*The Brambleberry Cottage*: Pampered Pets

Friday, January 6, 2012

Meet the Competition

Last night, I revealed to you that The Yankee has a new love.

And I thought you might just be interested in a few

of the nitty-gritty details.

But...

in order to fully understand how this pair came to be,

you'll have to travel back in time with me—

to the beginning of this little tale.

Some time ago, darling daughter called to inform me that she had a very special

surprise for me. Knowing that I had wanted a Yorkshire Terrier

since my high school days, she had eagerly accepted the offer to adopt the

six-year-old little ball of fur shown above...

just for me.

However, as it happened, the week that she made this commitment was the

very week I had committed to keep my then-two-year-old granddaughter—

her daughter—for five days.

Needless to say, a frightened little pooch being thrust into a strange environment,

coupled with the boundless energy of a rambunctious two-year-old,

is anything but an ideal situation.

There was only one solution!

I spent five days keeping precious granddaughter

occupied, while The Yankee spent that entire time pretty much holding

and consoling the pitiful three and a half pound pooch.

So...

who do you think my dog bonded with?

From that point on, the two of them have been inseparable.

Whether it's hiking around the woods of our farm, napping on the sofa,

or snacking in the kitchen...

where you find one, you are sure to spot the other.

And where does that leave me?

Replaced...

by the most adorable, teeny, toy Yorkie!

Meet Mozart—my competition! ; )

Thursday, January 5, 2012

I've Been Replaced!

There is absolutely no denying it.

The Yankee has a new love!

After all these years...

I now have some real competition for his affections!

He tells me there is nothing to be concerned about...

and that I will always be number one in his life.

But I see the look of mutual adoration in their eyes!

It appears I might just have to learn how to play second fiddle.

I guess it's a good thing I'm musically inclined! ; )

Monday, February 8, 2010

Fourteen Days of Love - Day 8 - Must Love Pets!

There is no question about it.
For most of us, our pets are very special parts of our families.

You're probably glancing at the image above, wondering if it's a mistake,
or if I actually have cows as pets. No…on two counts!

Although, if it were up to me, I would have at least one cow as a pet.
I've been enchanted with that adorable species of mammal since I was a child—
and always ~~thought~~ hoped that someday I might just own one.

Well, I've lived on a small farm for over four years now,
and the Yankee and I still can't see eye to eye on that matter.
MOO MOO…I mean BOOHOO! ; )

But, I have managed to have some very special pooches as pets.

This was Sasha. She was the very first pet I had when I left my parents' home

to go out on my own. She was my "baby" before I ever had babies.

A sweet, yet timid little lady, her very favorite activity was

going for rides in the car with me.

Wasn't she a pretty princess?

When my daughter, Asheley, was seven, she received a Maltese

as a present from a dear family friend.

Tasha was only two months old when she came to live with us

and would literally fit in the palm of my hand.

Ashe and Ta were totally inseparable for many years. And that
pretty little girl—the furry one—would let Asheley do just about anything to, and with, her.

It was not uncommon to find the two of them together in various
comical situations—like Tasha donning doll clothes, while being wheeled around in a doll carriage by Ashe, both as content as could be.

Our son, Joshua, thought it quite unfair that his sister could have a pet
when he did not. So, six months later, Samson, a sweet Labrador
Retriever puppy, joined our family.

Samson and Tasha were six months apart in age—though worlds apart in size.

Yet, the two played together as though they were from the same litter of pups.

Not only were these two canines the best pals for our children,

they were best pals to one another.

When our children moved out on their own, Tasha and Samson moved to the farm with us.

I asked the Yankee to craft a sign for me that read:

FIRST YOU HAVE DOGS, THEN YOU HAVE KIDS, THEN YOU HAVE

THE KID'S DOGS.

Can anyone out there identify? ; )

This sweet guy was a rescue. A visit to the veterinarian's office

determined him to be a German Shepherd/Basset Hound mix. With the torso of a

shepherd and the legs of a Basset Hound, he is quite a sight.

When we brought him home, daughter Asheley chose the perfect

name for him—Frodo, of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy.

He's short, has furry feet and is totally lovable.

One of his favorite pastimes is playing fetch.
When he couldn't find a stick in this thick blanket of snow, he improvised and broke
off the lower limb of a small tree!

Frodo is really a great name for him, although...
the way he likes to wander, Bilbo might have been a better choice.

This is really our son's dog, Ellie. But she is so adorable, I thought

I would include her in the lineup. She's a purebred German Shepherd pup.

We're all hoping she soon grows into certain parts of her body!

Can you guess what they might be? ; )

Do you believe that animals have personalities—all animals? Well, I do!
We had nine chickens the first few years here at the farm.

We found out very quickly that chickens indeed do have personalities. So much so,
that we were able to name each one and identify one from the other.

They dearly loved the Yankee and would follow him like he was the Pied Piper.

When he began constructing the small addition on the back of the cottage, they

thought he was Prince Charming building a castle just for them.

They free-ranged on the farm and from sunup until sundown

would be scattered all around our eleven acres. But, if one of us left in a vehicle,

upon our return they would run to greet us—just like dogs!

That's the back of the outbuilding near our long driveway that they're
running toward—to greet the Yankee. I shared a photo with you earlier of the side of
that building and part of our driveway in the snow pictures here.

And how many pets do we have right now?
Zero, nada, not one!

A temporary situation we are looking to correct very soon! ; )

Today—the first day of the second week of the Valentine's party—
I will be adding a Cup O' Cats to the giveaway.

What? You're allergic to cats, you say! No problem.
These cuties won't make you sneeze, but they are guaranteed
to make you smile!