Sunday, January 30, 2011

Willow and Kona

 
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 Here is my post for the Writing Buddie Blogs Carnival! 

Quite often, when  I am writing or sewing, I realize I have company.  Willow has come into the room-quieter than snowflakes falling on snow.  She is a subtle girl.  She walks on whispering feet; showing up without a sound.

We love her.  That goes without saying-but it wasn’t a love that happened over night.  We got her when she was a year and a half old.  She was utterly and totally wild; not knowing what it meant to have the security and love of a forever home.  She had been a street dog-then a shelter dog-then an adopted, but quickly   unwanted dog.  She was a mutt-a mix of random ingredients.    She was offered  free to any home willing to take her.  We were her last hope. Those first few years we had our doubts, though, about the wisdom of our decision.  But not any more.

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While Willow sometimes gives the impression of being a little slow off the mark, nothing could not be further from the truth.  She knows that the sofa is a much more comfortable place to sleep at night than a dog bed-but she also knows that it’s best to wait until the house is dark and quiet before she relocates herself.  She just hasn’t figured out a way to hide the dog hair she leaves behind on the cushions.

She also knows to keep here eyes peeled on the kitchen floor when any sort of cooking is going on.  She has learned that sooner or later-something good to eat will end up there, and it’s best to be first in line.

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Though Willow doesn’t show much interest in dog toys-(we don’t think she learned to play as a puppy)-there are exceptions—she relishes the ones purloined from Kona- when Kona is not watching.

Willow is the salt in our lives-adding just the right amount of dependable  flavor-nothing too fancy, but still really good- for nearly 14 years now.  Willow turns 15 in May.


And then there is Kona.

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If Willow is the salt,  Kona is the pepper.

There is NOTHING subtle about Kona.  And what you see is pretty much what you get.    When Kona comes into a room-everyone knows it.  Kona is not a dog who will settle for sitting quietly at someone’s feet-she makes sure she is noticed- with licks, nibbles and a friendly tap of her paw.  She is brash, impulsive, incautious.   She thinks nothing of leaping down the last half of a flight of stairs, or racing  across an icy expanse of pavement.  She is about as hard to miss as a meteor landing  on a tin roof.

Kona's first snow

Kona was not free-but at 25 bucks she was a darn good deal.  She was part of a litter of puppies that weren’t exactly unplanned-they just didn’t turn out to be the purebred Border Collies that some of the parties involved were expecting.  (It seems that Kona’s mother was an Australian Shepherd-there was a little bit of miscommunication.)  Last May, when we first saw 7 week old  Kona, it was love at first sight.

When I am writing  or sewing, I know when Kona has decided to keep me company- she comes barreling into my presence-ready to claim any discarded scrap of fabric or piece of paper, which instantly becomes her favorite new plaything.  She is funny that way-and doesn’t care about expensive toys.  Her toy basket is mostly filled with bits of old socks and rags.

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Kona smiles, and does somersaults for fun.  She chases birds and chases her tail.  (I wonder when she’ll figure out that she doesn’t have one.)  Hopefully she will be our companion for years to come.  In the meantime, Willow is trying to come to terms with the fact that her twilight years are not going to be as peaceful as she might have hoped they would be-but she’s having fun trying to keep up with (and outwit) a dog who is a fraction of her age, and twice her size.  Willow and Kona.  Salt and Pepper.

Life would sure be bland without them.


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16 comments:

  1. Thanks! They were both such lucky finds-we've really enjoyed them both.
    Nice to have you visit again,too!! :)

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  2. What beautiful dogs you have, they really "spice" up your life! Your story of Willow reminds me a little of our cat, who spent over 4 months in a humane society cage before we walked past her, and took her home. It took her awhile, too, to understand the security of a good home. Now, over 5 years later, she graces our lives every day with her presence and love in return.

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  3. Thanks Joanne:)
    Pets truly are a blessing. It makes me sad that any animal ever has to end up in an animal shelter-the few times I've visited one, I've wanted to bring home every single dog and cat there-and it breaks my heart because I know that's not possible.
    I'm glad you found your sweet kittie:)

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  4. I love your salt-pepper analogy! We recently brought home an older puppy, and she's like a whirlwind in our formerly quiet house. Our older dog is having to gracefully adjust, like Willow. Both Willow and Kona are lucky to have you.

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  5. Thanks Christine! It is so wonderful that you guys adopted an older dog too-it seems the majority of shelter dogs here are older dogs. I can't imagine getting rid of Willow now-it would kill her.

    Thanks so much for stopping by:)

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  6. What pretty doggies you have. A hug for both.

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  7. Thanks Tina!! They both appreciate that (and so do I) :)

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  8. Sweet little dogs ... I see you live in Eastern Washington ... where? I live about 10 miles from Pullman.

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  9. Hi Catherine, I live in Ellensburg-so we are almost neighbors!

    I really enjoyed your pictures of Moe:)

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  10. What sweet dogs! You can see their personality in their pictures. I recognize some familiar doggie traits there - our dog isn't allowed on the furniture, but we can always tell he's been trying it out when we leave him home alone - and in really cold weather he will sneak into somebody's bed at night, usually my younger sisters' bed. But as soon as he hears Dad coming he hops down quickly. :)

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  11. I think that's the best thing about our pets-they keep us on our toes! When Willow learns to use the vacuum, we are in trouble!

    Thanks for stopping by Elisabeth, and give Buster a pat from me:)

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  12. What a beautiful post! These two are sweethearts and more importantly your family are lovely to give them such good homes. We lost our dog before deaglan was born. I'm not sure if he would have liked being moved from the spotlight with the birth of the baby. He was 11 and had cancer. He truly was my first baby!

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  13. Thanks Kim! When Amy was born we had a basset hound named Maggie. Maggie was not happy at being replaced and was a really difficult dog after that. I came to resent her, and I still feel guilty about that. Her death was sad-she was being boarded at our vet's while we were out of town attending my grandfather's funeral, and when my husband went to pick her up she had a stroke as she was being brought to him. The vet heroically tried to save her, but she died. I remember I was in the shower when Stuart got home, and when I came out Stuart was in tears and told me Maggie was gone. I still think about it, and how I should have tried harder to help Maggie adjust to the arrival of Amy:)

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  14. I must be getting ahead of myself because I am already back. ;)

    Happy Wednesday.

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