Idyllic Florida with family

Icarus and Charley

My sister loves dogs. When I was here last year, their dog Zen was hanging on, even after he was expected to go a year or so earlier. He finally died at 17, with the final trip to the vet once he stopped eating and was having trouble walking. Icarus was so lonely after he was gone that Norma Jean got another rescue dog, this one a Papillon mix (Charley). He's an adorable dog and was owned by a woman who had moved and found that she couldn't have a fence for him to run, and she, unable to even take him for walks, put an ad on Craigslist to find the right place for him. It turned out to be at home with my sister, her son Peter, and Icarus.

Buried in furry love

Charley was originally named Harley, which nobody really cared for, so they changed it to Charley; he doesn't seem to notice the difference. He's 3 to Icarus' 8 years, so he has plenty of energy and took to me right away. In fact, I had to ask Norma Jean to call him to her so I could write on my laptop. He sleeps with me and we think I might remind him of his previous owner, whose white hair is similar to mine. I'm happy to accommodate this adorable bundle of love.

Deedee, who lives a couple of doors away

Every morning when we walk, Norma Jean takes Deedee with us. She's only a year old and needs the exercise and training. When we come to get her, two homes away, she's waiting impatiently for her. We walk between three and five miles with her. Norma Jean gives her a treat before and after, and in the three months they've been doing this, Norma Jean has only missed one day.

Of course, she also has me along with her, so the three of us enjoy the idyllic Florida weather. You might notice Norma Jean is dressed warmly, because the first two days I was here it was downright cold in the morning. I didn't really mind, except we missed our swim. We went yesterday, though, and I am now happy to say the weather is warm and really delightful.
:-)