Quincy's Meme

Dave over at Here I Stand posted on a sad note, that they had to put Quincy, the family dog, to sleep. Certainly, we pray for Dave and the family because we all know that pets are people too. Their stories are our stories. One thing that can guarantee good conversation is a sharing of the antics of our animals. So, in honor of Quincy and all of our animal companions past and present, I thought I would post a couple pet antics form our house and create a new meme.
1. What is an amusing anecdote about a pet friend in your life (past or present)?
My Beloved and I have had two great dogs, Stirling, who was a wonderful shorthaired pointer, and Buddy the beagle, the current Resident. When we owned Stirling, we were newlyweds, before children, in a new house- in other words we were pretty clueless. Our house was a bi-level with a deck off of the back of the upper level that had stairs down to the back yard. I usually was the one to let the dog out the back to the yard when we got home from work for the "do your business, eat, play" evening routine, which required keeping her on a lead because she wanted to hunt everything. However, when it was time to come in, which usually meant dinner or a treat or toy, no lead was required. She would bound up that set of stairs, a couple at a time,ahead of the human, setting new world speed records. My Beloved is a very structured person, and all things happen in a routinized way. When putting out the dog, you open the sliding door, step out onto the deck, close the door firmly, walk the dog down, come back up, open the door, step in, close the door, put the leash on the counter, wait for the dog to bark that she wants in and repeat. I, on the other hand, open the door, take the dog out, come back up through the open door, andn repeat at the end.
This meant the dog would bound up the stairs, through the open door and to the food bowl with glee.
So one day, my Beloved does the evening routine, and at the end, the dog comes bounding up the stairs in the sprint to the food bowl, and..BAM, right into the CLOSED glass door. Who changed the routine? She sat there for a moment, a little dazed, shook it off and came in. After that for some time she would look at the door as if to try and figure out what had happened.
This year, our beagle, Buddy is becoming a senior citizen for sure. He cannot hear well, he cannot see well, he sometimes gets confused. This year, when we put up the Christmas tree, I came downstairs the next day, and the tree skirt was wet. I assumed it had gotten caught in the water, and it would dry. But for several days we were noticing a similar problem. Which turned out to be that Buddy thought the tree was a tree that needed to be marked. If there was a new Dr Seuss book, it would be Pee on Tree. See tree. See tree pee. No, no you must not pee on tree.
2. What is a gift a pet gave to you when you really needed it?
At the end of a really hard day, Buddy will always come over, tail wagging, and climbs up into my lap, nuzzles in and snuggles. He is so loving and content that whatever has gone awry, you just feel embraced.
3. Share a picture of one or more of your pets- extra points for amusing photos.
I am working on a photo to post.
Gracious God, we thank you for all of your creation. We especially thank you for the animals that grace our lives. May we learn the unquestioning love they share with us. Bless all of our pets, and those who care for them. Amen
So, now for the three questions, I tag Diane at Faith in Community , Dave, of course at Here I Stand and Dogblogger .