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Homecoming

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Ash

Tomorrow is the big day. Mom is coming home. When I told little Nellie, she started to cry. We all miss mom, but it’s awful hard on Nellie.

When mom is gone, dad takes really good care of us. He worries that we are unhappy without mom, so he gives us extra treats. He stays home with us so we don’t have to be alone.

Nellie tries so hard not to make a mess in the house, but her plumbing is unreliable and she has accidents almost every day.

Dad tells Nellie not to worry but she’s still embarrassed. Somehow she feels better if mom cleans up the messes.

When mom gets home tomorrow night we’re gonna mug her like we usually do. I’ll grab a couple of shoes and hide them outside. Jack will grin and lean all over mom. Tess will flop on her back and demand all the attention.

Little Nellie will stagger up to mom and kinda fall over. Mom will get down on her knees and kiss Nellie’s old snout. Then she will wrap her arms around us and tell us how much she missed us.

I’ll give mom a good nose washing, Jack will make funny groans and Tess will wander back to be with dad. Nellie will follow mom everywhere and get stuck in a few corners along the way.

When mom unpacks we’ll be waiting to smell her jeans and boots. Man, I sure love how she smells after she’s been at the ranch.

We’ll wake up Monday morning and life will be back to normal. We don’t have to worry about mom leaving us till next spring when the horses call and she has to go ride again. But for now life will be the way it should be. The pack will be together. It’s a good life.

Nellie

On Our Own

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The Pack

Ash is already worried about mom leaving us. She’s going to the ranch for a long weekend. I don’t even know what a ranch is, but when she comes home she sure smells good.

Mom loves to ride horses in the high desert. She says it clears her head and makes her grateful. We’re glad she gets to go do something fun, but we sure don’t like being left behind.

Ash doesn’t understand why he can’t go too. Turns out there’s a rescue Aussie at the ranch and a couple of funny little Corgis.

I guess the ranch is like summer camp for adults. The people leave their pets and kids behind and go make new friends. There’s no TV, phone or internet, so people laugh and talk and stare at the night sky.

When mom leaves us we all fret in different ways. Ash gets real sad. He won’t play ball, doesn’t bark much and mopes around the house.

Jack sticks real close to dad and pees on the furniture. Tess really doesn’t care because she belongs to dad. There’s more space on the couch for her when mom is gone.

Me, I’m kinda lost. Mom chose to keep me when I was stinky and full of pee. She named me Nellie and tells me I am beautiful. She never gets mad when I have accidents in the house. At night she whispers she loves me and asks me if I can stay with her for another day.

When mom leaves I try to be brave and not cause problems. I mind my own business and stay in the studio most of the time. That way when mom comes home she will know where to find me.

I know it’s hard for mom to leave us mutts. She makes lots of food and treats, lays out all our pills, and writes instructions for how to take care of us if we get sick.

When it’s time for her to go to the airport, we all huddle around her at the door. She kisses each one of us and slips a yummie treat in our mouths. She asks us to be good and take care of each other.

Jack won’t kiss mom good bye because he’s too upset. Ash lets mom hold him tight as long as she wants. I push my head into mom’s hand as hard as I can and lick her fingers. Tess just smiles knowing she can get away with murder until mom comes home.

When the door closes Ash stares until he hears the car drive away. Then we all settle down and wait for time to pass and mom to come home. I hope she brings us something from the ranch.

 

 

Asher

Oh, Brother!

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Ash

Yesterday was just plain weird. Me and mom worked outside in the garden until it started to rain. Then we went to our favorite spot in the studio. Mom likes to read there and I hop up on the bed next to her and take a snooze.

I shoulda known something was up when mom brought Nellie over but left Jack and Tess in the house. Pretty soon up drives Dr. Kelli. She comes to our house to give Nellie acupuncture treatments and while she’s here she adjusts my back to make me line up straight.

Nellie got her treatment with the needles first. After a few needles go in, Nellie starts getting real sleepy. She yawns and lays down and pretty soon her eyes are closed. When she wakes up she has this happy look on her face like something good happened to her.

Next it was my turn. Dr. Kelli started massaging my back and making little popping sounds. When she stopped the massage I figured she was done with me. Boy was I wrong.

Dr. Kelli brought out the needles and told me I was going to have an acupuncture treatment. She said it would reduce the inflammation in my injured knee and help me heal.

Mom left me alone with Dr. Kelli so I wouldn’t get distracted. I made a feeble attempt to get away, but I knew it was useless to argue.

I didn’t get sleepy like Nellie. I must have been too nervous to relax that much. It didn’t hurt but it could have.

When all the needles were out Dr. Kelli showed me this way cool laser. She said she would point it at my injured knee and like magic it would help me get better. After working on my bad knee, she used the laser on my other knee. She said I’ve been favoring my bad knee and putting more pressure on the good one. That’s why they both need some help.

Finally Dr. Kelli was done with me. She walked me back to the house and told mom I’d been real brave and behaved myself.

I was relieved the treatments were over.  I mean I didn’t cry or nothing like that, but I was pretty worried at first when the needles went in.

Jack told me I was just like the guys in the NFL. I’m on injured reserve, my return is questionable this season. That made me feel a little better. Think I’ll go catch a grounder. No jumping allowed until my knee is all healed up.