July 16, 2009 - Curses, Foiled Again!

Wow! It's been a while! It's been busy here at the Shady Rest. I told you that Peapod got adopted, so that opened a bunk and Orville moved in. Orville is about six, a delightful little fawn imp that doesn't cause trouble...much. He doesn't scare easily, Orville. He came from a home with a lot of small children, and even Freya's snarking at him to show him who's boss leaves him less than impressed. He's pretty small and honestly, his head looks a little big for his little frame, but he has a big grin and loves to cuddle, so who cares. He gets along very well with everybody, if you can excuse the fact that he really wants to play with the cats more than they want to play with him.

Orville will be off to the vet in a week or three to get chipped, snipped and shot. His back legs are a little weak, looks like maybe some nerve damage from an old injury, but aside from a little wobble he gets around great. He can even jump on the bed by himself. Otherwise, though, he's a bright-eyed, healthy, happy, inquisitive, affectionate pug.

Orville is also smart. We haven't had a problem with any dog getting into the trash for years, but suddenly this little guy with the wonky legs was managing to knock the whole can over and romp among the contents! I heard a crash, went to investigate, and found him lying on his tummy in a pile of coffee grounds, contentedly licking out a cat food can from the night before. I explained that this was NOT acceptable behavior. He was unimpressed (see note above about Orville not scaring easily.) I thought that perhaps it was the fairly low level of trash in the can and light weight that allowed him the leverage to push it over, so I put a brick in the bottom of the can and thought the problem solved. Until the next day. Now I was truly puzzled. I looked at the can, the trash, the lid, the bag...the bag. THAT'S IT! There were small tears and tooth marks on the edge of the trash BAG, not the can. He wasn't pushing it over, he was grabbing the edge of the bag and pulling! I had to admire his cleverness, even as I tucked the edge of the bag up under the lid. Foiled.

The other denizens of the Shady Rest are doing well. Archie's weight loss continues and he now has a recognizable neck and waist! He's even more handsome than before, and getting more active the easier it gets for him to move. Check him out!

For some reason, Loki has made himself a little nest in the corner of the bedroom closet. I assume maybe it's a little cooler in there, or he just likes the peace and quiet, but that's where he spends several hours a day now. Spencer is his usual charming self, in need of a bath now after frolicking in the mud in the back yard. George is George, comforting in his consistency. He's moved into the bathroom for the summer, enjoying the cooler tiles, so I get to spend a little more time rubbing his head and crooning at him how handsome he is. We both enjoy the time. Sammie has taken Orville under his wing and they hang out together, investigating every noise and smell shoulder-to-shoulder and napping hip-to-hip.

The Shady Rest - a mostly peaceable kingdom. Ya'll take care now.