NERVOUS DOGS AT THE RENTAL HOUSE

Well....I don't even remember when all this mess started. I know I have little short dreams in which I am standing in our house looking at the rain pouring in. I know the Bassets were unhappy in the kennel for 3 weeks, and I know they lost weight, and Nigel's scrotum suffered badly.

I know that this is much better than the motel, altho they were very nice, and I know Cooper was very upset the one time he set paws in the house after the...what--flood? Inner rainstorm? Invasion of the Elements?

So now, the house is finally dried, and whenever the Village gets going and looks at it and tells the re-habbers/re-builders/restorers what they need to do to get things up to code they can do that and start re-building. Eight weeks, they estimate. Four, they said if absolutely not one single thing goes wrong.
Eight, in reality.

Here we are at the rental. Yesterday I planted flowers in the front-- Marigolds. $2.99 for eight. Figured I might as well. My beautiful oriental lilies are starting to bud out at the Real House. I picked a broken one and brought it here; the whole kitchen smells wonderfuly.

We are adjusting. John spends as much time as he can away from the rental. We do not want to leave the dogs in case they start howling. They tend to do that at home I have no reason to think they wouldn't do it here. They are, after all, in a strange place, very nervous and edgey.

Here I can show you. You won't believe how jumpy they are:

Here's a series I took of them when they were at their worst. It has been a nightmare:

This is Nigel, obviously hiding in terror.

                    And poor little Conley, huddled in a corner of my bed

       Llewis---sad, disposessed, on his beddy from the other house

Cooper has adopted a crate. Safety in steel.


Actually, this is what the dogs do 99% of the day when they are not running around outside, begging for treats and snuffling into interesting corners. There is not a nervous hound amoung them.....