To St. Pete: Wallace Meets Grandmom

3/27/10: To make a good first impression, a bath seemed like a good idea -- to some of us.

Grandmom's back yard is fascinating.


Exploring Driftwood Road
Feeling at home at Grandmom's

Road Trip to Wrenny's House

3/23/10: Wallace took his first big road trip, and he slept peacefully in his kennel in the back seat (with one pit stop halfway) on the 240+ - mile trip to Tallahassee to meet his cousin Wrenny and borrow her crate.

Wrenny has a great back yard!
Big cousins always teach you new things

Yes, Wrenny, Emily still loves you best.


Big cousin, little cousin




In a rare moment of stillness, posing for the camera


Back home, trying out Wrenny's crate

How it began; Wallace adopts us

3/20/10: Wallace (on left) and his two brothers consider their options.

And after an extensive interview ......

.....he settles for us!

Wallace!

3/20/10: After living dog-less, more or less, since Wrenny's landmark visit, we started following Petfinder, poring over the heart-tugging stories and faces of dogs who needed families. We even visited a few, and though they really inspired our empathy, we hadn't found a perfect fit. But last week three brothers appeared on the site. Billed as "border collie/Australian shepherd," their faces jumped out of the screen and grabbed our attention. Two had stand-up ears, one had floppy. One had blue eyes. All had a focused stare of earnest innocence. So we visited the adoption event "Just to see." To make a long story short, here is Wallace -- 12 weeks old, 10.1 pounds. We are a bit doubtful about his lineage, given the size of the paws. But once we held him and spent some time with him, there was no turning back.

Jeff and Wrenny: Speed Doggy Unleashed

When Jeff opened the gate and invited Wrenny out into the "Meadow"...



consequences were inevitable.

A Chapter Ends; Turn the Page

No matter how much fun we have had, enjoying each other's company, exploring new territory,

there was never any doubt who Wrenny really belongs to:

and with Emily back in Wrenny's life...
new tricks come easily:

....and there's always time for more cuddling (such a pointy dog, yet so conducive to it)!

After a last ride with the grandhumans...

...to a civilized place that allows dogs at breakfast....

...we consider the road ahead. Will we keep blogging, sans Dog? Maybe -- we'll have a bit of summer music, our annual trek to Duffy's in Coconut Grove, visits to Wrenny's Great-Grandmom, plenty of home and garden projects, and a couple of nights on Cabbage Key to occupy us.

And Wrenny? It's all good -- rediscovering her home and basking in the "unconditional interspecies love" of her family.

How to Act at a Dinner Party

Make small talk when you arrive.

Pay attention to the cook.

Say "Please" and "Thank you."

Pace yourself.

And be friendly, but not TOO friendly, with your host.