In the midst of company arriving from out-of-state and the house filling with guests for a late Thanksgiving celebration, Daisy began showing signs of illness. She wouldn’t eat and one morning we woke up to find a bloody discharge all—over—the—carpets…and I do mean all over. That necessitated a call to the carpet cleaners and a couple trips to the vet, first for antibiotics, and eventually surgery to have Daisy spayed.
Surgery meant an overnight separation for Duke and Daisy, possibly their first ever. Duke wandered the house, room to room, lost without his constant partner. Our verbal reassurances and hugs didn’t seem quite enough to console him. Meanwhile at the vet, the doctor found a mass of infection inside. Although long overdue, all went well and the surgery was a success. To say the dogs were happy when the hubby brought Daisy home is a great understatement.
With the carpets cleaned and Daisy back to her old self, the family celebrations continued…a granddaughter’s baptism, followed by a grandson’s first birthday. Although absent of snow, December’s days led into Christmas and all the prep and pressure that goes with celebrating Christ’s birth. To my surprise neither dog gave the Christmas tree a second glance. Even Daisy, who must rely on furniture staying in place, never once bumped into the tree. For each family get-together, whether two people or twenty people showed up, Duke and Daisy were on their best behavior, gentle around the little ones, making us proud adopted parents.
It’s been five full months since this mother-son pair of Labradors arrived on our doorstep. As 2012 begins, the ground now covered in white, Daisy and Duke have their routines in place and favorite spots to snooze, I’d say it’s official—they are here to stay.
