Pools and Pets -- Sharing the Love

I love my pool. Nevermind it's a pain in the neck sometimes -- you know, taking care of it and all. I love my pets. Nevermind they're a pain in the neck sometimes -- taking care and tending and loving and all.

The pool is showing its age. We need a new liner, but who wants to give up swim time and a few thousand dollars to replace it. Soon though, very soon it must be done. The pets are showing their ages. Phoebe, the Brittany beagle mix, is getting white in the face. Cleo, the tiger striped cat has more than slowed down, and she's losing weight. She sleeps a lot and doesn't eat much...at all. The vet says she's healthy except for the not eating thing. No evidence of a tooth problem, but he put her on an antibiotic just in case and gave her a shot to stimulate her appetite. Result, she's nibbling soft food, but...not much...at all. The pool can be fixed. The animals, not so much...their lives are limited.

I'm steeling myself for that. "The great circle of life" is what the Disney movie calls it when mother dinosaur dies leaving Little Foot to fend for himself. I cried over that. I've cried over pets before... and I suppose I'll cry again.

Ah well, we try to be kind to the animals and they are kind to us. Life is good in many ways. Life here in the country is a blessing. Though my urban friends and relatives may disagree -- thinking it's a great place to visit, but maybe they wouldn't want to live here. I'm aware of the advantages of city life we miss out on. But really, if you're a four legged creature this is almost heaven. And even if you're a human, this is almost heaven. I count myself lucky indeed.

I especially like sharing the pool...

 I know... I should pay them

                                                                                          for letting me babysit.

It's more fun swimming with friends!

 

This is Bridget, she brightens my day once a week. She's three going on four and has a collection of adorable miss-spoken words. I told her mother not to look to me to correct them. I can't bear to let go the cuteness. She's wearing her swimming soup. She reminds me to put sun scream on her shoulders. When she wears a jacket I have to help her zwhip it. And she asks ever so nicely to play games on my 'your-Pad'. Don't you just love it?