Flashback Friday: Going to the dogs

Above is a picture of me with my first dog, Smoky, a little Cocker Spaniel. Smoky came about because of my affection for my cousin's terrier, Jerry, shown with me below while I was taking a thumb break. Jerry was actually a girl, but apparently nobody knew it for awhile. No. Don't ask...

And please don't ask about the red suspenders. Surely there was a story there, but since there is no one left to ask, that story will be forever unknown - but they do go nicely, don't you think, with the red nail polish that my mother apparently let me wear for this special photo op.

"Going to the dogs" doesn't refer to the fact that it is already Saturday morning and I am just now doing my "Flashback Friday" post. Although that DOES seem to be happening more frequently. Say it with me now, "LET'S GET ORGANIZED!!" Well, that may never happen, so instead I will get to the flashback sequence for this week.

There is a romantic ballad (Julio Iglesias and Willie Nelson both sang it, I think) about "All the Girls I have Known." On a less romantic note but just as poignant (to my way of thinking) are All the DOGS I have known...

This recollection was prompted by having a pack of dogs here at Casa Hammond for the past week. Well, OK, not a "pack" literally, but going from one blind dog and one blind dog plus a live wire dog was certainly an energetic experience. We enjoyed watching Rob and Alyssa's Buddy while they were in Mexico. Mr. H. and I are most definitely of the "dog people" persuasion.

So now on to the flashback. One reason I loved visiting my aunt and uncle when I was a little girl back in Colorado was their dog Jerry. As you can see by the picture, we were pals. I liked to lay on the floor next to Jerry and feel her warm little sausage body pressed up next to me. Back in those days people had rugs (no wall-to-wall carpeting yet) that were large and flower-filled. I pretended I was laying in a garden with Jerry - especially on cold, snow-bound Colorado days. I begged and begged and begged my parents to get me a dog of my own. And then one Christmas...

I wish I could lay my hands on the picture of Smoky in my Christmas stocking, but it is temporarily hiding. Yes, my wish came true and suddenly I had a dog of my very own. A little black Cocker Spaniel puppy that we named Smoky.

The significance of this is that my mother didn't like dogs. Couldn't stand them. And nobody knows why, but that was the deal. Unfortunately, I wasn't quite old enough to take care of a dog other than to give it lots of hugs, so my mother was forced to deal with the day-to-day maintenance. Given the clean-up detail and the fact that Smoky - when he grew bigger - would run and jump on me and knock me flat, one day Smoky just was no more.

Something told me not to ask what had happened to Smoky. It was one of those things you didn't get into with my mother. I didn't ask and nobody was talking. So I lost my beloved dog when he was still quite young. And so was I. I just hope he found a good family and had a nice life. But that was the end of dogs for me - until I was 25 and Mr. H. gave me for Christmas a teeny little pup (a miniature"wiener dog") that I named Sam.

Dog Day Afternoons

This is Alyssa waving ¡hola! from her and Rob's hotel suite in Cabo...they are flying home tomorrow night and were just checking in to say "Hi!" Is it me or is Alyssa looking rested and happy?!! Ahhh... ¡muy bien! siestas!!! (My apologies for any misspelling of the Español - I am sorry to say I don't speak el lingüístico, but I am about to get a little online help!)

This is the hotel that has been their "home away from home" for the last week. Maravilloso!!

Alyssa and Rob flew to Cabo on April 25 with two of their BFF couple friends. Oh. That was probably redundant. So my abbreviated computer-speak needs some help, too, apparently...

This little stamp was part of the greeting from Alyssa. So colorful - ¡Tan bueno! Which brings me to the point of this blog, which is PUPPIES GALORE!!

May I start this post by saying that BOTH Buddy (on the left below) and Puddin' (on the right below) were having bad hair days when I decided to drag out my camera and begin blasting away. Yeah, should've brushed them up a bit. But I was loving their little cuddle session on the bed. We are watching Buddy while Alyssa and Rob are on vacation.

I like this photo because Puddin' (a.k.a. 'Mr. P.') has been known to be a little, um...cranky, shall we say? No, he doesn't play well with others. That is probably due to his eye sight problems and the fact that he is now blind - and only 5 years old. BUT. He doesn't let this impediment get him down and he trots along like there is no impairment at all. Until I leave something in his way, such as a vacuum. Or a dog named Buddy.

That's right. Nobody explained to Buddy that Puddin' trots through the house like nothing whatsoever is in his way. Until his dog pal Buddy visits and happens to be standing in Puddin's path. Then comes a major head-on collision. Buddy, being about half of Puddin's size, typically gets spun out to the side when this bulldozer plows into his petite frame. But he brushes himself off, figuratively speaking, and even (sometimes) thinks Puddin' wants to play. Which I will get into later.

So being a fine sunny afternoon, I took the pooches out onto the deck where they could enjoy the sun. Don't ask me where their peculiar positions are coming from. Buddy is sitting there rather frog-like while Puddin' looks like he is ready to launch. Or something.

Here is Mr. P. enjoying some rays.

And Buddy, who has decided he's had enough solar exposure for one day and is headed back inside - if SOMEBODY WOULD OPEN THE $*$@^# DOOR!!

Puddin' enjoys his spot on the couch so he decided to hop on up to cuddle on the blanket. However, nobody told him that Buddy was ALREADY on the couch enjoying the blanket. So, blind dog jumps UP on the couch - and lands square on top of Buddy. This brings about much whirling dervish activity of flying fur and tails and ears and then what amounts to doggie apologies all around, a "Hmmph" sort of look from Puddin' who elects to settle into a new spot on the sofa. He is, after all, trying very hard to be a mannerly host to his guest.

Then, all of a sudden - what is that sound???!! Why - yes, it's the sound of a white Dodge Dakota pick-up truck entering the garage. Could it be? Could it? Could it? Oh, yes-yes-YES!!!

Enter Mr. H. who is greeted by much jumping and lunging and doggie squeaks and squeals - I mean, he must have been gone for EONS, right? This is a homecoming that is so reunion-worthy. (Aren't they all?) Everybody gets some serious ear rubbing. Well, except for Mr. H. of course, but everybody of the canine persuasion who came equipped with large floppy ears perfect for rubbing!

All of this rowdy activity and tail wagging prompts Buddy to attempt a playful game with Puddin'. Well. It was a worthy attempt: Buddy rearing up on his hind legs and darting forward at Puddin' who is doing his best to ignore this young pup. ("I was just walking by, you silly, insolent little scallywag! You are SO immature...) Yes, I do in fact imagine that dogs talk this way.

So Buddy gets "the look" from Puddin' (that's right;, Puddin' can still give "the look" even with his blind eyes) and Buddy thinks better about continuing any further attempts at a playful tussle.

We have enjoyed this week of our "granddog" visiting with us and we'll all miss him tomorrow when we return him back to Rob and Alyssa. One of my favorite memories? Well, it seems the "Budster" has a stubborn little mind all his own.

After turning his nose up at his dinner, I removed Buddy's bowl and put it on the counter. Otherwise, Puddin' would consume his own dinner and Buddy's, too.

I put our dinner on the table. Mr. H. and I were sitting down to our plates when I noticed Buddy sitting on the floor looking up at the counter. Hmm...what IS he doing? Ok, Buddy is sitting there growling at his dinner, which is WAY up on the counter. "What on earth??" I am wondering, and then realize what he's doing. Ok. So he WAS ready to eat now. And did he eat? Yep! Every crumb.

So Alyssa and Rob: We all anxiously await your return and if he could swing it, I know Buddy would say, "¡Vaya rápido! ¡Le he echado de menos!" (¡¡Sí!! Aren't those online "English-Spanish" translator sites just ¡Grande!??)