Car troubles, Poor pup, sleeping with dogs

I got up at the normal time to keep my routine before leaving for work but when I took off in Victoria’s car the noise that had been pestering us every time we turned a corner, now was constant – even when moving straight. I turned around and came back to the house and had to wake Mama so she could take me to Borger; that was at 04:45.


It is something I wanted to avoid but I am leaving for Midland today for an overnight stay to attend a training class tomorrow. I know she cannot be without the van for two days. I had intended to leave Victoria’s car parked in Borger overnight. That would not have worked with the van. Mama was very gracious, very groggy. Now she has the hour drive back home.

As I was waiting on Mama to get dressed, Victoria got up with the pup. (She sleeps with her to help get her house broken.) It was potty time for both of them. As Victoria let the pup out the back door so it could get to the yard - its bathroom - the sprinklers came on. The pup hesitated for a moment then trudged into the wet and dutifully did her business. Victoria praised her, dried her off and put her in her kennel.

Needless to say, Ketsi was not happy with the sudden change in sleeping arrangements and was protesting loudly when Mama and I were leaving. I had to put her, kennel and all, in the garage so everyone could sleep. Seems a shame to be punished for doing the right thing, but wet dog smell is hard to get out of sheets.

It reminded me of a lady Mama cleaned for when we lived in Chappell Hill many years ago. She had three dogs, all of which slept with her. She was remodeling a house moved on to a little piece of land in town and like everyone else trying to grow grass in the black gumbo of the area, had added tons of sand to her yard to soften the clay. In the dew of the morning she would let the three dogs out into the yard and then let them back into bed, wet, sandy paws and all.

One morning when Mama was helping at the house, she asked if the lady of the house would like her to change the bed sheets for her. They were very obviously in need of it. “No”, she answered, “Just get the vacuum and sweep the bed. There is only a little bit of sand in the sheets.”

Mama did as she was asked, but I think she almost threw up when she pulled back the blanket and top sheet and saw the mess underneath.