Thursday

I wore the pups out. Just look at poor Copper's face. We walked in the neighborhood for over an hour. I followed a path out of the park to the adjoining neighborhood and threaded through it's streets and then back through mine. Spring trees are blooming- and a lite rain started falling so that you could really smell it all.

The dogs laid out like this all afternoon. We at one time had a lot more critters and John worked as an executive chef at a country club. He'd come home late at night and said it looked like a nuclear bomb had exploded.... feet and bodies every where. Three large dogs, two cats, one small boy and one tired mom. All snoozing. Curled up throughout the living room with the tv still blaring.

By the way just for the record the most dogs that we ever had at one time was 11! In our tiny little 2 bedroom rental house. Only one was at that time ours. I volunteered about 10 hours a week for a local shelter. Anyway I had rescued a beautiful golden/black lab mixed on quite literally the final hours of her time at the shelter. (she later became ours - she was the most loving dog I'd ever met- how could I not keep such a great dog!). The shelter called a week later. Would I by any chance be willing to take a black lab mom and her three babies. They have to be put to sleep if we can't find a foster home. Ok. Buddy and her 3 babies found a cozy home in our basement/garage. (all of whom found incredably good homes)

Then the next day we got another call. Would I be willing to see if my new foster mommy would take in five orphaned basset hound mix pups about the same age. Oh and we'll have to put them to sleep in about an hour if we can't find anyone. Ok. The second litter found a cozy home in my kitchen after my sweet Buddy just lunged at them. Then John comes home after a busy Sunday at the country club. I can still remember his look of surprise as he counted the dogs... "what is wrong with this picture? we have 11 dogs!" The orphaned pups only spent one day. Then I found another volunteer who wasn't working and could bottle feed those little chubby boogers all day and night.

Reason 1191 why I like this man. He puts up with my insanity when it comes to cute critters. He jokes about coming home and just finding a spare dog in the garage. This season of our life came to a close due to one dog with a comprimised immune system and one little boy whose heart broke every time one of our little chargers went to a new home.