Oh Deer

We've got what I would characterize as a deer problem. Not the kind which you probably think. They don't eat our vegetables - we don't have a garden. They don't peer in our windows - they're too high. But they traipse through our yard and distract our dogs. Tonight, I took Reuben & Lulu for our daily walk around the yard after dinner to take care of business. I let them wander into the woods for 2 reasons: 1. I know they like to check out the various smells. 2. This eliminates me having to clean up after them. Selfish, I know. Well, tonight Lulu was headed back for her cookie reward while Reuben was still out there finding inspiration. As Reuben was poised to take care of business, out of the blue a deer shot past him at breakneck speed. Reuben got up on his front paws and you could see the hair raise inches off the back of his neck. Now I know Reuben is a well trained machine, so if I called him to come, he would. And, I knew that if I am desperate I can always cajole him back with the word "cookie." We trained him to be food obsessed. I called to him to come. He didn't. But he didn't run after the deer either which was my fear. Eventually, he took care of business and came back. Crisis averted.

About 45 minutes later, we were back in the house and back to our routine. I walked by the front door and noticed something on our front lawn. It was 3 deer traipsing through our front lawn like it was a nature reserve. I stopped to look, then quickly grabbed the camera. Then the 3 of us (me, Reuben and Lulu) stood peering out the front door windows and watched them go on their merry way through our front lawn. As they moved out of my sight line, I could swear I saw the last one smirk at me.

Sick as a Dog

Now I know what they mean. Lulu was sick as a dog this week. Of course, she is a dog so that makes it even more appropos. Sickness in dogs is way worse than humans. They can't tell you what hurts, they can't tell you they feel nauseaus and they can't scream "take me the doctor now." But if you look really close and pay attention they are telling you this. Wednesday night Lulu was walking all around the house all night. Usually, she sleeps. But I could her the echo of the tap, tap, tap of her nails on the floor all night long. At 3am, I got up and let her out. She promptly got sick in the front bushes. I looked at her and told her, aloud (yes- I am crazy lady with a dog), "don't worry we've all been there." Granted, mine was in high school. Thursday morning CityCrab made the call to the vet and we dropped her off. The diagnosis came around lunch: pneumonia. I was traumatized by this. Was it something I did? Something I missed? Apparently, it's a fluke the doctor said. They gave her lots of fluids and antibitoics and x-rays. And, today, she's back to her old self. Now I'm watching Reuben's every move and waiting for his symptoms to appear.

Doggie Daycare

I didn't start out as that girl. The kind of girl who carries their dog in a bag then puts him in the cart at the grocery store. Or the girl who dresses their dog in a cute dress at the dog's catered birthday party. But I guess what? I think I might be that girl. It was originally CityCrab's idea. Doggie Daycare. A chance for the dogs to socialize with other dogs. Really? I thought. The first time Reuben came back, he was tired for 2 days. I thought this was pretty great. Then came Lulu and the same thing. For 2 days, they were calm. They slept, ate, slept, ate. They also seemed to be nicer to each other. It was as though they were able to express their individuality during the day so they could appreciate each other at night. Reuben, for example, loves the pool. I often leave with pictures of him in the pool. Apparently, when he is asked to get out of the pool, he gets mad and glares. He never would have survived "adult swim" at the YMCA. Lulu, she loves to stay inside and check out all the rooms. In fact, I think she helps with the chores around Carolina Doggie Daycare. She goes into the storage room and checks for the mop. She goes into the bathroom to see that the toilet paper roll is full. She heads in to the laundry room to alert the staff that the towels are done and the washer needs to be emptied. She also greet guests on occasion. If you live in Charlotte, stop by and tell them Reuben & Lulu sent you.