 Hello All. I have been so busy, traveling,ya know. So here's a little picture of me and Old Meme at Libby's Campground in York Beach Maine. We had a lot of fun here. Old Meme and I sat and watched the ocean which was right in front our camper. At night we watched the moon rise right in front of us. And then it shone across the ocean to our doorstep. It was wonderful. Keep cool!! Dharma Hugs. Dharma Dharma 
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 HELLO ALL!! When I first came home with Chellie Girl I was greeted by many new family members waiting for me RIGHT AT THE FRONT DOOR!! At the door was my Papa holding my sister April 1865, a cream colored tiger cat in one arm, and my brother Stoney Wall in the other. Kira, my brother collie was sitting in the doorway next to them. THEY WERE ALL JUST WAITING FOR ME! IT WAS SWEETER THAN BEE POLLEN! After all of the excitement of everyone first seeing each other the folks took all of the animal family away and put them in another room. ONE BY ONE they were brought out so everyone could be introduced and that I could TAKE A SNIFF. It is really interesting what you learn from sniffing. Dogs have rather large olfactory sniffers, much larger than people so this was an ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT THING for all of the CANINE MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY. When I first sniffed Mama at the airport I knew right away that she LOVED orange jelly candies. Mama never offered me any over the years, though I WATCHED AND DROOLED every single time that she ate one. She said it was because all the sugar was bad for dogs. She also said that all that sugar was bad for people. Just one of those things I guess. For Papa right away I could smell deck furniture and cigar smoke. So I KNEW that he LOVED sitting on the deck smoking a cigar. Many times, he has invited me to join him on the deck at night. In the summer when the moon is waxing full; the fireflies are twinkling in the back yard, and the white birches are waving on the woodland edge... it is a wonderful time for both of us. For Stoney Wall, THE SMELL OF RUBBER WAS EVERYWHERE! He loved gnawing on his rubber chewy bone. That was his delight!! He just could not stop himself as he chewed up more, and more rubber doggie bones, DIGGING OUT THAT GOLDEN SQUEAKER TREASURE WITHIN. This was his own special kind of LOVE. As for my brother Kira You could smell "FROSTY PAWS" on him a mile away. Frosty Paws is ice cream for dogs in case you did not know. He could WOOF DOWN A FROSTY PAW in two minutes flat. I saw him MORE TIMES THAN I CAN COUNT WITH MY PAWS DEVOUR an ice cream cup of it ONE LICK AT A TIME!! He loved them soooooo much!! However, when I was introduced to April, she was a totally new smell for me. I could not get ANYTHING from her. It was like she was this exotic thing from another planet. She was about the size of Stoney Wall and was a color I had never seen before. She had the oddest lines on her body, a long tail like me but short hair. And she smelled like, TO BE HONEST, I DIDN'T HAVE A CLUE. When Mama brought me through the door THAT VERY FIRST DAY I thought, OKAY FOLKS I AM UP FOR A NEW THING TODAY. But when they brought April 1865 out for a SNIFF and her introduction I IMMEDIATELY RAN AWAY AND HID OUT IN THE KITTY HOUSE. As you can see I was so tiny then. How do you like my picture?  Now April was named by our Papa. Before April, Kira was named by Mama for Star Trek characters. His full name is Kira Blue Aquiel. Bro Stoney was named by Papa for Stonewall Jackson, from the Civil War. THEN CAME APRIL. Everyone who knows Papa knows that he LOVES TALKING ABOUT THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR THE WAY SOME PEOPLE LOVE EATING CHOCOLATE. So ... after naming the family's very first kitty, April 1865, well let's just say he was not encouraged to name any more pets. For anyone who does not know, April 1865 is the month and the year the American Civil War ended. Now April, I learned early on, HAD NO INTEREST IN ME. Actually, she had no interest in anyone in the family. She was definitely a HANDS OFF kind of kitty. She had NEVER EVEN SEEN A DOG before moving to our LITTLE BLUE HOUSE IN THE COUNTRY. Which probably explains some of her NO CUDDLY KITTY BEHAVIORS toward the canine members of the family. CAN YOU IMAGINE? NEVER SEEING A DOG BEFORE? LIKE, HOW IS THAT EVEN RIGHT? For me, I was ALWAYS amazed at her. She could curl her body RIGHT INTO A BALL! Did you see her picture at the beginning? VERY COOL!! For me being a dachshund (hot dog), that was something I certainly had never done. My body WILL NOT BEND THAT WAY! So seeing her curled up tight, her stripes vibrating as her breath moved them up and down, it was well FASCINATING! After that first day I spent as much time as possible hiding out in April's Kitty House. I LOVED IT! I thought it was there JUST FOR ME. BUT AS YOU CAN SEE Sister April was less than happy with my moving in. In this picture you can see her SPACE CADET STARING EYE THING that she did when life was NOT GOING HER WAY. IT WAS AS IF SHE WAS WILLING ME TO GET OUT OF HER HOUSE! It was like COME ON NOW! AREN'T YOU GOING TO GET THIS GUY OUTTA HERE? APPARENTLY NOT BECAUSE I stayed in that Kitty House FOR A VERY LONG TIME as it was JUST MY SIZE. Just like in the story of Goldilocks. Anyway I think that Mama and Papa were old softies and just could not force little baby Dharma to MOVE OUT! Ha Ha, Lucky me!  As for bro Stoney, he was always trying to get her attention. But, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THIS PICTURE she is giving him her BEST BENGAL TIGER LOOK AND GROWL as she attempts to devour his leg. April remained a HANDS OFF KITTY in our family. She never did warm up to any of us. Ah well, like Grumpy the old grandfather used to say: "YOU DO THE BEST YOU CAN WITH WHAT YOU HAVE". Good advice from the old Yankee. We certainly learned to live together I should say AS HARMONIOUSLY AS WAS POSSIBLE. Hope you enjoyed the story. Dharma Hugs!! Dharma Dharma    Hello All. Another dog day of summer and it is still raining. What is a girl to do? I have been thinking of my brothers Stoney Wall, and Frodo. Here is a great picture of Stoney Wall my brother. He was also known as Wizzer. Frodo my brother is a short haired grey striped Siamese tiger-cat, Here is his baby "kitty" photo. He has a whole story of his own about life in the "cow barn". I will tell it to you sometime. Over the years we have learned many things from each other. Now, some folks do not believe in inter-species learning. But if you ask me, I say, of course. But, I am after all only a dog and compared to some experts, what do I know? Well, you would be surprised! So let me tell you my story. My brother Merlie, the collie, will dance at the back door and chortle when NEED compels him. This is how the old folks know he NEEDS TO GO OUT. For the doxies in the house Mama placed a hanging bell on the door knob to that same back door. She then tried to teach us how to "RING THE BELL" whenever we needed to go pee. Or you know, the other stuff too. Now my brother Stoney Wall, his response was like, BLEAH, ARE YOU KIDDING? BUT FOR ME , I LOVE RINGING THAT BELL AND HEAR IT ECHO THOUGH OUT THE WHOLE HOUSE! It means for me that I GET TO GO OUT THE DOOR INTO THE UNIVERSE under the BIG BLUE SKY where I could hear THE CHIRPING BIRDS AND I GOT TO RUN!!. So I ring the bell, and Mama takes me to the little doggie pen in the back yard. It is a great system I think. Anyway, one day I am sleeping on the couch with brother Stoney Wall and THE BELL is RINGING!! I'm thinking, Whoo Hoo!! Stoney Wall has finally learned how to RING THE BELL. How cool is that? Totally forgetting of course that he was just laying on the couch next to me. So I am immediately flying off the couch, running toward the sun room, WINGS A FLYING!! (Here's a picture of Stoney Wall and me on the couch).  Into the sun room I run and Mama and Papa are standing there. They are looking very funny with their jaws hanging low. And they keep looking back and forth at each other. I am of course still thinking, WAY TO GO STONEY WALL. I make the corner at top speed and there is FRODO our family cat. HE IS THE ONE WHO IS RINGING THE BELL! I am totally confused AS IS FRODO because he looks at the old folks and RINGS THE BELL AGAIN and is like, WAITING. YOU COULD SEE IT IN HIS EYES. COME ON FOLKS LET ME OUT!! I guess he thought that if this was the key to the door opening FOR MERLIE AND ME THEN WHY NOT HIM? Why not indeed? I am very proud because HE LEARNED IT FROM ME! And so, every once in a while he will STILL RING THE BELL. And when he does I JUST SMILE! And yes, dogs do smile. 
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AuthorChell Sommese is a retired teacher.
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