And Casper Makes Four

Meet Casper

That's Mr. Casper to Certain Folks!

Yesterday, Sunday, March 23rd, Casper joined my family. He now lives with me, Kia The Pyr Queen, and Readmore The Cat. And everyone has been getting along beautifully.  You may remember that when I tried to adopt German Shepherds, after a lifetime of adoring them and assuming I would have them all my life, Readmore, would hide for weeks and not come out! I love him too much for that. But the minute Kia walked into the door in 2010, Readmore was fine. He must have sensed the gentleness of the Pyr.

Casper, my new little boy, is three years old. Kia is eight, almost nine. Readmore, we do not know. All are Rescues, of course. Here is Kia. She's prettier than this, but this comes close to capturing her sweet face.

Kia, my love, and now I've made her a cougar.

So we all walked a lot yesterday afternoon and again last night. Casper stays close by. He's a snuggler, a cuddler, a Velcro dog, the Rescue tells me. So, by last night …

Casper right by me

By about 10 or 10:30, both doggies were all tired out and sleeping together:

Two Pyrs sleeping

Readmore was at home on the sofa:

What a sweet cat!

And this morning, Readmore posed as a bookend:

Bookends, like Old friends...

I wanted to get photos of the dogs out on our walks today, but Casper is learning to walk with us, and I am learning to handle two dogs. Kia is fine and perfect. But I couldn't quite get by with two dogs, two leashes, two poop bags, and my phone camera. I'll get some outdoor adventure pictures soon.

All three are sleeping now. I'd better have a cup of coffee or I will be going with them. 

Fallen Soldiers

This is Prince, a Viet Nam soldier, killed in the war. He has been gone almost four decades, but his handler, his human, still thinks of him every day and will never forget him. He took an old picture of Prince and digitally inserted the handsome war dog into this photo of the Viet Nam Memorial in Washington, DC.

The title of this photo is "Where Is My Name?"

Indeed, where is Prince's name? Where are the names of all the dogs who were killed in action in the war in Viet Nam, many of whom took bullets that were meant for their human handlers, their best friends.

And what became of the valiant K-9 soldiers who survived? We abandoned them. We left the dogs behind in Viet Nam.

We should have brought all the survivors home. Home. Home is such a beautiful word.

The way we left those canine heroes behind is just one more huge black mark against us. We are not the good people we pretend to be. Thank God, the military is trying to keep dogs and handlers together after discharge now, but what about the broken hearts of those poor K-9 heroes who were so totally bonded to their soldiers and then abandoned in the past? I am so ashamed. And hurt.

Prince should have his name, among all the other dogs who gave their lives for their country and were killed in action in Viet Nam, engraved right there on that wall of heroes.

Teardrops fall. But they help no one.

Still, they fall.