December 20, 2012

  • Turtle Fur

    Nancy is still recovering from her hip surgery, which means that Nancy rested, right after her hip surgery, and has gradually struggled to get back to her pre-surgical self. All of us who live with her applaud that because Nancy is the house cook. However what it also means is that from time to time Nancy takes on projects which used merely to exhaust her and which now knock her flat and cause her to worry about her overall health and endurance.

    And occasionally it causes her to ask us all to come with her.

    So we all loaded into the car, Riley in the back, Cheryl, Annie and Nancy in the front, Annie was unceremoniously booted to the back, and we went to Sam's Club, Nancy's work, Walmart,the Dog store, the gas station and back to Walmart to get Nancy, and then finally home.

    Annie wore her thundershirt because, although she rarely gets anxious in the car, she does get cold and Cheryl does not currently own a medium-sized dog terrified of thunderstorms. "I wonder," Cheryl mused, "if it would keep her warm?" And the thundershirt was nice, but as Cheryl sat in the car in the parking lot of Sam's Club, waiting for Nancy to buy our food, she determined that a.) one of the reasons Annie gets cold in forty-degree weather while Riley gasps like a spit-roasting husky in the back seat is because she has very short hair and 2.) another reason she seems cold is her very short hair is falling out. Again. The photograph somewhat exaggerates the problem, due to the flash, but you can see Annie is not evenly-haired.

    So Cheryl wrapped her neck in turtle fur.

    Which is, it appears, thicker than dog fur.

    Annie wore her turtle fur quite proudly.

    Beside her she could hear Cheryl muttering about 'never liked dolls' and 'now I have to dress my dog'. Occasionally something about 'her food costs more than mine'. Annie eats special don't-dig-your-neck-in-bed' food, but nobody ever gives her enough for the day so she needs to go begging. She eats Cheryl's spare apple and yogurt chunks from her breakfast, cookies, crackers, pop corn...really anything Cheryl might think to eat is good enough for Annie.

    It's a shame Cheryl never breaks out in itchiness that makes her dig her neck with her back feet. Or makes her hair fall out.