Category: Photos

Jack rescued four plants at work that were due to be discarded, in blithe disregard that we have a limited number of windows that get any sunlight, since our house was built with deep eaves so it would stay cool in the summer. Two of them required immediate repotting because they were falling out of their pots, and two will require bigger pots when I can get some. After wandering around the house for a bit, I decided to use the south facing window seat for the newcomers.

Folly, the black cat, seems to be commiserating with Brody, who had stifle surgery on Thursday. (There is also a Jack Russell Terrier named Jamie in this photo, almost blocked by the elizabethan collar.) Brody and Folly belong to a friend of ours, who is still shell-shocked by the news, after surgery, that Brody would have to be kept on a leash for twelve to sixteen weeks. The vet had neglected to mention that aspect in the pre-surgical briefing. Yesterday, Jack and I took down the portable fence panels that partitioned our dog run, and used them to build a small pen in our friend’s back yard so Brody would have a place outside where could be put for brief periods.

Mia officially joined the household yesterday afternoon, after a trial period of eleven days. Most of those days were to give her previous family a chance to change their minds, since we were fairly sure that she would work out for us after her first morning here.

Mia, an eleven year old Dalmatian, came to stay with us on a trial basis yesterday. She is tiny for a Dalmatian, much smaller than our Collie Lody.

Mia has a sweet, friendly personality, but unfortunately had become very apprehensive around the toddler in her family. They live in an 800 square foot house, and Mia was living in a sort of internal exile to keep her away from being jumped on by the toddler. She had lived with her family since she was six weeks old. They were quite upset about the situation, especially since their vet assured them that it was better to put her down rather than try to find her a new home since older dogs always become so depressed when they are rehomed! I told the owners we had adopted several older dogs, and they seem to feel at home within a few weeks.

Mia was quite apprehensive last night, and clung to the security of the sitting room, which probably had the smells of her family since we had sat and talked there. However, when she heard me scooping up dog food, she indicated that a little thing like being abandoned was not going to keep her from eating. Although we don’t allow dogs on the furniture, I decided to give up on that battle and put the dog comforter on the sofa for now, so her first experience of us isn’t one of being corrected constantly.

This morning she has been wandering around the house and coming up to me to be petted when she sees me. Lody is being very good: she doesn’t seem to mind me petting Mia as long as I pet her at the same time.