2 days and counting

I haven’t seen Gilly look this good in ages. He was in excellent form all day today. Sitting on the dock, he was host to an array of visitors from around the lake. It is a relief for us all to see him in this state.

Liylah showed us her hound dog side today. On our walk down the road, she discovered a hedgehog, or some sort of small brown creature (hard to see it clearly, because it speedily took shelter under a car). Liylah barked for the first time ever. She tried to squeeze her large frame under the car from one side and then another, repeatedly. She kept up the barking throughout. My brother Fred tried to pull her away. She faked compliance for awhile, but ran back to the scene seconds later. He had to drag her away again, and she finally gave in. She coughed her way down the road and back. She has never barked before in all the time we’ve had her, so I guess her throat was raw.

Susie and Joe arrived with Noam and their dog, Buddy. Picture a 7 lb. Maltese yapping away at poor Liylah. All our sweet dog wants is to love and be loved. After a tense confrontation (with Buddy as the aggressor, believe it or not) they finally had a chance to get to know one another. Peace reigned over the Blauer homestead and we enjoyed a family dinner.

Gilly has managed two days in the country so far. The plan is to remain until Tuesday afternoon or mid-day on Wednesday if all goes well. It will be quiet, because the holiday weekend has drawn to a close. That’s one of the most special features of long visits to the country; the balance between action on the weekends and down time during the week.