Siggy's Blurbs: Siggy's Edge of Country …

I just want the Winter (and cold weather) to be done.  And I did have a reprieve of Indian summer.  The most discouraging thing it is not even December yet.  I feel the same way every year.  I want to hibernate when the cold weather is here for good.

It does not make any difference how much I love the mostly mild weather in Autumn and Spring.  I would like to go away when this weather arrives.  I just don’t know how to pull it off especially with our menagerie of seven cats and four dogs.

These feelings regarding the cold weather are not new.  I have all my life lived in a temperate climate.  I just don’t know if there is anything I can do about it except to move and that does not seem like an option.  I will simply pray about it.  There is nothing more I can presently do about it.

Tags: autumn, cold weather, December, four dogs, God, hibernate, Indian Summer, move, pets, pray about it, seven cats, spring, temperate climate, winter
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Coco, my other “pup” was content chewing on a bone, all by herself, outside.  She was two years already but I still called her my “pup”.  Her brother was in the house lying down.

I loved Coco who was an long haired female almost totally black.  She enjoyed her privacy.  Her mother, a golden retriever, was named Sweetie so I could not name Coco that.  Coco also was a real sweetheart.

Her nickname was wiggles.  I did not know I could love dogs (and cats) so much.  Each animal has their own personality.  And they are all different.  And I love each one.

All this is new to me.  I did not have any pets growing up.  My Mom was too fussy so she could not tolerate any.  So here I am with seven cats and four dogs, a real menagerie.  My wife loves animals.  And I do too.  I had to become an adult to find that out.

Tags: Coco, dog bone, dogs, four dogs, golden retriever, love dogs and cats, menagerie, my Mom, my wife, pets, seven cats, Sweetie
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My three dogs were laying at my feet and I realized how much I loved them and they were only on loan (the fourth one was in the next room). I loved each dog and each one I had a special relationship with.

Coco, the black long haired mutt, the offspring of Pax and Sweetie, was lovely. She had the personality of her mother, a golden retriever: She just loved you and asked nothing in return.

Sweetie, her mother, often spent hours chained in the previous owner’s house. She, sometimes, demanded affection, having been deprived of it in her first year of her life. She was one happy-go-lucky dog.

Tilla, the second offspring of Sweetie, was perhaps the most intelligent and athletic dog I have ever known. Often when he is in the office with me he pushes the door shut–a behavior I have never figured out.

I looked at all three dogs who had joined me in the office while I was reading my paper and realized everything is by grace. I did not grow up with pets but here I am with four dogs and seven cats all of whom I love dearly.

Everything is by grace. And God gives you first, second, third, sometimes fourth chances, etc., to do it all over again.

Tags: affection, athletic dog, Coco, do it all over again, dogs, everything-is-by-grace, four dogs, God, God gives you more chances, golden retriever, happy-go-lucky dog, intelligent dog, love, love each dog, Pax, pets, reading my paper, relationships with my dogs, seven cats, she just loved you, Sweetie, Tilla
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Something endearing about my wife is she does not want to harm any thing even an ant. Life to her is very precious. She will release an ant or a spider she finds in the house gently outside.

It is because of her, we have seven cats and four dogs. Of course I have learned to love pets and dearly love each one. Each pet has their own distinct personality.

It is true you can’t easily go away when you have a menagerie of this size but to me that is a small price to pay. Each pet is lovely in their own right. And they give much more to me then I give to them.

Her sanctity of life and love of pets is definitely a quality of her I have fallen in love with. And every day I am reminded of this by each pet I come in contact with.

Tags: do not harm any living thing, each pet has their own personality, four dogs, life is very precious, love of pets, menagerie, my wife, pets, sanctity of life, seven cats
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Cool Hand Luke is the only pet I brought into this marriage still alive. (August will be eight years I have been married.)  There was “Slinky” and “Daisy”, a cat and dog respectively now both dead.  Curiously all three animals are completely black.

Daisy was the first dog I raised from a pup and trained.  I really missed her when she died over two years ago.  Her eyes when I was in the same room never left me.  Slinky was a sweet though timid cat who died recently from cancer.

Cool Hand Luke is appropriately named.  She is one cool character, supremely confident and affectionate who lives in our bedroom.  She always keeps me company when I go to bed.

She loves to go through doors.  If I open our garage door (or any other door for that matter), she darts through the door even if I have it open only for seconds.  She is the only cat with that trait if you want to call it that.  She must be going on nine.

I have seven cats and four dogs and each has their own personality but Cool Hand Luke has a special place in my heart.  She is one cool character.

Tags: affectionate cat, black cat, cat loves doors, cats, Cool Hand Luke, Daisy, dogs, each pet has their own personality, four dogs, pets, seven cats, Slinky, timid cat
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I have to thank both of my wives for one thing.  Both love cats and dogs.  When I was growing up I never had any pets.  My Mom simply was too fastidious.  She could not tolerate any messes they might make.  When I married Robin we usually had at least one dog and one cat.  And now I have a menagerie with Lynelle:  seven cats and four dogs.  I would not want to live my life any other way.  I love all my pets.  They daily enrich my life.

Tags: cats, dogs, enrich my life daily, four cogs, love, love all my pets, love my pets, marriage, menagerie, my Mom, my two wives, never had pets while growing up, pets, seven cats
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China, our more exotic looking black and white cat, likes to climb up our shower curtains for fun.  We have to keep a close eye on him when he is in the bathroom or any where near.  He has pretty sharp claws.  We don’t want him to tear up our shower curtains again.

Another thing we have to watch for is our toilet rolls and paper towels.  The cats (we have seven) love ripping into them and shredding them.  We now keep the paper towels in the cabinets.  That took care of that.  We were going through a lot of them.

Put an empty box anywhere and the cats will find them and curl up in them.  And they love (as anyone who has ever had cats has found out) to rest on your window sills.  If you leave your window open, they will find it.

This is just a few peculiarities of our cats.  It is amazing our seven get along as well as they do.  Though every once in awhile there is a cat fight although they are always brief.

It never ceases to amaze me how quickly all seven disappear when a stranger enters their midst.  Most of the time, though, you do not see them.  They all have their favorite hiding places especially when it is time to capture one for a vet visit.  Cats are always fun.

Tags: bathroom, cat fight, cats, cats are fun, cats favorite hiding places, cats love empty boxes, cats love windowsills, China, paper towels, pets, seven cats, sharp claws, shower curtain, toilet paper, veterinarian
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Love your pets while you still have them.  We put to sleep Slinky, one of our cats.  It was really hard.  She was this timid, really affectionate black cat I had since a kitty.

I woke up this morning and she was no longer there.  She was in heaven.  I would do any thing to see her again.  At least, she was no longer suffering.

Lynelle and I gently stroked her body as she lay on the table as the vet administered the drug that put her to sleep.

She was this innocent gentle cat that loved to hang out in the bathroom window and never got enough of our strokes.  I had taken her for granted.

I wish I had appreciated her more when she was on this earth.  I have now seven cats and four dogs.  I no longer want to take any of my pets for granted.  They are only on loan to us.  As every thing else.

Tags: affectionate, animals, bathroom window, black cat, cat, dogs, eight cats, everything is on loan to us, four dogs, God, Heaven, kitty cat, love your pets, no longer suffering, on this earth, pets, pets are on loan to us, put to sleep, seven cats, Slinky, take for granted, veterinarian
Posted in animals, beauty, death, God, health, life, local, love, pets, relationships, time, wisdom | 4 Comments »