My daughter, son-in-law, and most-delightful granddaughter, Anya, along with their longtime best friends and their twin daughters, all headed off this morning to spend the holiday and following week being Buckeye beach bums at Hilton Head, South Carolina.
A pretty cushy getaway place if you don't mind sand, surf, sun, seafood—and judging by recent news reports, possibly the occasional sneaky shark. I hope they have a fun vacation, and pray nobody gets fish-bit.
Meanwhile, Myladylove and I will be holding down the fort here. Our plans include much relaxing, grilling and consuming various good eats, working a bit in the yard, and in my case, continuing with my healing—which may to the untrained eye superficially resemble seriously lazing about, but is actually a medically-proven therapy technique.
In addition, while my immediate kin are galavanting off to enjoy themselves on the Atlantic coast, Myladylove and I volunteered to dog-sit Gwynn (short for Guinevere), their perky cream-champagne maltipoo. We picked her up last night and to our great relief, she proved everyone's fears groundless by making the 40-minute journey from there to here without getting car sick—which may be a personal first.
But I don't want to give the wrong impression, she's actually a nice little foo-foo pooch—eager to please, well behaved, and always an all-around good houseguest. And, of course, she's been here before—though never as the only dog in the house.
But I'll still miss having my world-class grandbaby to tease, smooch and dandle.
Therefore, by way of compensation, while the deserters, er, vacationers are gone, I intend to do my very best to turn the dainty Miss Gwynny-poo into a full-fledged redneck river rat. And I must say, so far the plan is working. She's not only proving to be easily corrupted, she's embraced this laid-back lifestyle makeover as an enthusiastic accomplice!
What can I say…revenge is sweet!
6 comments:
HI GRIZZ and happy 4th to you and your LadyLove-
Gwynn is a lucky pooch to be with you two on the river - sounds like a glorious weekend for all ...enjoy and keep feeling better
I am stabalizing more and more each day - hives are down to one or two and mild - calming down - my heart is calming too. I still feel overwhelmed by all the fuss and monitoring but so be it -
we have chicken marinating and some side salads made - keeping it low key and binge watching
"Breaking Bad" great show - by the way, did you ever get to listen to Skipps music CD? Just wonderin'
Happy 4th
Love Gail
peace........
Gail…
Hey, I'm sorry to be so slow in replying. Myladlove and I have been working outside these past two day (she more than me) and I've not been paying much attention to anything internet. I'm glad to hear you're doing better. I'm still coughing and plugging along, weak, not well yet, but improving. Whatever I had really put me seriously down.
Anyway, I trust you had a lovely Fourth. I grilled steaks and made a big through-the-garden salad; we drank iced tea. Pretty low-key, huh? But good. After due recuperative time, we went back to working and kept at it until dark. Have done more or less the same today. We do know how to celebrate!
Gywnn is coming right along with the program. She's now pretty sure foo-foo dog feet won't spontaneously react and fall off when placed upon actual green grass. She's also decided bites of steak taste better than designer kibbles. So the plan to transform her into a redneck river pooch seems to be working…
Grizz: I heard a veterinary neurobiologist interviewed on the radio recently. He related a story about an elderly woman who was dying and fretting over the fate of her beloved dog once she was gone. The woman was sure the dog would pine and die soon after the woman did. Well, it turns out that the woman's relatives found a new home for the dog and within three days it was seemingly as happy as it had been with the woman who had died. Dogs almost certainly have real affection for their human companions, but they are also opportunists--one of the reasons they have been so successful with humans. So, I suspect it's very easy to "corrupt" Gwynn. If you take that dog down to the river and she gets muddy and stinky, you'd better have her shampooed before her "owners" return.
Scott…
I would mostly agree. Though rather than characterize them as opportunists, which sounds both fickle and negative, I'd say dogs generally tend to live in the moment, making the best of whatever situation handed them. On the other hand, there are those dogs who never get over losing their person, in spite of the best efforts of folks trying to help them move on.
There's a gravestone, a lifesize statue-type marker, in a cemetery near here of a boy and his large dog. The story is quite well documented. The boy was struck and killed by a train. The dog stayed with the boy's body until it was discovered, refused to leave the body when being prepared for burial, remained by the casket daily until the funeral, accompanied it to its interment at the cemetery, and lay stretch out on the fresh dirt above the grave after burial. During the next couple of weeks, relatives and friends removed the dog several times, but after each occasion, the dog got loose and returned to the grave. It also refused to eat, seeking only to stay by the grave. Eventually, the dog died, in its chosen place atop the grave. And in honor of the animal's obvious loyalty and inconsolable grief, a collection was taken and funds raised, the dog was laid to rest in the boy's grave, and the marker statue placed to honor their amazing bond.
So…not always opportunists.
Gwynn, however, is not so set in her ways. She's very open and adaptive to proffered corruptions. Ready to adopt the status quo, willing to be "enlightened" to expanded boundaries, embracing added freedoms, and so far, being quite responsible and well behaved in this new social milieu. And it's funny you should mention it, but on Sunday I was just saying to Myladylove how I had half a mind to introduce this perky foo-foo pooch to the joys to splashing about the river shallows, prancing through mudflats, wallowing with frogs, etc. and returning her to her master's pristine lodgings looking like a dog who'd been slumming with the rowdiest of the riverbank mutts and having a very fine time of the whole experience. I have taken her back with a few burrs in her ears before.
you could corrupt me with real grass under my feet,steak tidbits, splashing about the shallows and general lazing about-sounds like heaven even for humans.
AfromTO…
Yup, pretty cushy life and appealing to me, as well. I try to give myself a big dose as often as possible.
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