Piece Two: Mutts

Aged and Crabby Dog and Ottoman-shaped Dog accompanied Herself and the family on the trip this past weekend.  The reasons for this were twofold:  first, there was not a lot of planning ahead involved, so finding someone to take care of the dogs could not be done on short notice; and second (related to the first), both dogs have medical issues that make it difficult to find care. Aged and Crabby Dog has severe arthritis and has of late been experiencing some digestive issues that have decreased her appetite and rendered her difficult to feed.  Ottoman-shaped Dog, as has been mentioned before, is diabetic and requires twice-daily insulin shots.  Right now, Herself takes care of the special needs of all of the pets.  She has found no one else to do so yet.

Herself was a bit concerned about handling the dogs during the drive and in the camper-trailer, but on the whole they behaved well.  The best part for the dogs was the mountain stream.  Herself thought that Ottoman-shaped dog would not like the water, since he has always been afraid of hoses in the back yard.  She suspected that Aged and Crabby Dog, however, would be pleased, for she has always enjoyed water, snapping at the sprinklers and such. 

When the dogs were brought to the streambed, both were fascinated.  They sniffed and splashed and poked around on the streambed and had a marvelous time.  They were wet and filthy by the end, and couldn't have been happier.

Herself knows that the dogs' lives may be short because of their medical issues.  She is very glad they had this experience.