Happiness is a Warm Puppy

 

Jenny at the barn has a lovely little shepherd mix, Rosie, whom she has been trying to convince I need as a companion to SamDammit.  I've been thinking about because Sam is so active and both Perfect Grace and The Weiner are just too old to play with him.  And I'm getting tennis elbow from throwing a ball and all my pants are torn from Sam tugging on them to get me to play.

But I've changed my mind about Rosie.  In the last half century, I have never picked out a dog.  Ever.  Ever.  When Diane and I were little, our folks got us two Scottie puppies -- Button and Bow.  I wanted to name my puppy Tinkerbelle, but Mom wouldn't let me.  Matching dresses, matching dogs.   

We were in high school when Button died; Diane got to pick out a new puppy, Rachel.  When BowBow died, someone had given us a female Scottie they couldn't keep, so I got her - Pepper.  When Diane got married, she kept Rachel and one of Pepper's puppies, Albert.  And then for as long as I lived in AC, I didn't have a dog. 

When I moved to CA, I received Woolee, my chow, as a gift.  Woolee was practically perfect and I had him for 12 years.  Then sometime in there, Jess's dad brought home a stray dog.  After Jess’s dad and I split up, I kept Thomas and we had him for 12 or 13 years. 

                  "Woolee "                                                                                      "

In 1996 or 7, Annie came to live with us.  She literally showed up in the front yard. 

"Anna-Banana"

About a year later Allan fell in love with the dog-the-neighbor's-mother-couldn't-keep-and-was-taking-to-the-pound. Well, that was Gracie and she is 13 this month. 

"Perfect Grace"

Oh, then Jess's dad had a dog who howled and barked SO much that he got a 3-day notice to quit or be evicted. We were only going to take him for the weekend, but Ozzie turned 12 this month and he doesn't appear to be going anywhere.

"The Weiner" 

And Sam.  After Annie died in 2008, we didn’t get another dog. *sigh*  Until December of 2009, a customer at the shop brought in a gen-yoo-wine Albertson’s dog – one of those puppies being given away in front of the grocery store. And we all know how THAT’S turned out.

"SamDAMMIT"

So clearly, I've never gone out and gotten a dog.  I've never known, really, what kind dogs I've had (except Bow and WooLee), never known a birthday, and never known where the dogs came from. 

And I've always wanted a Border Collie.  So when thinking about taking Rosie-from-the-Barn, I figured if she and Sam lived, say, 12 years, I would be nearly eligible for Medicare and would be not energetic enough for a border collie puppy. 

Meet Alice:  She was born on October 7th of this year and came from a litter of puppies one of Diane's customers had.   And after a whirlwind trip to Chico to visit Dad and Diane, Alice is coming home with me.   As I write, she is snoozing under the airplane seat in front of me.  We have now known each other 36 hours and so far she has been a delight.

"Alice Anne" waiting in her carrier at the airport

Of course I have not informed Allan.  He'll be surprised, but he is used to it.  Over the years, he has come home from a number of trips to various surprises.  Once it was a new goat (we had two goats then, both agoutis, so he knew when I slipped a caramel one in).  Once he came home to a new cat.  And once he came home and I'd sold the house.

But this is the first time I've home with something like this.  Surprise!!!!

And Alice, let me tell you a little secret:  As far as lucky dogs go, baby girl, you have won the dog lottery!