Zacchaeus at Six

Can it really be six years since I brought home a 3 lb, squawking fur ball who cried all night? Who charmed the neighborhood and everyone who saw him? Who caused cars traveling down 8th Street to turn onto the frontage road and ask if they could PLEASE see the puppy? Who followed his big sister, Princess, EVERYWHERE for the first three weeks - convinced she was his new mama, even though she had zero tolerance for him? And who, after three weeks, got a new 'big sister' who absolutely ADORED him and claimed him as her own. The love affair between those two goes on, and though there are jealous moments, it always warms my heart to see Zak groom Scarlett - licking her face, her eyes, her ears .... she, on her back, soaking it up and then rewarding him by jumping up and giving chase. He has long since passed her up in speed, but they still have a ton of fun together.


Huge shout out to Betty Boersma, Mike and Gina Wander, and Emma Baardson for all the help, advice and encouragement they gave me in those early months. For 16 months I had three dogs - a puppy, a one year old and a very elderly senior who spent a good bit of the last year of her life at the neighbors!

HAPPY SIXTH BIRTHDAY Zacchaeus Robert; aka Zak, Zakki, or Zackaroni. You are still convinced that every person on the planet is here to play with you and you manage to convince them of the same. You have comforted me in dark times, made me laugh - along with your sister - every single day, tested my patience at times and brought so much joy into my life. You are a good boy. And there is nothing you like better than hearing that!

SIX WEEKS 

SIX MONTHS

SIX YEARS

Summer is going fast. Other than one horribly, miserable hot spell that lasted about five days, July was pretty nice, after a very wet May and June. A good friend from MN, Joan Groothuis, came for a weekend, and we've found a few inland lakes to cool off. But I've been working some pretty crazy long hours since the first of the year, and when I finally get home at night, I enjoy nothing more than sitting in my hammock (my happy place) while the dogs play in the yard. I have had only one vacation day since last August, so we're looking forward to getting away to the cabin next week. 

Zak will lie in the front yard for hours at a time, waiting for his neighborhood friends to come play. No one seemed to be around this particular day. He's very patient and loves to watch the traffic - which we had lots of in MN and almost NONE of here. But once in a great while, a car will come by or someone will be out in their yard. And he's happy as a lark.

THIS is what he lives for. A crowd of kids gathered all around him, petting him, loving on him, playing with him. He's the center of the universe. Scarlett enjoys it to a point, but a little goes a long way. For Zak, it never gets old. The extrovert of all extroverts. He couldn't care less about playing with other dogs. He wants to play with people.




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