A heart full of memories......

Hi everyone, I'm back. I didn't really abandon my blog but I suffered two tragedies that knocked me to my knees and kept me there for awhile. This blog has always made me laugh and I think it's time to laugh again.

Those of you who know me well know that on May 6, 2012 I lost my precious sister to breast cancer, she was a fighter and survivor. She had survived one bout of breast cancer and was a survivor for 5 years until the cancer returned with a fury and after an 18 month fight, cancer took her from us, twelve days before her fiftieth fifth birthday. In addition to that, on May 9, 2012 I lost my heart dog, my best friend, my Sunny. One day after his ninth birthday. He had pancreatitus and went downhill very quickly. He lost about 15 pounds and was a skeleton of his former self. I was talking to God and asked him to take him quickly if he can't be healed. About 10 seconds after that, he died from a massive heart attack, he didn't suffer but it damn near killed me.

I have so many good memories of them both. It's time to celebrate their lives and take a break from crying.

On May 8, 2003 a Dal puppy came skidding into life and never stopped. Thanks to Rosie Branaman and Julia Soukup my Sunny Bunny came to brighten up my life. What a character. Someone once told him that it was a good thing that I loved him because he was so obnoxious that no one else could stand him. He was a pistol and a goober. He loved to show and if you said "show" to him he would knock you down to get to the van. Sunny has a stubborn streak in him a mile wide. He didn't really care if I got mad at him, he was going to do what he wanted first. After he got done doing whatever it was he would come to me and give me that big ole' Sunny smile and he knew I couldn't resist. Sunny was with me through a lot of hard times but he could always make me smile. He never met a stranger and just assumed that everybody needed big sloppy Sunny kisses and wanted him in their lap. Big old 65 pound goofball. He was an AKC champion, leader of our pack, a father to many beautiful dogs and Lotto's mate and best friend. He was also a large part of my heart and soul. He left a huge hole in me and slowly I am filling it with memories and new experiences with his kids. Sunny left four of his kids with me and I see him in them all. He was too young to go and I will always love him and miss him. Go with God Sunny, you know that he has a special place in his heart for spotted dogs.

On May 18, 1957 my baby sister Mary Lou entered this world and my life changed for the better. She was a beautiful baby, but a rotten little kid. She was one of my best friends and a kindred spirit. She was a sister, daughter, wife, mother and grandma. She took on the job of taking care of every one in her life. We shared a lot of memories some of which I've shared with you and a lot more that we only shared with each other. We planned to grow old together, but I guess God had other plans. One time before she got so sick and weak, I told her "Don't leave me here with all these assholes" and she said she wouldn't. She has kept her promise because I feel her around me and I feel her love. Mary Lou, I miss you so much my life has another big hole in it. I got to talk to her by phone the day before she died. I got to tell her how much I loved her and what she has meant to me. I did not go to the funeral in Virginia, I told my brother-in-law that I wasn't coming, I saw pictures of her in the hospital and I didn't want that to be my last memory of her. I think that my brother-in-law Jerry understood and I know that Mary Lou did and I'm sure there are others who will criticize me, but, they need to take a walk in my shoes. As a memorial to my sister, my cover page on facebook is one of my favorite pictures of  her.

What I want to say in conclusion is that I wait for the day when we'll be together again, I'll see you at the bridge......

Happy Happy Birthday Baaby.....

If you don't remember that song, you're younger than me. Today is a great occasion for the world, it's Sunny's 9th birthday. That's right folks, nine years ago today Nina (Sunny's mother) was whelping puppies and Newt (his dad) was passing out cigars. My first introduction to the Sunman was at a conformation class (this is where puppies and dogs learn and practice how to show in a ring) his other mama Julia had him at it and it was love at first sight at least on my part. As far as he was concerned he was busy not behaving and sticking that  big heart shaped nose into everything. Typical Sunny puppy. This is the nosiest pup I have ever seen and stubborn as a mule. Most dogs do care if you are mad at them, not Sunny. As an example, his dad Newt will go to his crate if he thinks the other dogs will be doing something naughty. Sunny, on the other hand will lead the charge. In honor of His Highness, I thought I would go through a few highlights of his last 9 years.

But first, big news! We have relocated. We are now living on top of another mountain. This one is about 5 miles from the other one and even more remote. There are just two cabins on this one. Just think, no more Inbred Fred, no more Yorkies and of course no more Pig. But there is some talk of getting another pig and we will just have to deal with second hand reports. This ought to provide us with some yuks. Especially since Inbred Fred used to go ballistic over the Dals and he used to almost have a cardiac when the Yorkies would crap on his driveway. His reasoning was that he had just put in hardwood floors before he moved in and didn't want to track in Yorkie poop. This brings to mind 2 questions: first, wouldn't you would think he'd look where he is walking  That's always a good idea when you are walking around in the wilderness. The second question is with the size of a Yorkie turd and all of the open space around there what are the odds of stepping in one. I never once stepped on a Yorkie turd the whole time I lived there. I have been considering going over there one night and leaving a big ole steaming pile with a few scattered chicken bones in it outside his door and leaving him with the task of wondering what large animal ate the the Yorkies and crapped right outside his door. Now that would be a hoot!

Of course this new house will give me lots of subject matter. First, my only neighbor doesn't have Yorkies, but he does have 3 small mixed terriers about 2-3 pounds each and one Chihuahua. The Doos have made friends with them. Even Mira who we all know hates everyone except me and the rest of the pack. Actually, the jury is still out on Sunfire. In addition to the little dogs which we will now refer to as Yowawas, there is a pack of hounds on a neighboring mountain who have an ongoing howl/bark fest with Spots. Finally, there is a dysfunctional rooster nearby too.

Now back to the highlights of Sunny Bunny's life so far. His other mama Julia once said to him that he should be glad that his mama (me) loved him because no one else would put up with him. If I remember correctly he just smiled at her and tried to sit on her head. Headsitting was one of his favorite pastimes when he was a pup. Thank God he gave it up because he is now 60+ lbs. Sunny once actually administered the "Official Boyfriend Test". We figured if a guy could survive Sunny puppy he had potential. Julia had just started dating this guy. He was a big good looking guy but not a dog person. When they came into the house they sat on the couch. This guy had no idea that Sunny considered the coffee table his personal spot (Sunny has always been a table sitter). Anyway, he hopped on the coffee table and from the table to the back of the couch and you could tell that he considered doing some head sitting but settled for wrapping himself around the guys neck. This totally freaked the man out. He asked "is he going to bite me?" Sunny answered his question by giving him a wet willie. We still laugh about that.

Sunny was also known as the "Panty King" for having made a stroll through the house when we had guests with a clean pair of white cotton panties on his head. He was wearing it with his face sticking out of a leg hole and the rest draped over his head. Life has never been dull with this guy around. Sunny has always been a puppy lover, with his litters and two rescue litters. He looked like a mother duck leading her "ducklings" around. He actually stole one of his puppies from the whelping box one time and took it to his crate to cuddle. When Lotto discovered the pup missing she tried to rip him a new one. That never stopped him from getting into the whelping box. He had learned not to do it when mom was around. When he heard her coming he would hop out and try to look innocent. Of course Lotto would sniff the pups and give him her deadly stink eye accompanied by a low growl and he would give her his best "who me?" look.

Over the years the Sunny stories just kept on coming. Way too many to recall in one blog. He is considered a senior and like me he becoming a little cranky and set in his ways. He sleeps on the bed with Lotto and me in "the big crate". He has always liked to cuddle but Lotto has claimed that right. She sleeps spooning with me with her head near my stomach and her butthole near my face. That is so I will get the full impact of her lethal farts. Sunny and Lottie would vie for this prime spot. For example, when one of them would get the good spot the other would jump up and run for the window barking like we were being attacked by a bunch of rabid ninja squirrels. The result of this was that all the others would start barking, especially Riggins who has never overlooked a chance to bark with that loud, high, earsplitting continuous bark of his. However,  the real point was to roust the other from the good spot so that the barker could jump up into the prime spot. I guess Sunny decided that it was too much trouble and invented a "new" spot. The new spot is at the head of the bed  on the same side I am facing, laying across the bed. Now this would be alright if his head was on my pillow, but not Sunny, oh no. He is facing away from me with his butt on the pillow. This allows me the unique view of his "brown eye" and may I add that Sunny has always lacked hygiene in that area. The other benefit is that now he can directly kick me in the head if I do something to annoy him, which doesn't take much.

Today on the JLS website, Julia really summed it up by saying, "it's Sunny's world and we just share it". That's the truth. Thank you Sunny for sharing your life with me. Happy Birthday BooBoo Bunny, your mama loves you......

Until next time which will be sooner than this one was adios amigos/amigas, and try to stay northbound of the netherparts of a southbound dog!

What do you do when a naked gay guy runs through the backyard.....

This post I am going to turn over to my good friend Daniel. This is something he emailed to his friends. To keep you up on the characters in this story, You already know from my first sentence that Daniel is my friend. He is 1/2 of the cutest couple I know, Daniel and Kevin. In turn, Dan and Kevin are owned by Perdita who is the prettiest little liver girl you ever saw. She is also my grandpup and Sunny's daughter. Oh yeah, there is also a mouse in this story. Doesn't have a relationship to anyone but it is key. So change your Depends or go pee first, I guarentee that you will need it. Take it away Dan!

Well kids, I just had the living shit scared out of me. In my back yard, Perdita knew that there was a mouse living in between my fences for the last 3 or 4 days. I saw the mouse in the fence and tried to scare him off. No such luck. Everyday, Perdita knew exactly where the mouse was behind the fence and I could see the mouse and knew that Perdita was spot on to where the mouse was. I wanted to use a mouse trap to catch the mouse so Perdita wouldn't go nuts every time she went out, but I didn't have one. So I thought from hammering on the fence that the mouse would leave. Well it worked. The mouse left the fence area and went to a near by bush. So this afternoon when I got home, I got undressed in the garage, went into the house, gave Perdita a big kiss, went outside to the lanai and put on my flip-flops. Are you getting the picture yet??? So, I let her out into the back yard, she takes off to the fence area where the mouse has been living. She quickly realizes that the mouse is not there. BUT, decides that the mouse is in my umbrella bush, or I call a funeral plant. She starts running around the bush and at first I think it's kinda cute. Then, she start jumping into the bush and around the bush again, and again and again, and next thing I know, she has this very well fed field mouse in her mouth. She take off running in the yard, and I'm yelling at her to drop it. It's not cute or funny to me anymore. I chase after her, remember, I'm naked! I take off after her, throwing my flip-flops in the process, yelling at her to drop it!!! Do you think she would drop it?? HELL NO!!! When I did catch her and opened her mouth, all I saw was the tail going down. My Pongo would NEVER put something that gross into her mouth. So, anyhoo, I'm scared shitless, I/we run into the house and I call the Vet. I said, I think we might have an emergency here. What's the problem the receptionist asked? I told the receptionist what had happened. I did leave out the part about me being naked with my flip-flops neatly scattered about the yard. She said, hold on, I'll go get the Vet and get ready to bring her in! The Vet got on the line and I told him what had happened, again, I left out the part about me being naked and the flip-flops, he said while laughing, "It's ok, that's what dogs do. She'll be fine." So end of story and 4 beers later, everything's fine. I can't wait till she poops and I get see teeth and fur in her turds. Gives me the creeps. She's a princess! She's not suppose to eat varmints. YUCK!!! She didn't give me a chance to season it and cook it up for her. What am I suppose to do??? All I can say is "THANK GOD for BEER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  Dalmatians will drive a person to drink!!!  This is my story and I'm sticking to it. Now, I think I'll go outside into my back yard and collect my flip-flops. Love you guys.

Love and kudos to you Dan.