An Aries (Who Knows Some Stuff)
David has hit the road again on his Cross Country Dog in a Box Tour. I was able to get a fairly decent shot of Friday’s goodbye:
It was a great visit that I enjoyed so much. I still wish Debby could have been here, too. Next time, maybe.
Saturday is John Lennon’s birthday, which has me thinking of my late friend Riley. I wish he could see the Google Doodle video.
My brother has stopped in Houston on his cross-country road trip and was just telling me a story about the late Bailey, pictured at left in 2008. One year David and Bailey were hiking with a group in the mountains outside Bozeman, Montana, when the guide explained that it was huckleberry season. She told them to be on the lookout for this tasty fruit, and indeed, now and then they’d come upon a bush with a few scattered berries on it, not really enough to sate anyone’s appetite. (Maybe the grizzlies had gotten there first?)
Finally my brother looked up the slope and saw Bailey pulling and dragging at some kind of bush. When he went up to check it out, Bailey was “shopping” from a bush containing hundreds of huckleberries. Smart dog: The guide dubbed him Huckleberry Hound. I guess Bailey thought he was in the Hanna-Barbera family, considering how his human dad was dressed one long ago Halloween:
Far right, a generic version of Quick Draw McGraw.
Also on that trip, the group decided to go tubing down the Madison River. Because the river is fed from within the geyser basins of Yellowstone, the water is warm. It was my brother’s idea that while they tubed, Bailey could run alongside them on the bank. But once they set off, Bailey, of the Schipperke water-traveling breed, plunged into the river and swam to my brother, who then had to complete the trip with a wet dog sitting on him.
Bailey still travels with David. Right now he’s hanging out with the first dogs of The Compound, Pete and Stevie. I guess some people might think my family is a little strange, but I think we have a sense of humor and perspective about bonds of love that are never really broken.
I went for a three-month medical follow-up today to see what condition my condition was in, and all was fabulous. After running a couple of errands, I came home with the intention of shooting some photos and working on an art project. When–BAM! I couldn’t swallow, had a fever, and could think of nothing more inviting than crawling between the covers and sleeping, which I promptly did, to the joy of the ever-lazy Rex, Margot, and Guinness. (Pixie and Tyson II were at the TimLair.)
Sore throat is better now, but I still feel wiped out. This reminds me of what Lindsey described that came and went quickly for her last week. I’m hoping the same is true for me. Wonder what the heck it is, though?
There is a Victoria doll in the house. What if she’s SUCKING THE SOUL OUT OF MY BODY?
September 10 is the birthday of my friend Denece. My father taught me the value of having a Virgo in my life, and Denece and Jim have upheld that tradition. Every year when I think of Denece on her birthday (and send a card that will always get there late, because I have a bad habit of doing that), there are a ton of special things to connect to her. One of the biggest is that she brought yet another Virgo into my life: our dog Margot. Denece is the one who saw Margot’s photo on Twyla’s Friends and told us about her. Since Margot was about a year old when we adopted her in September of 2000, we gave her my father’s birthday (September 16). But I figure she’s special enough to celebrate on Denece’s birthday, too.
In this photo, Denece is squatting between Timmy and me at a signing for I’m Your Man. The photo, taken by my mother’s good friend (and professional photographer) Amber Ratisseau in 2005, is one of a group of photos that are some of my all-time favorites. That was a great signing at Borders with all the TJB writing partners, my mother, and some of our closest friends there.
Happy birthday, Denece, and thanks for all the terrific things you’ve brought to my life.
As y’all know, Friday night is usually Craft Night at The Compound, when sewing, painting, knitting, sketching, and who knows what else may happen. This week, our Friday was even better because a couple of real babes dropped by.
…watched a little TV…
and tried to decide who had the better toys.
I had a blast watching them and hanging out with Lynne, Lindsey, Rhonda, Tim, Tom, and the usual dog suspects. Thanks, all, for a great night.
The dogs told me I’m past due for an update on them. They’re having a good long weekend. Tim isn’t here, so Rex and Pixie have been staying with us. They want everyone to know they’ve been perfect angels.
The Brides are off doing whatever Ninja Brides do on Labor Day. Something about keeping the beaches safe from oil spills. While they’re away, Sugar is staying with us. At home, Sugar is forced to do hard labor, including keeping her blanket securely attached to the sofa, patrolling the garage for palmetto bugs, and letting her moms know when it’s four a.m. So while she’s here, we allow her to watch countless hours of television.
Because there can never be enough canine happiness at The Compound, I got to have a slumber party in Tim’s apartment with his first foster dog, EZ, whose forever dad was away for a night. I offered to paint her nails, but she said she’d rather watch a movie. So we watched The Birdcage, and EZ laughed in all the right places. When it was over, I picked up my Nook to read, but she seemed to be trying to tell me something. So I took her outside, where I could sense she was just humoring me. Once we went back inside, she did this:
I gave in and went to bed. We both slept soundly until this morning, when Tom came over to let her out and feed her. Then she took up her perch on the window seat in the bedroom so she could watch the world. In the year she lived with Tim, one of my favorite things was glancing up at that window whenever I was outside to see EZ’s happy face looking back at me. After she was adopted, other foster dogs would visit her perch, but no one ever took up residence there until Pixie came. Pixie is so curious that she has to know everything that’s going on outside, especially the bad behavior of squirrels and Guinness’s hunt and murder of cicadas.
As for Guinness and Margot, here they are displaying their perfect hostess skills:
Happy Labor Day from The Compound!
Current Photo Friday theme: Best Friend
(click here to see a larger version on a black background)
Best Friends Share
Margot and Guinness, 2010
This is Paco who lives at Green Acres.
This is Margot who lives at The Compound.
Paco is visiting The Compound for a few days, bringing along the Paco Cabana.
This is why Paco loves the Paco Cabana: the Tiny Pink Bed.
Last night in the Paco Cabana:
and
Then today in the Paco Cabana:
and
This is Paco.
The End
Yesterday, Lila and I watched the movie Cars. At least one of us did. Now I know who Lightning, Doc, Mater, and Sheriff are when she’s hurling them across the floor after each other.
