Dogs

I just read GJ's latest posting about his dog Brandy. Brandy is a cocker and likes people food, especially sweet people food wrapped in foil! I have a funny 'dog tail" to relate also.

We have two dogs; Lucy, a springer spaniel and Dusty, a peke-poo. Lucy is lucky enough to "get" to go on 5k trots with Kent. I got up this morning just in time to see Lucy and Kent who had his running gear on, going down the alley. When they got back, he said she had been completely unwilling. "When I called her to come for a run, she didn't come. After calling her and calling her, I went into the living room and when she saw me she flipped over on her back." When they got back Lucy laid on top of the air duct for 30 minutes. If she sees him come out of the house in his running gear she runs away from him!

Obviously this is quite old. July 16th and back from a whirlwind tour of Michigan. We left last Friday and drove to Gaylord (430 miles). Spent the weekend and left for Marquette and Alix's orientation at Northern on Monday morning (235 miles). It was quite gray and overcast as we drove north but when we turned to the west the sky started to lighten up. By the time we were driving along Lake Superior it was quite sunny and beautiful. Alix took some pictures, I'll post one when she downloads her camera. Orientation was great! I was in sessions almost as much as she was. The food was great, even Alix thought so. Just hope that was a representative example! Left on Wednesday and returned to Gaylord. Had heard about Mom's surgery on Friday and she asked if we could stay for "your Dad's sake." I had already been thinking that I should stay if I could work out the logistics. Kent was on a trip until Saturday afternoon and Jake was coming home from Scout camp at noon on Saturday. I had told him to take a key "just in case" but was pretty confident that he would have blown me off. Got in touch with a good friend who is a breast cancer survivor, explained the situation and she not only picked Jake up from the Scout cabin, she did his laundry too! I think I owe her some Starbucks coffee! (And he didn't have his key.) Anyway we stayed with Daddy and Mom too, as her surgery was delayed from 10:30 to 1:00. Mom was home from the hospital by 4:00 and then we booked for the farm. Spent the night, fixed Ellen's tv (I am the electronics help person in our family) while Alix programmed Max'x new cell phone. Left around noon the next day and got into Batesville a little after 6:00pm having driven 600 miles since we left Gaylord. Today was spent doing the rest of the laundry, making a pie I had promised Alix last week, vacuuming up the cat's excess hair, shopping and getting the last of the stuff for Jake and Kent's trip to New Mexico which leaves at 6:30am on the 22nd. Since Jake will be a band camp this week, he has to have his backpack ready tonight. The band bus leaves at 7:30 tomorrow. At least all the NM clothes are special and aren't what he is taking to St. Mary's of the Woods campus which is where the camp is held. Whew!

I am so glad that all my brother's chicks are all within range now. I know how glad we were to get on the same side of the country as our parents back in '85. Then to move "only" 6 and 8 hours respectively from our two sets of parents - heaven!