And sometimes,
friendship
truly feels as simple as
sitting quietly
together
(waiting for your humans
to drop some food
on the floor).
The Quiet Moments (A Poem)
Australian Shepherd
Annie Love
She needs some attention, too.
With a new kitten in the house, and with how much I’ve been talking about Merlin here on the blog, I know Annie’s feeling a little left out. Don’t worry – she’s getting plenty of treats and cuddles. But I know it’s an adjustment for her. And she’s handled Merlin so well. They’re not friends yet, but they keep getting closer and closer to each other, and Merlin occasionally makes a move to play with her. Maybe one day, she’ll actually respond!
Annie’s going to be thirteen this spring, and we’ve had her since she was a tiny puppy.
She’s so sweet, and much slower than she used to be, but she’ll always be our puppy girl. Dogs love us in a totally different way from cats, and Annie is the first dog I’ve ever had. I’m so glad I get to be her person, though she’d tell you, if she could talk, that Graham is actually her person and I’m the other one. Doesn’t matter.
She’s a good dog. And if I’m even a small part of making her happy, then I’m happy.
(Almost) Wordless Wednesday: Post-Christmas Edition
Annie is tired.
We’re tired, too. But happy. Happy-tired. I hope you are, as well. Back on Friday with a short story!
Annie is a beach dog???
Y’all, I just had to share one more picture from our beach getaway.
Now that we’ve been home for a week, Annie is up to her usual antics – barking, guarding the back window against deer and groundhogs, generally being sort of loud and energetic.
She was a different dog at the beach. As you can see.
Calm, sleepy, relaxed, easy-going. I’m beginning to think our country puppy who loves the snow and cold is actually A BEACH DOG! Who knew?
Life is full of surprises, isn’t it?
July’s Short Story
It’ll be up by Sunday at the latest! Honestly, I haven’t started on it yet, but I will, and I’m sure it will be good.
In the meantime, I wish everyone a lovely weekend! And for now, enjoy this picture of Annie (the Snow Dog), who doesn’t like this heatwave any more than the rest of us.
Happy National Pet Day to Annie and Gatsby!
I grew up with a cat. Well, a few cats. There was Jingle, the Siamese, Tiger, a scrappy gray tabby, Dusty, a sweetheart of an orange tabby, and Salem, a never-quite-tame but never-bad-luck midnight black wild thing. I also had a bird named Bluebird (yes, I came up with that), a hamster named Rosie, and a goldfish named Lucy.
My point is this: I’m a pet person.
I’ve always had a pet. I don’t know what a house without its resident animal sidekick would be like. Quieter, probably. Less prone to furry tumbleweeds. But also, a little more lonely. A little less lively. At least, that’s how I’d feel about it. I’ve loved all my pets, and I’m lucky now to have Annie, our crazy perpetual puppy…
…and Gatsby, our sweet old gentleman.
Gatsby’s a Maine Coon, and he’s been with me since college. He’s a big cuddly lump who purrs loud, adores sleeping in the laundry baskets, and loves to watch the birds. You know, from his comfy perch inside of the house. Or on TV.
Annie’s an Australian Shepherd with a quick mind, boundless energy, and a deep and abiding love for her human. Yes, just the one. And it’s Graham, not me. But we should all find someone who loves us as much as she loves him.
They both get plenty of snuggles, but I’ll give them a little extra today. They’re animals, so they’ll have no idea why. But they’ll love it nonetheless. And they absolutely deserve it. 😊
(Almost) Wordless Wednesday: Annie Edition
It’s been a rainy, windy, cloudy, dark, and on the whole pretty gloomy day around here. So, you know, perfect reading weather. 😊 I’m curled up in my chair, and Annie’s hanging out with me in the living room. She’s really just totally mastered the art of rainy day relaxing.
Good dog. Stay.
Found: That Friday Feeling
This photo says it all.
It’s been a week, y’all. Tomorrow, we hike. Tonight, we rest, watch movies, and appreciate the quieter moments.
Annie’s First Day Home (Bonus Post!)
Just a quick bonus post today, since I wrote about Annie yesterday and I’ve gotten so many sweet comments about her. When I was looking through pictures yesterday, I came across this one and just had to share.
This was taken the day we brought her home, almost eleven years ago. We look so young! And Graham is wearing a Bob Ross shirt. And I have bangs. And Annie’s eyes are closed, but she’s still cute as ever. Look at those little ears!
I remember this day vividly. Annie sat on my lap the whole way home – a four hour trip from North Carolina to Northern Virginia – and when we were about ten minutes away from our house, she vomited all over me. It was the beginning of a beautiful relationship.
No, really. It was. I can’t imagine my life without my favorite furry weirdo.
Annie the Snow Dog
She loves the snow as much as I do.
Annie is an almost eleven-year-old Australian Shepherd. She’s been with us since she was just a little puppy.
Though I would not recommend an Aussie to an inexperienced dog owner, watching her experience the world is one of the great pleasures of my life. She’s smart, spunky, friendly, curious, quick to learn, and easily the most energetic of all of us. She loves Graham best, and she’s happiest when they go for walks on the path along the mill race.
It snowed Sunday morning, and while I sat by the fire with a cup of coffee and a book, Graham took Annie out for some playtime and a snow day stroll.
It snowed almost as much in six hours as it did over the course of two days last week, and it was just beautiful.
I’m glad Graham got some good pictures before it melted. Which it did, by Sunday evening. But as always, I enjoyed it while it was here to enjoy. And Annie did, too.
It looks like we’ve got more winter weather to look forward to this week, though there’s apparently a chance for some significant ice, so, we’ll see. I was worried, back in the beginning of December, that we’d see a winter with barely any snow. How lovely to be wrong.
A Virginia Writer's Diary 