Gosh I miss him...

Mr. Morris was such a huge part of my late adult life. 14 years of everyday adventure. As a Jack Russell, he was always on the go. Go

go

go...was Morris's motto until the last year of his life.

His vet told me that a JRT will be like that. They'll go with boundless energy and then then stop. When they stop, then worry.

Yesterday morning I wasn't thinking of him at all. But when I opened my laptop and logged in. Facebook reminded me that Morris's birthday was today. Indeed it was and he would have been 16? Wow. 

I meant to take his page down but when I look at it, I just end up browsing his page and photos.

Crazy.

So I spent part of the day recalling our friendship and browsing all the Flickr photos of him all the way back to the day I brought him home.

It's true. Charlie is in our lives now and he has grabbed our hearts like no other. It was with great purpose that I chose a wonderfully different kind of dog. 

After all...how can you not love this face?

Yes, I miss Morris and nothing can replace him or his place in my heart.

Thank you Charlie for helping to fill that space that hurts and filling it with your silly ways and your pure unselfish devotion to Rich.

Your devil may care attitude and hunting instinct, and your ability to take over the whole couch with such a tiny body.

So life goes on. We miss those we love.

And we find reasons to carry on....

Laugh love

cry

and smile.

Little Dog

This is the look I get when I am getting dressed to go do something and I tell Charlie he can't come.

I felt pretty sure that when I brought Charlie home that he wasn't going to be much of an outside dog.
Boy was I ever wrong.

He doesn't like the hot summer days as much as he likes the cold snowy days. And he keeps proving that over and over.

We took our afternoon walk on Wednesday to the creek and back. It was a quick walk just to get some fresh air. We hiked part of the way into the Peterson Valley and then I turned around.
I still had to finish up the fixin's for the roast and I had chores to do before dark.

Charlie charged up the ridge road ahead of me. He now knows where I am going and generally which path I chose to follow.
He also accompanies me in all sorts of weather to do chores.

Here is a photo I grabbed with my cell phone...

His chest and legs are snow and ice covered, yet he was not cold. He was searching for mice in tufts of grass and leaves. At times his head would be buried up to his eyes under the snow.

Here is a shot of his tummy...

Look how short those front legs are!
What a hoot!

He can run like the dickens though and is very fast for a dog so small.

I'm so happy to have a tiny hiking companion. Each day Charlie reminds me of why I like to have a pet in my life.
Those big brown liquid eyes that melt my heart, the eager little dog who wants to help chore, the funny little dog that sits and stares lovingly at my husband when he eats.
[He knows who drops food!]

Charlie likes to remind me that it is 'chore time'. He does this little whine thing until I get dressed and then we go out to do our chores. Even yesterday when it was zero degrees, he charged across the frozen snow and led me to each spot I needed to go.
When it was time to go in the pasture and feed the mules, he watched from the yard and porch. I got cold, but Charlie just seemed to take it all in as if IT were his duty to make sure I did all the chores properly...

Yes, I miss Morris every day. Yet Charlie is still easing that pain.

Now I am wondering how I can accommodate him if I were to go x country skiing on the ridge. Or...how can he come with when I snow shoe in the deep snow?

I guess I will find out this winter. [I may have to devise a way to carry him!]

Little Dog...
You make my
heart
Happy.

Thank you Charlie.

The Talk

Him: You don't want a pup during this weather you need to wait until spring.
Me: Spring is here. Look at the mud and the weather.
Him: Um. Yeah. Okay. I miss him too.

Me: Too soon?
Him: Big Shrug

I show him some dogs that are up for adoption. He smiles. He knows I can't do without a canine underfoot.

For those who want to tell me that Dixie should come in. Let us recall the size of my cottage and the size of Dixie. Dixie has been an outside dog since she was 4 months old. Let it be my decision.
I've had outside dogs for 20+ years. I've never been without an inside dog. My dog life began the summer we brought home a puppy. I could be wrong, but I think it was about 1967? We added a second dog soon after that.
I think the math puts me as a long time dog owner for what? 51 years?

Maybe I should wait. Maybe I shouldn't. I still listen for that pitter patter on the floor.
I still ache to put my hand down and find a cold wet nose.

I still ache to cuss out Morris for getting me up at 4am to go potty and then insist on eating his breakfast. It was irritating, but it was comforting too.

Me: How about this one?
Him: What is it?
Me: A mixed up dog. Young. 10 weeks?
Him: Well.
Me: Look at that ...
Him: Hmmm, looks like this litter had more than one daddy. [they can you know]

A bit later.
Me: Hey, look at this.
Him: What on earth?
Me: Daschund, beagle, and lab or something?
Him: Odd.
Me: Housebroke.
Him: Ugly, kind of.
Me: Yep. That is cool.

I do some research, this 'ugly' dog is being fostered somewhere near by. I fill out the on line application so I can be background checked. The only thing they don't ask of me is to give over my first born son.
I inquire if I can visit the dog. I'd like to meet him. Perhaps it is not a good fit. But at least I would be satisfying curiosity.

I find another two dogs. Housebroke, spade, neutered, up to date on all the...yadda yadda...
Medium sized. Hmmm. Smaller than Dixie. Energetic like Dixie. I put a note to self to email the place to see if I can drive up there. 

We go to bed and lay there talking. His mother and her situation is on our minds. Geographically I am the closest person to help her. Rich can't. But at the same time, I have him to take care of.
This winter has been extremely hard on his well being. He is becoming a bit frail. The COPD, throat cancer, and stroke are not kind to him.
He doesn't want me trying to be his caregiver and his mom's caregiver. Not out of selfishness but out of kindness. He knows how hard it is for me when he has 'episodes'.

He also understands the importance of me being able to hike and exercise for my mental and physical health.
I need to take care of the farm too. The animals need tending.

Which reminds me....looks like a good week for fence mending, fixing, and brush piling.

I may take that drive to look and see.
I may look at the 'ugly' dog.

And I may decide to wait.
Only my heart can decide.

Oh to love the creek

I like snow melts or winter thaws. It makes my little heart sing and my husband shake his head.
He often wonders if I am just crazy. No, I think he knows I am crazy.

I am nuts about our little creek. Any time we have a huge rain or a snow melt event I am scurrying to go watch it and take photos.

On the 15th we had our second day of extremely warm temperatures. I was sure that we'd had a 'run-off' on the 14th, but I had to wait for a phone call from the clinic. I was really quite put out that I could have been missing an adventure in Awesome Creek.

This photo is from March 2014. We'd had a lot of snow then.

February 15th this year...

I do love the sound the water makes as it makes its way through these boulders. The water is a coffee color with streaks of foam from the melting snow and ice. I believe the water color is from erosion from the cropland above and a mix of the clay and soils that line this 'dry' run.

I'd worn knee high waterproof boots for this.

After so many years of running down to the melt off, you'd think it would be boring or ho hum.
It isn't.
Each time it is different.

The path of the creek changes ever so slightly with each 'event'. Sometimes it changes drastically.

During such melt downs or heavy rains, I'd like to be everywhere at once along the creek. But that isn't possible.
This is the run off from the heavy rains we had on January 26th.

This is from the snow melt of February 14th and 15th.

boots...

Try as I might, I never do seem to get in the same exact place for these shots.
I gave up trying to be exact a long time ago.

But that is the charm of snow melts and heavy rains. I get to set up and practice some long exposure shots of the water.

Time was a factor also. I rush down to shoot the creek and explore as the daylight is beginning to fade.
I hurry instead of taking my time.

There are chores waiting for me at home. And a hungry husband.

I put the Olympus camera in my mini back pack and grabbed the tripod. I walked upstream to take the easier way out of the creek.
As I got above the water, I could hear a roaring coming from my neighbor's dry run.

I stepped through the barbed wire and walked over to where I could look. The water had started coming down here too. I couldn't help myself. I had to take a shot of the run off winding its way through the boulders and rocks.

I think I am going to find an old plastic chair to drag down to Awesome Creek and put it in a place so I can just sit and watch.

Morris doesn't come along with me any more. His eyesight is not very good any more and his hearing is pretty questionable.

I do miss his company and the looks that questioned my sanity....

Morris in 2014 giving me the look:

Weather alert.
Melting today.
Rain and ice event from tonight through Tuesday night.

I'm going to polish my cleats.

Where IS Morris?

Ahhh, Morris!  Morris I miss you!

Morris went back to 'Uncle John and Aunt Nancy's' house on Saturday evening.

They were so happy to see him back.
I was sort of sad to see him be so happy with John and Nancy.

These are some dear friends who have always given Morris a second home if I have been traveling and for some reason hubby wasn't able to take care of him.

Morris as I said before was raised as a guest puppy at Dr. John's office.  He learned to greet patients and he also learned great social skills.

Here is Uncle John sitting with Morris when I dropped him off.

He looks rather comfortable doesn't he?

Hmmm, almost too comfortable!

One of the wonderful things about these folks is that they know if I need to see Morris, I can just call or drop by and have a visit.  I'm not ready for him to come home quite yet as we still have another 7 days of travelling for appointments.

But knowing that I can see him and get Morris kisses is a great comfort.

I almost think that his 'Uncle and Aunt' are wishing that Morris didn't have a home to go to when all of these appointments are done!

Morris has his own easy chair.
Morris has a special bed and new dishes at the office and at home.
Morris is in routine at his alternate home.
If Aunt Nancy isn't up for work by a certain time, he will go awaken her.

I think Morris may even run their household.
When I picked him up for Memorial Day weekend, he casually laid on his recliner and simply stared at me...as if to say...

"So, what do you want?"

What I do love about dogs and Morris especially is that he seems so adaptable to any situation.  He is at home at his ... home in town.

He has trained his people to his wishes.

I can't wait to get him back!

So he continues to go to the office and supervise everything that goes on there.
He continues to greet patients and turn on his charm.


Morris, I may come and see you at Uncle John's this weekend!
I miss you!