever Orion was along. I was astonished when it worked. Orion trotted along cheerfully checking out everything he could find, and Cheney followed him almost as happily.

(Not!) Puppy Toys

I just found Orion chewing on the cover of one of those cute little mending kits  high class hotels provide for their guests.  Fortunately, I found the intact insides, complete with needle and thread, before I had a chance to panic.  In other news, Sheila is visiting for a week, and is not amused by the puppy.  She has started to come around when the puppy is in his play-pen, probably because she became bored sulking downstairs.

Sheila

December 22, 2007 – Click on image for higher resolution version.

Sheila is visiting again. One of her nicest traits is that when she rolls over on her back, she actually wants her chest rubbed, and is not trying to sucker you into getting your hand lacerated.

Sheila’s Surprise

This morning, I was taking a bath when Sheila pushed open the door. She likes to watch me take baths, so I didn’t think too much of it until I looked over and saw that she had a mouse dangling from her mouth. I was tactless enough to scream, and she left in a hurry, fortunately taking the mouse with her.

In principal, I approve of cats catching mice, but in practice, I hate dealing with the results.