Pets in Peculiar Places

This is Samantha. She was our dog, well actually Julie's dog, for over 15 years. We got her in Fairbanks, took her back to California with us where she lived in Stockton, Campbell, Stockton again, and San Francisco. Sam was a most patient and loving dog and I still miss her.

Here she is, in Fairbanks, sitting on top of her dog house and looking in the window. She was an outside dog; when winter came I bought a couple of bales of hay and packed them around her house, and she was fine.

Sam gave birth to two litters of puppies in that dog house and traveled in it from Alaska to California*. When we arrived at the San Francisco airport she had been in her crate for over eight hours. Mama and Daddy had come to the airport to pick us up, and when we let Sam out Mama took her leash while Daddy and I went to get the rest of the luggage. Before we had managed three steps that poor dog squatted down in the middle of the floor and created a lake. Daddy grabbed me and pulled me away while poor Mama was just humiliated.

And here we have Missy resting in my scarves. As you can see, I have a number of lovely silk scarves, but I forget to wear them if I don't see them. So, I set up this system of keeping them in sight, along with a few necklaces and broaches, which I also forget to wear if they are closed away.

Missy, being only 4 1/2 pounds, didn't create any problem when she slept in the basket of larger shawls and knitted hats. If this picture was in color, you would see that the scarves are deep, rich, jewel tones and Missy is a fine neutral gray.

And here we have Merry when he was much smaller than he is now, taking a nap in the paper tray of my printer while I work on the computer. Notice that I have put a book** under the tray to keep him from breaking it. He has long outgrown such a place, and I now have to keep the paper tray closed unless I am actually printing something. Ah, the sacrifices we make for our pets.***

As you look out the window, you can see the dark green house across the street and, behind it, the gray apartment house. I'm not certain what season this was; whatever season, it was foggy.

And here we have Pippin coming out of the pot drawer of the stove. This picture is from the same roll as the one of Merry above. I'm glad Pippin has grown tired of this -- washing all of the pots and pans every time he got in there got kind of old.


* When we lived in Fairbanks, by the time her puppies were born, they had all found homes. When we moved to California, knowing that it can take more than just letting your beautiful and well behaved dog be obviously pregnant in the front yard to find homes for pups, I had her neutered.

** British English from A to Zed by Norman S. Schur, as it happens.

*** I think I've become more indulgent as the years go by. Sam slept outside at -58; I propped the paper tray for Merry.