Callie Teaches TheQueen a Lesson

Seven weeks ago my 7 month old lab pup Callie broke her leg and we have been carefully tending her since then. Two and a half weeks ago, on a Friday, she got the pins out of her leg and was still on 2 more weeks of careful watching.  That Saturday she started playing in the yard and you guessed it - re-injured that leg. Worst yet - I didn't notice it till we were walking home on Sunday after picking up the paper. The rest of Sunday was pure torture for the two grownups in this house. Monday she went back in for surgery and came home with an exterior pin and a prescription for another month of confinement.

It has been a tough 2 weeks for us. (imagine how hard we had to work to not recriminate all over each other - only partially succeeded)

Callie? she could care less. all she can think of is "Where's The Fun?!?"

And that, my friends is the best lesson I could ever learn. I agonized. I blamed. I ached. I angered. I raged. I wept. I wrung* my hands.

Callie thumped her tail. Callie nuzzled my face. Callie ate a healthy dinner - neither too much nor too little. Callie has a much more enlightened soul. She takes what's good in life and concentrates on that. No obsessing for Callie.

Lord - Please make me more like Callie. Thank you.

Callie's Progress

It's been 4 weeks since my beautiful little dog leapt out of the truck and broke her leg. We've all adjusted to adjustments and the reward for our efforts has been some wonderful healing. I would say that she has become so spoiled that she can lie on any couch in the house - except that she was always that spoiled.



I think she looks like Manet's Olympia with her white throat and black collar - she can really give you that blase face. That's me, the servant girl in the back ground, offering things to tempt her pleasure. Can't you tell?

She is wearing the collar because we don't walk her unless she's on the leash now. Well. I take her off for short spurts so she can find the perfect spot in the barley to take care of business. And we release her when we're at the big ditch or at the riverbank since swimming is permitted and she loves it so.

The fur on her leg is growing out so that the stitches are hidden unless you stroke her and I believe the pins are sort of working their way back up the leg bone - as we were warned they might. They'll be taken out on Friday and then she'll be banned from the river again.

We were treated to the magic of a visit from LD this weekend and many a walk was taken, both with Callie and without her. She is a handful when there are two other dogs to chew on and though she struggles on the leash a little with me, she struggles A LOT with the guys (who have more tender hearts).

When it was time to say good-bye to LD, two dogs decided that they'd love to drive south and of course they aren't a bit crowded and there's plenty of room in the car for 3 dogs.




Even after they'd been called out, told "Nooo Nooo Nooo" and given lots of strokes, you can see how they don't believe a word of it. I love the expression on Jack's face.

 Please, please, take me with you.

But as BD says - who should feel sorry for dogs who have to stay at Chesituxent, a.k.a. Dog Heaven? They quickly settled down to life at home without Cousin Buster. 

So. That's the story from Chesatuxent, where all the women are strong, all the men are good looking and all the dogs are above average.