Old Dogs, Children and Watermelon Wine

I got scolded by #1 Son for not showing pictures of Kyra Marie. He brought her home in January of 1992 (against the wishes of parental units). Just a wee bundle of curly fur, she wiggled her way into our hearts. #1 Son called her Velcro Toes because her tiny toenails made the sound of velcro being pulled off as she ran across the carpeting.





Guess who fed her, gave her water, bathed her, potty-trained her and whose lap she snuggled in? #1 Son? Not! He would take her downstairs to sleep with him every night. And every night I counted... 1...2...3...4...5...reach down and scoop her up to sit in my lap. He would come upstairs and get her a couple times, but eventually he realized it was a lost cause.

She is getting up there in years now. She has arthritis in her back legs, especially her hips (she was hit by a car in 1994) so going up and down the stairs is pretty much out of the question. Although when I let her out of the pen, she runs around (actually kind of bounces like Tigger) like a little puppy. She pays for it later. She'll get up to go outside and her backside slides out from under her. It doesn't stop her, she keeps going as if nothing out of the ordinary is happening.

She is practically deaf. About 99% hard of hearing. Her eyes are showing signs of cataracts. Her teeth are getting bad (thus creating a severe case of halitosis which would gag a maggot). As I said, she's stiff from arthritis. Last winter she had a stroke and then the flu. I thought we were going to lose her. She recovered nicely... well, as nicely as she could for her age.

The above pictures were taken about an hour ago. Yeesh! I had a hard time getting them. She is camera shy. Unlike the Pugglies who love to have their picture taken!

Yeah, I know what you're thinking... what about the Children and Watermelon Wine? Well, I'll do another post with the Children, but I think I'll keep the Watermelon Wine for myself. Thenk you!