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A brief interlude

Getting caught up… the umpteenth load of laundry is in the dryer, the next load of dishes will go into the washer next time I get up, the bookkeeping is done, as a head-start on year-end (hi mom!), the living room is picked up, and I’ve got a couple batches of wool simmering on the stove.

In the midst of all that, I’m sitting on the couch, cup of tea at hand, dog snuggled up, cat farther down (can’t get too close to the dog, after all), Prairie Home Companion on the radio… and far too many cute puppy pictures for anyone’s good.

Nick and I went to visit his parents in southern Pennsylvania for Christmas Eve and Christmas. His little sister was there as well (far too many siblings – it took me years to get the names and order correct, and I’m not entirely sure about the order. Why yes, his parents are Catholic, why do you ask?), and she brought a nine-week-old English springer spaniel puppy for the parents. We’d been trying to convince them to get a dog for a while, and some excuse always came up at the last minute. But if someone shows up at the door with a puppy, it takes a heart of granite to say no, especially to something that looks like this.

spaniel puppy

Everybody promptly fell in love with the puppy, inconveniently named Morgan, and thus referred to here as “the puppy”, not that she looks anything like my fluffy black cat.

spaniel puppy

spaniel puppy

spaniel puppy

spaniel puppy

Grendel was less than enthralled with the tiny puppy. I don’t know what you are, so leave me alone! He even growled and showed fang when she wouldn’t leave him alone. He plays well with larger dogs, but the puppy is so small that I think Grendel might have been unsure if she fell in the “cat” class of things not to be messed with. Once she’s bigger, Grendel will probably be more comfortable with her.

He also didn’t think that the new puppy should get all the attention.

spaniel puppy

spaniel puppy

Things were different outside – the dogs played vigorously, even if the puppy had to jump up to even touch Grendel. He even gave her dog lessons. I can only imagine the conversation. “Okay, this one smells like a rabbit…”

spaniel puppy

Poor old pooch slept for two days after we got back. (He’s not that old, just dreadfully lazy.)

1 Comment on “A brief interlude”

  1. #1 Laura
    on Jan 2nd, 2008 at 6:03 pm

    Grendel looks so doleful in that first picture! hee hee! “See? Daddy might sort of be petting me, but he’s not really paying attention.”

    On cat/dog confusion–when the oldest of my nieces visited her grandma (my mom) she was quite taken with the fluffy cat, “Dog?” and had to be reminded many times that it wasn’t a dog. After that trip, she considered anything small, esp. if fluffy, to be a Cat.