We are a cocker spaniel family. For most of my life, there has been at least one cocker spaniel in someone’s household. But it isn’t the only kind of dog that I’ve ever had. Years ago, my stepfather discovered a stray little dog when he went to work. For some reason he and my mom thought it would be a great idea for me to adopt it.
This dog would have been the champion of the ugliest dog competition, and the noise he made trying to breathe kept me up many nights in my apartment. I named him Bartok after the little bat sidekick in the movie Anastasia. If you’ve seen that movie, then you might guess that Bartok (the dog) was a Pekingese. Definitely a different kind of dog from what I was used to. He was tiny and almost always had a sullen attitude. There were times when he would hide under our coffee table in the living room, and the only thing that my roommate and I could do to get him out was crinkle a bag of chips. He wasn’t much of a cuddler, but he was a great little companion. He put up with the antics of kids in their early twenties and was even a good sport when I took him with me up to Atlanta for a few months.
I was thinking of him recently because we were talking about the PBS show All Creatures Great and Small. It’s a great show, simple and wholesome, and the inadvertent star of the whole thing is this well-groomed Pekingese named Tricki Woo. He belongs to a wealthy lady who expects the vet clinic to drop everything when Tricki needs help. My Bartok wasn’t nearly that fussy, thank goodness, he was more cranky than anything else, and he definitely did not have Tricki Woo’s hair. Watch the show if you get a chance for Tricki Woo and just because it’s a great story (there is a series of books, too, if you prefer to read).
And in the spirit of All Creatures Great and Small, in just five weeks we’re going to be hosting the 2nd annual Plants and Pets event at the nursery. It’s going to be a fun day for you and whatever creatures you choose to bring along with you. From 9am to 1pm, we’ll have a Pet Photo Booth and a Pet Obstacle Course; the Humane Society, Animal Luvrs, and Community Pet Project will be onsite to share their missions with you; Lightning Jack will make you dance with his steel drum music, and Tikiz Shaved Ice will be selling their delicious (and cold) shaved ice to keep you cool while you enjoy the event. What’s that? Not enough. Ok, at 10am, I’ll do a seminar on Pet-Friendly Plants and what you can do to keep your pets away from your plants. Come out for a day filled with fun in the garden for you and your furry, scaly, or slithery friends. All are welcome!
P.S. Anyone have a Llama?
