Saturday, November 29, 2008

Sweet, dogged sentiment


Sign of the canine times
Montreal, QC, August 2008
About this photo: We're continuing to plumb the depths of this week's Thematic Photographic theme, sweet. Please click here to add your photographic two cents to the party. I promise it's great fun. Cathartic, even. A new Caption This is coming tomorrow as well. There's still time to share your thoughts on last week's pic. Click here for that.
I've come to the conclusion that the we need to surround ourselves with more happiness. Not everyone's cut out for pet ownership, of course, but for those of us who are, few things can set things straight more quickly or effectively than a couple of minutes with a wiggling being who doesn't speak an identifiable language, can't operate an ATM or otherwise add to the Gross Domestic Product.

If anyone's looking for me, I'll be hanging with a certain slightly psychotic rescued schnauzer.

Your turn: Your most memorable moment with a pet or animal was...?

19 comments:

Vodka Mom said...

We LOVE our two big mangy mutts. We found them both at the pound (at different times) and couldn't be happier. We HAD to take Abbott, after Sassy dropped her on the floor on her head. We were afraid that she probably damaged her, so we TOOK HER! They are two great, barking, wild, lovable dogs.

Pam said...

cute sentiment/photo. :)

Lifelong Learner said...

Mine was a lot of memorable moments with my horse, Glow Girl. We roamed, played in ponds, and just enjoyed long summer days together. Looking back, it was perfect timing because it was when my nine year old brother was in and out of the hospital. When I was with her, it was just the two of us.

smarmoofus said...

*giggle at Vodka mom's comment* I didn't know the pound had a "you break it, you bought it" policy!

I had a puppy once... she was 13 when she died, but she never stopped being my "puppy". She loved pickle butts--the stem-end of pickles which I removed before using them in my food. I use a lot of pickles when making Pickle Salad (which is what my sister calls my take on tuna salad, due to the insane concentration of chopped dill pickles)... so any time I made up a batch of Pickle Salad, Portia (my perennial puppy) would stand in the kitchen and look up at me with her puppy-dog eyes. If I didn't acknowledge her soon enough, she would make a "grr" sound to get my attention. Not a growl, just a gutteral "Hi, I'm here!" Maybe she'd snort or cough. Sometimes a soft bark. Whatever she did, I copied it. Then she would say something else. Then I would. Back and forth, we would hold long conversations this way as I prepared my food. And occasionally, I'd toss a pickle butt down to her which she'd snarf down.

I wish I'd been a better owner. She had an excellent personality, but her training was lacking and she was in poor health for several years before she died.

kenju said...

I have had so many good moments with my pets, both dogs and cats, that I would be hard pressed to name one. I've had one or the other since I was 5 years old, a total of 63 years.

Carli N. Wendell said...

Interesting sign. I have a pet, a therapist, and my therapist has a pet , a little yippy dog who is now present at all our sessions.

I can't think of any particularly amazing stories right now, but most recently Wendell and I shared this conversation:
ME: Is there a coupon section this week?
HIM: Kyewpon. It's pronounced Kyewpon.

David Edward said...

i may have some sweet photos, but no time right now to share them, but since my therapy sessions will soon end, I may have to get a cat....

me said...

We have always been bird people. Precious a cockatiel and Lary a parakeet. Favorite memory of Precious is her flying into the bathroom to take a shower with Boy Toy. Favorite memory of Lary? Watching him take a bath in a bowl of ice cream. I miss them both.

Anonymous said...

I have some cute photos of my dogs. I love dogs,who could live without one LOL.Memorable moments,lets see,when I was about 10 my dad got my brother and I a collie puppy.They are so adorable and great temperment.So today I have a Border Collie hes the best,Im sad though he will be 12 in January thats getting old.But I will still have my westie,hes just a funny dog period.LOL, They get very serious when they sleep haah.

2 Brits, 2 Yanks, 2 Dogs said...

I have 2 pit bulls both rescued, one from death row at the local pound and one from a rescue organization. They are sweet, loveable, canine good citizens. (I hate the way they are portrayed in the media). My 2 and 3 year olds have pulled their ears, tails, fallen on them and generally used them as toys and all they show is love for them.

When both kids were born for the first 6 weeks each time they cried, Macy my female dog, would come flying in to the room from wherever she was, in distress that the baby was crying. To some extent she still does it.

But for me I think animals just have this sense about them. When my father passed away, both my dogs did not leave my side. If I sat down, they sat on me, if I went to my bedroom to cry, they came with me - its that unspoken empathy that they have. We will never be without a dog.

Anonymous said...

hey carmi

i wrote a post just before my heart surgery about my special moment with my pet.

http://3yrplan.typepad.com/soeursdujour/2008/07/charley-the-chocolate-lab.html

Vodka Mom said...

Red rover, red rover, send Carmi right over. (I've got a little something for you in my post....)

Anonymous said...

Spring and summer days walking with Dillon, the Boston Terrier adopted from my brother, and taking a sit-down near the creek in the woods for a snack.

I like the sentiment in the photo. Nice when at least one Being finds us "perfect." :)

Nestor Family said...

I remember our poodle-cocker-schnauzer mix, Jerry, who we had grwoing up... he knew the way to my grandma's house without any help and we had to keep up with him when we told him that that was where we were going.

Our cat now is named Larry... he shocked us (being an indoor cat) when he actually went out onto our deck and rolled in the snow. We thought he was too "prissy" for that!

Love those animals! I have always believed there is nothing better than puppy kisses and kitty purrs to turn your day around!

mo.stoneskin said...

To be fair on dogs, most people I see at ATMs can't operate them either, or at least, can't operate them without spending 15 minutes faffing around with the decision-making prowess of a drunk gerbil.

Anonymous said...

Hello Carmi!
To quote Cesar Millan (the dog whisperer), "Dogs are medicine without the side effects." We love the show.
I will revise it to be pets are medicine without the side effects.
We love our cats and can hardly believe how calming they can be for us. No matter how stressful the day has been we become calm and relaxed as soon as they greet us at the door. A snuggle and a purr later and we have forgotten the stresses of the day completely.
Bradley came home one day very grumpy and grumbling. I gave him a smooch and a hug but to no avail. Next I gave him our little Peanut (a tiny calico and his baby) who snuggled and purred him into a happy mood.
Terri

Rose DesRochers said...

Cute photo. I have a new puppy and love my puppy time with her.

swilek said...

Here's my Sweet post:

http://swile67.blogspot.com/2008/11/sweet-friends.html

swilek said...

PS Love your piano post...Brings back fond memories of the many times we had family sings around the piano and with my dad's guitar! Keep those family times around "piano forte!!"