A Gift Has Left Us.

Lucy, our oldest sheltie, passed away last month.  She was 13.  We are still deeply missing her.  She got more cards and emails than I ever expect to generate when it is my turn to leave this earth.  

Lucy was five when one of my ex-choral students rescued her from a dark, dirty cellar where she had spent the first 5 years of her life.  Lucy weighed just 17 pounds when she was brought to us, was just loaded with fleas, had several fiery red hot spots on her body, and was extremely dehydrated.  She was so filthy from years of no bathing that there was no white visible on her coat.  She stunk so badly that we instantly had to bathe her just to see what was wrong with her skin.

Next she was taken to our vet, so he could check her out carefully, and to be sure the patchy spots on her were not some sort of mange.  Since we had other dogs, we had to keep them separated from her until we were sure what skin diseases she had.

Back at home, tar baths became a regular procedure until her skin began to clear a bit.  We put her on Front Line, and Heart Guard once we got the okay from the vet to do so.  She was not spayed and couldn't be for a time because she was too weak and also in heat.

Week by week, she began to gain weight, her coat slowly became healthy, and we were finally able to have her neutered.  There was a sadness about Lucy for several months...a depression of sorts because her life had been so horrid in the cellar.  She was afraid to go outside because she had not been exposed to that much light, so it took some time for her to get used to enjoying the outdoors.  Eventually her depression began to lift and this look of joy came over her face...this special light in her eyes.  She began to enjoy life.

Even with all the negatives that happened for those first five years, Lucy was the gentlest sheltie of all the ones we have had or presently have.  She loved children (unlike many shelties who tend to be skittish around little ones), and was always happiest resting her chin on someone's foot.

We are very thankful for our wonderful gift.  She turned out to be the most expensive free dog we ever rescued but worth a million times what we ever spent on her.  She gave us love, joy, and tons of kisses in her short time with us.  May she rest in quiet peace mixed with tons of security and love.  We miss you, Lucy.

Take care,

gardeningartist

Late summer harvest

My 4 shelties all like fresh veggies.  They get very excited when they see fresh green peppers and thankfully, with all the rain we had this summer, we have plenty of those.  Here are a few shots of our fresh garden peppers and the crazy dogs that eat them:

Bath Time!

Saturday morning was bath time for our dogs, all six of them!  Bathing six long haired dogs is not something we can rush.  Of course, we end up using every towel in the house, and the floors are still sopping wet, but things get all straightened out eventually.  Since we heat with wood and sunshine, the dogs are able to dry out nicely before the dog door is allowed to be accessed.  Winter fur takes longer to dry since it is so full and dense.

Today our dogs smell heavenly....well as heavenly as a pack of wet dogs can smell...lol.  We got around 4 inches of snow, and the dogs went in and out of the house all day, bringing most of the wet stuff right into the house with them.  Our Collies and Shelties love the snow, and get a kick out of burrowing under it to cool down, then heading directly for the dog door, to be inside when they shake.  How nice of them to share with us so many many many times in one day!  

My husband and I spent a wonderful Sunday together with our dogs and birds, and felt totally relaxed and content in our tiny home.  Ralph did some preliminary work on our taxes, and I washed a big load of sopping towels, followed by yet another.  Ralph started up our old tractor and plowed back the new snow that fell in the driveway, and I did the cooking (reheating, really)...baked beans, of course.  Very predictable New England cuisine.  We share our chores well, get things completed, and then snuggle in, play on our laptops and just enjoy the peaceful quiet of our home.  

Hope anyone who reads this is finding some time just to be still, embrace an hour of quiet, and discover that sometimes that is all that is needed to feel satisfied.  

Take care of yourselves!

Gardeningartist