It is hard to tell if Spring is springing or mostly wallowing around with her friend "Winter". We seem to go from almost summer temps to snow in the course of a day. Although spring may be fickle spring things are happening. I can dry towels and sheets out on the line every few days. I never have been convinced that sheets dried outside in the wind are worth the effort. This spring I read some one's blog about how to her that was a true sign of spring...fresh spring wind blown sheets. Inspired by her words I decided to buy some pins and give it a whirl. It has been so wonderful I am getting my PJs out on the line too. The sheets are crisp and smell fantastic. The only draw back is I can not hang sheets on the line that I don't think of that scene in Deloris Clayborne where her employer is yelling from the window "Six pins Delores! Six pins, not five!" Poor Deloris is out there in the cold wind wrestling the sheets onto the line with her cracked and sore hands. Kathy Bates plays Delores and is completely believable. Just once I would like to put sheets on the line and not think of that....forever changed by Stephen King Movie.
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I also have been driving and have been taking Tilly with me in the cart. Which we both have enjoyed...except that one day when the neighbor dog was charging us and she decided to jump out between the pony and the cart. She quickly learned that was not in her best interest. The stupid neighbor's Lab was running the fence and barking like a maniac. Which caused the neighbor to come barreling out of his house screaming at his dog and trying to catch her so he could beat her. With one hand I controlled the pony who was bouncing around trying to keep an eye on craziness of barking dogs and people. With the other hand I was dragging Tilly back into the cart and knocking my whip out of the cart. Once I got the puppy back in the cart and the pony away from the chaos I dropped a rein which required some yoga like contortions to regain. Just as I was saying "whew crisis averted" the wind came screaming down the down the canyon smacking both me and my pony in the face. Then it started to rain. Having had my fill of "fun" for the day we wheeled around and headed back to the safety of home!

I read in dog books that dogs were supposed to wait politely for us to go through doors first. Before I met Izzy I thought that was some kind of law. But Izzy didn't read that book and didn't give a damn what it said she always rushed ahead of me. At first I corrected her but after a couple of years I gave up, honestly breaking that rule never hurt us. Looking back at my time with Izzy I realize that there was precious time lost trying to do everything right. She was a wild puppy but I spent too much time trying to control her. Don't get me wrong it isn't like I have a lot of regret. Sharing my life with Izzy was amazing. She could make me laugh and bring light even on my darkest days. I loved her quick and funny little way of thinking. But with Tilly I see myself not worrying about what the books other people wrote say. I spend more time loving her puppy antics and almost no time worrying about what rules other people live by. Having traveled both roads I highly recommend throwing the rule book away. Embrace the fullness of the quirks, the laughter and even the tears.
As I began to realize Izzy's time with me was coming to a close my heart begged her to stay. "Please, please don't leave me" was a mantra I rarely uttered but that rang inside of me with every breath. After she died I looked and looked for signs of her spirit lingering but found nothing. Still my heart kept up the plea that she stay with me. Tonight after dark I headed out to pull the the dog towels off the line. Dusk was with me he was clowning around and even got into the ditch and laid down. I kept a close eye on him in case he got chilled and had trouble. As he stood in the ditch he kept locking eyes with me and I would ask him "What's up Big Guy?" When he was done with the ditch and safely back on land I went for the towels. As I stepped into the shadows heading to the clothes line I saw movement dash by my right side nearly cutting me off. I lurched to avoid stepping on the dog. I looked one way and then the other and there was no dog under foot or anywhere near. Dusk was standing in the light 30 feet away ears up, eyes bright and grinning at me. We locked eyes again and he seemed to be saying "did you see her?" I knew it was Izzy who once again rushed in front of me. Call it a ghost, a memory or a fluke...no dog training book covers this. I realized Izzy had been with me all along and now she has entrusted my care to Tilly. She rushed in front of me her whole life and now finally she rushed on to the rainbow bridge. Another step of letting go...and yes I am embracing it.

I love watching the relationship between a dog and their owner. Tonight I taught a tracking class. In the class is a 12 year old Great Pyrenees. I met this dog almost two years ago when her owner started her in a basic obedience class. I suppose most people wouldn't bother training a dog during the tenth year. But the spouse of this gal had been training a Tervuren puppy and the Pyr and her owner felt left out. Suz, shyly asked me about starting Kenzie (the great Pyr) and I encouraged her. We would let Kenzie tell us how much she wanted to do. As it turned out Kenzie loved it and within a few months Suz and Kenz were hitting the ring in Rally obedience. They earned a rally title with a few nice class placements and have been dabbling in the regular obedience ring. Tonight she tried tracking for the first time. I have a mental snap shot of the two of them jogging up my green hill grinning at each other after a nice second track. I was standing with a couple other students and I marveled at how much Kenzie had changed and how proud I was that Suz keeps working her even at 12 years. "WHAT?! She is 12?" said one of the students. "I thought she was 5 or 6" I looked again and you know she really does look 5 or 6 years. Learning and being useful has helped melt the years. Better to blossom late than not at all!

I am working with another student whose dog is blossoming right before my eyes. She just adopted a 6 year old Rottweiler girl from Missoula Animal Control. She said the moment she saw that rott she knew she they belonged together. Despite the Rott carrying 150 pounds on her frame built for about 90 and despite the immediate need for dual eye surgery to correct a double dose of cherry eye AND hypo thyroidism...it was love at first sight. The way I see it with all that baggage that big black dog didn't have a snowball's chance to make it out of that shelter...but she did! This week I can see big changes in her. She has lost weight and her face looks completely different, there is light in those eyes. I laughed as the owner told me when she takes her girl out for a drive people look at her corvette with their eyes and NOT their hands. But the biggest laugh was when the big rott girl flopped on the floor and the owner started rubbing her and telling me how much she loved this dog. The rott was blissed out legs akimbo, lips flopped back almost to the floor and ears open like a pups. It was then I spotted the real charm of the scene. Her toenails are as big as my little finger and every one of them is painted a dark shade of red.

I love dog people!!

The new dogs are here and are wonderful. This week has been hopping for the Tripps who not only spend almost every waking moment tending those hounds but have been running back and forth from one vet appointment to the other to get the whole gang ready for homes. Some have already been spoken for!! It is hard to pick a favorite out of the group. Master is nothing short of eye candy. He is brindle on one side and the other side is nearly free of stripes...cool markings!! Of course I love Ducky's son Velocity and I am now fostering him, I would love him even if he was not "family" He is happy, sweet and a rich red brindle. Deuce is a cream puff. He looks a little rough right now but once he is in a home he will really blossom. Deuce wants to be someones best buddy he is happiest when he can touch you. Then there is Aerosmith...such a love he nearly melts into you and he has those dark soulful eyes...sigh. He is really a knock out and I love his easy going way. And we haven't even started talking about the girls!! Silly Gilly is bouncy, fun and covered in crazy little spots. It is hard for me not to fall head over heels in love with that bright personality. Baby is exactly that, a baby so quiet and wants to snuggle into your pocket and she is tiny enough to do it. July is somewhere between Gilly and Baby. She could be babys' twin so tiny and brindle but fun loving and upbeat like Gilly. Pebbles is pretty soft and innocent. She will need a steady home that can help her grow up past her insecurities. Be sure to check out the picture on the web site
www.gparockymountain.org/available.html
Another great bunch of greyhounds for Montana!!