The Ruby Rose and the Big Little Angels 3 Blog

What is your new year's resolution? Pocket:  To be quieter.  To, when I pee inside to make sure I am on the pads.  To try not to be a bother. River Song:  To continue being perfect.

I gave the angel oath to what I hope will be my last angel of 2018 a few days before Christmas. His name, Duffus, was familiar to me, but so many names are. During a clear night, I went to Hobo’s landing and saw the new angel crossing the bridge.  Your first night at Rainbow Bridge is like your first night at college. You're on your own scared, excited for the new adventures ahead of you, and missing your parents. When the new angel drew closer the faint bells of recognition rang somewhere far away.  It wasn't until he was in front of me and I got a good look at his face that I realized I knew him. "Duffus," I said in recognition. He recoiled, like a recruit who expected to be hazed by his training officer.  I recognized the anxious, fearful look. It was Pocket's default face. "No," I said, gently touching his paw.  "Your mom named you Duffus. It is here on my paperwork." I showed it to him. Relief spread across his muzzle. "Do you rem

Christmas morning broke crisp and clear here at Rainbow Bridge.  I could hear commotion in the living room. I got up and followed the sound.   Skye, a little black Yorkipoo, who came to the Bridge as a puppy in 2006, and into our lives when my parents saw his picture and fell in love with him, even though they knew he came from Lancaster Pennsylvania, home of some of the worst breeders in the world.  (Thank you, Amish, they can build a barn-like nobody’s business, but they can’t make a shelter for the breeding dogs). My parents knew Skye was going to have medical issues, and may not have a long life, but they pledged to love her for as many days as she has on Earth.  That was about 60 in money terms that was a few thousand. Skye had a neurological issue. Its cause could not be found. My parents regretted giving money to a breeder but not having Skye. A parent and dog can create quite a bond in 30 days. Since Skye passed to the Bridge as a puppy, she is a perpetual baby.     Dealing

Last week, I received the most distressing news. I was taken to the groomer to have my anal glands squeezed. Ever since we started taking “No Scoot” chewable after Pocket’s glands became impacted, mine have frequently been filling requiring monthly squeezing.   Unlike Pocket, I did not have anything stuck up me — just a gentle outside squeeze and then some warm water for my butt. If having your butt squeezed is the second worst thing that happens at the groomers you know it was an eventful trip. When we arrived, we saw a “For Sale” sign planted on their front lawn. We were hoping that it was just the neighboring house and not the business, but when we got inside, we learned the truth. The shop was closing, and the owner was retiring and their daughter, our groomer, was moving to Las Vegas. Damn that Wayne Newton. My parents have been going to this groomer for more than 20 years.  She has always given mama's dog's perfect cuts. The groomers have Griffons in their family

We all got the same pajamas for Christmas. Now our parents are never going to be able to tell us apart!

Newly arrived angel Josie was overlooking Rainbow Bridge when she saw a black dog slowly following Josie’s fresh paw prints. Josie knew that gait, and when the wind blew from the south filling Josie's nose with the dog's scent, she had no doubt. Josie dashed down the steps towards the figure she knew was her brother Koda. They met mid-way across the Bridge enveloping one another in loving hugs. “Koda,” Josie said softly.  “What are you doing here? We agreed you would stay with Mama and help her cope with my passing.” “I'm so sorry Josie,” Koda said as tears fell down his fur.  “I think we were together so long our hearts began to beat as one. When you left my heart was like a band without a drummer unable to find it's rhythm. It began beating too fast.  Mommy knew something was wrong and left me at the vet when suddenly my last heartbeat shocked my body, and I arrived here.” Koda and Josie embraced again and then together they finished Koda's final journey

Line up my Angel friends.  This is your first Christmas at the Bridge, and you need to fill Santa’s sleigh with your presents for the shelter dogs.  Hattie Mae is double checking everything you put in it. I know it isn’t necessary but Hattie got her nails done yesterday, and she cannot risk breaking one. It’s a girl thing. “Look at Ginger Lynn, she is just a little Yorkie like me, but she is carrying three animal toy planters.  She knows when you are locked in the shelter you need some life around you. We have learned from Bishop that dogs need pets too.  Since the shelter dogs can’t have toys, they can have a fern. “ Okay, Hollie, drag those personalized pet beds this way.  Let me help you put them on the sleigh. You are so smart.  You have learned from your DeWennie friends that people like things personalized, and if a shelter pup comes with a soft bed with the dog’s name on it, the humans can’t pass the dog up. “Jasper the cat, so good of you to join us.  We know there are

We once had a dog bed that was largely ignored.   I don't remember how or when it appeared in our house.  It may have been Foley's. When my parents went out, they began putting the bed in my crate.  I scratched on it to prepare it for snuggles, ripped it and caused little snowflakes of stuffing to settle on the floor by my crate. A few days later my parents bought a new bed, the first since Foley passed.  When she was with us everything that came into the house was hers. If she didn’t want a new toy, then I could have it, and even then, she would steal it, bring it to Mommy’s chair, and sit on it then watch me look for it. But this bed was for me.  It was tiny, perfect for my little body to curl up in, but too small for River.  It was the first item to come in the house that I could claim as my own. When my parents went out the bed was placed in my crate, and then I was, and nobody but me could enjoy my comfortable, warm friend. When my parents got home, they let me and

A dog walks in a bar with a duck on his head and the duck said "Hey, can you get this duck off my ass."

How many Christmas card do you get just for you pups and cats? Pocket:  We get about 40 from our wonderful friends. 

Standing adjacent to one another on Hobo's landing overlooking Rainbow Bridge,  Hattie, Scooby and I were waiting on our friend Josie, as we had many times before. Josie had many brushes with passing over, from before I was at the Bridge, to the times I waited alone, until now when I was joined by Josie’s besties.    Josie somehow kept alluding the Bridge’s great grasp. Josie lived on a farm. She was the leader of a sizeable pack, including her large, lovable brother Koda, that became unruly with the addition of three rollicking brothers, Elvis, Huck and Moo, who viewed rules as mere suggestions and acted like frat boys living life to it's destructive fullest. Although Mama Barbara loves all her pups equally, she and Josie created a unique bubble just for the two of them that they could retreat to it when the madness became too much to bear.  It took two of them to create a safe space and if one were gone the other would be left to their own devices. That is why Josie fou

When I arrived at Rainbow Bridge, I was presented with two options.  I could either rest in peace or spend time with friends and family. I choose the latter.  Resting in peace, on the surface, seems like a sound pick. You live in a cottage overlooking a lake, where you spend your days resting, alone.  It is a low-stress selection but also dull, so much that I wonder if it is really the bad place.  This is the time of year when I am especially happy to be living in the Doggyspace and Blogville communities at Rainbow Bridge, where times can be stressful, but they are never dull. We dogs and a few cats living amongst us enjoy decorating our abodes at Christmas. The Big Guy is high on this holiday and enjoys seeing all his angels marking the season with lights and ornaments.  He stands on the mountain, looking down at us, smiling, with his faithful dog Max by his side. I like a tasteful display.  I purchased a snow shower light that shines red and green lights on the pine trees sta

I must admit I'm not the easiest dog in the world. When I want to be picked up, I curl myself into a ball to make lifting me as difficult as possible. Except for the turkeys who leave bird smells on my lawn, I am my own worst enemy. One of the pleasures of this dog's life is belly rubs. Like every dog I enjoy head-scratchers, ear rubs and butt tickles, but if you want to satisfy this girl truly then belly rubs are the way to go. Most dogs, who want their belly rubbed, take the all too familiar position, on their backs, with their legs spread, waiting for the sweet satisfaction.  I may enjoy the activity, maybe too much, and my psychiatrist is worried that I am addicted to it, but I am not a whore! I am not just going to lie there.  If I am going to submit to a belly rub, it has to be on my terms. When I want long, sustained belly rubs, I go to Daddy.  Mommy might monkey around down there for a minute or so, but in our house, a marathon session is a man’s job.   I si

Mommy got Daddy a bike to lose weight and now this is what the fat bastard calls exercising with the dog

Can you change your growls or barks so it sounds like you are talking? Pocket:  I just have one, constant, high pitched bark. River Song  I do a little growl that I can modulate so it seems to my parents that I am communicating that I want food, water, to go out, or get attention. 

After the passing of President Geoge H.W. Bush, the country was moved by a picture of his service dog Sully lying near the casket giving his last true measure of devotion.  It was a moment that people from each side of the divided political spectrum agreed showed the generous spirit of both dog and man. Of course, someone had to immediately try to darken that image. Ruth Graham from Slate.com decided to do some fact checking about Sully and 41.  She wrote that people should not waste emotion on Sully since he had only been assigned to the President for six months ago. What the writer did not understand is that six months can be a lifetime of love between a human and dog. Usually, it takes six minutes, or even six seconds to for parents and pups to bond.  I try to shy away from comparing dogs with children since obviously, the loss of a child is much more devastating, but would anyone say that a mother should not mourn the loss of her six-month-old child? People who do not under

I was standing with my friends Tommy Tunes and Hobo looking towards the Bridge when suddenly a little Shih Tzu appeared flickering in and out of view. “The poor pup is passing,” Tommy Tunes observed. We were witnessing the last few seconds of his mortal life. I took pity on the poor soul and ran down the steps and on to the Bridge to comfort him. “Thank God, you found me,” the Shih Tzu said. “A little while ago I was safe and warm inside my house. My mom took me out the back sliding door on a leash to pee. When she brought me inside and unhooked my collar, she failed to slide the door shut. I was barking to her that it was open when I saw Sammy, the squirrel.  My mommy told me not to pay attention to him, but he was on my lawn pestering me. Instinct took over, and I ran out the door giving chase. I pursued him deep into woods until he disappeared. That was when I realized I was lost, without my coat, in freezing weather, and it was getting colder. I heard on the breeze my family ca

I was very disappointed when I heard of a new study done by the University of Exeter and Canterbury Christ Church University, home of the Fighting Christians, that concludes that we dogs do not have superior intelligence.  How can they say other animals are more intelligent than us? When’s the last time you saw a seeing-eye-gorilla? You don’t see them, you know why? Blind people kept ending up with a huge banana surplus. I know that we dogs can sometimes exhibit signs of being less than intelligent creatures, eating poop, barking at nothing, trying to get under a blanket while standing on it, drinking from the toilet bowl, swallowing rocks, but our worth outweighs our random stupidity. People should not measure a dog’s worth by intelligence.  While some of us do learn complicated agility courses, become very well trained, and can do impressive tricks, others like me, get stumped by obstacles, don’t listen on walks until we become a barking embarrassment, and can’t turn a trick to

What do you mean Billy Bones won Dancing With the Stars?  What about Witney and Zach?

Do you get the zooms and run around until you are out of energy, how long do they last, and how often do you get them? Pocket:  My zooming days are behind me.  I get about ten steps into a zoom then quick. River:  If I don't get a walk for a couple of days I will zoom from room to room around the house until I am tired.

I admire service dogs.  Their ability to take all their energy and convert it into aiding humans is remarkable. There are many different types of these special pups. My parents have one in their neighborhood.  He helps a blind man during his walks. I am fascinated. I could never have that kind of discipline. Then there are the working dogs who help the army and police. They are our rock stars.  When we dream we see ourselves as these brave creatures. Sometimes, in my fantasies, I am in World War I ratting critters from their holes as we Yorkies were initially trained to do.  Other times I am a rescue dog saving humans from the rubble. It is natural for a dog to want to find humans. On my walks, if I saw or heard a person I would pull on the leash trying to get to them until my parents scolded me.  When you.are a rescue dog, you are allowed to go to people all the time and have the satisfaction of saving lives. Many of these dogs work for law enforcement and the military. While a

This morning there was a loud knock on my door.  I got up and saw Max and Tupper standing on the landing wearing their winter best. “We are going to get a real live Christmas tree for our house,” Tupper said, excitedly.  “Do you want to come?” Ever since I lost track of a Russian I was charged with burying in the Pine Barrens, I have hated walking in the woods in the winter. But Max and Tupper were a lot of fun, so I agreed to go with them . Tupper, Max, and I walked over the river and through the woods until we came to a vast forest of pine trees.  Max found one that would fit perfectly in their living room. Jasper pulled an ax out of his overcoat and began to swing at the trunk. “Hold it!” a deep voice growled.  Our eyes darted around. “Up here,” the voice said. We looked up and realized the tree was talking.  “Do not chop me down!” it commanded. “ Wow,” Max said.  “Trees can talk.” “You’re damn right we can talk,” the tree said.   “And I am finally going to speak for all t

After three busy mornings, I was able to sleep late Monday.  When I awoke, I did my business outside, ate breakfast, then expected to take a long nap.  But my busy-body parents had other ideas. My Daddy went into the shed and began to bring out the colossal Tupperware tubs.  I hoped he was just cleaning it out, but those dreams were cruelly crushed when he brought the boxes inside the house, including the long one that looks like a coffin and contains a dead tree. It must be dead.  It doesn’t smell alive.  And it has been chopped into three sections.  My parents dragged the dead tree in the house and, with three quick snaps, they raised it from the dead, although they needed to construct a stand to keep it upright.  I gave it a sniff — no a sign of life. My parents started to put lights on the tree, and then something humiliating happened.  I don’t want to reveal it, but it involved lights and a photo of me that was taken without my consent.  There is talk of this picture being

Here's Johnny

Do you put up a Christmas tree?    Is it real or artificial? How big is it? Does it bother you? We do put up a tree.  It is artificial and it is about six feet tall and not very wide because we live in a small house.  We don't pay any attention except we don't like the day it goes up and down but after that, we don't care.  

Us angels know lots of secrets, even secrets we are not meant to know.  We can slip into our parents’ subconscious where all their secret’s vaults are open.  We know everything about them, even those things that are hidden from others. But we don’t judge our parents.  We unconditionally love them. But, like all beings with a soul, we need to unburden ourselves.  We live in paradise, so we have no worries of our own. What troubles us is our mortal parents' problems, both what they tell us and what we secretly learn.  Often, we have to talk with friends about our parents' secrets. When we slip back into their dreams, we can’t have a single thought about what our friends confided in us, or a secret might be exposed. Sometimes, the secret is that an angel has arrived at the Bridge.  There are instances when a parent does not want their friends to know they have been struck by such an unbearable burden.  The pain is so crippling that even kind words and love from friends are p

When the garden season ended, I thought that we would have some cold, wet days but I did not think we would have snow. Then Mother Nature went ha! Three nights later I went outside to do my business, and the most terrible thing happened.  I put my paws down and immediately felt two of my least favorite sensations: cold and wet.  I put my nose into the white stuff and felt a sinus freeze down to my paws. It was snow! How did this happen?  It was much too early in the season for such an abomination.  I know many dogs who love snow and God bless them. But their bodies and their private parts are high off the ground.  They don’t know how difficult it is to spit out a few drops of pee and having to concentrate on pooping with your shooter pressed up against the snow.   And humans complain about a cold toilet seat! It wasn’t much snow, but when you have short legs a little is a lot.  The night the storm hit I had to go out for my midnight poop. It was the worst.  I was shivering, and

Every Thanksgiving us dogs at the Doggyspace section of Rainbow Bridge gather for a feast cooked by the angels who arrived here after last year’s Thanksgiving.  Each year our table gets bigger as we are joined by more angels, but our laughs, love, and stories grow too. Jasper and Sophie walked out of the kitchen and announced that dinner was served.  They said they were both acting as hosts this evening and the would take care of all our needs. Abbie, her face, once covered with white fur, now all spectacularly black, presented us with vegan stuffed mushrooms. Before we began the scrumptious appetizer, she informed us that she had picked all the mushrooms and vegan food from the garden behind her house.  Perfect! Lily, from the Doxie Life blog, served us her fresh autumn salad.  She had been inspired by her friends’ beautiful Friday flower blog.  When she learned about the dinner, she made room in her garden for squash, sweet potato, and quail. Once we had finished, our salad