Where'd Puppy Tuc Go? (aka: Life Goes On)

I've been through enough crises in life to realize time stops for no one. Sickness, death, injury, job loss, dreaded diagnosis, hospitalization, pain, rejection, relational severance, financial devastation, lost dreams -- you name it, it doesn't matter: when we deal with these things, life plods determinedly on.

Between canines and humans, I feel like we've been in perpetual crisis here for way too long now. The reality is, though we've often felt suspended in our crises bubbles over the past year -- on "pause" if you will -- the mantel clock still chimes and the Earth continues to spin, and we wake up after each crisis feeling a little more left behind.

That's a bit how I felt this weekend when I spent some time with the big canine kids, including little Tucmeister (who, btw, isn't so little anymore). Where'd my big puppies go?

Here's Tuc with Kenya and Pinot. Can you tell who's who in this picture (Pinot's a no-brainer - hehe, even I can't miss that, but what about Tuc and Kenya)?

Tuc is on the right; Kenya is on left. I can tell mostly because of body and tail density -- Kenya has a denser body and true otter tail -- and because I can barely see Tuc's green collar on the right. But I had a hard time figuring it out at first.

Here's Tuc with Kenya while both focus on DH:


And here's the whole gang (farthest back is Kenya, then in the middle l to r it's Tuc, Ridge, and Pinot, and in front is Elsie):


Granted, Tuc still acts like a puppy (I still hide my shoes, and he still raids the pantry if we're not looking). During training his attention isn't quite the same as that of the older dogs (he gets severe bouts of cantous-keepous-buttous-onthe-groundous). He is still a puppy after all. But he's not a little puppy anymore.

When did that happen? He's only six months old! Where'd my little Tuc go?

For that matter, where did my little Pinot go (she's 15 months old now)?

Ah, but despite time's relentless progression, some things never change.

Tuc still loves challenging Pinot in retrieving races (and he's starting to catch her -- but I think sometimes she lets him):


The Herd still loves Daddy Don (that's visiting Baxter in the center, Tuc and Pinot on this side, Kenya and Ridge on the far side, Elsie left):


And they all mind him still (even Baxter, way off to the right with Elsie):



Seven-year-old Ridge is still our Super-Affectionate-Eager-to-Please-Neurotic-Old-Man-Nudge (and sire extraordinaire):


Puppies (even little squirts like Mr. Red) still intimidate Baxter (remember 110-pound Baxter running away from last year's Mr. Blue, now Copper who lives in AZ, when Copper was a whopping six weeks old?):


Pinot, our sweet, gentle, soft-mouthed, focused, speed-queen, is still fastest of the bunch:


Elsie still loves to play like she's a little girl (two litters later)...



and she still loves to lean (ohboyohboyohboyohboy, a butt and back rub!)....


and she still hogs our laps and sofa (we have got to get a bigger couch):


Gorgeous, wiggly-butt, all-has-something-in-her-mouth Kenya still rules the roost when it comes to Tuc and Pinot. She may be an adopted littermate to them, but she's still a littler higher up the food chain. Speaking of food...she's getting a little too chunky for her own good. Me thinketh she'll be goingeth on a dieteth soon. :o) Here's Kenya (profiled) taking the retrieving dummy away from Tuck (facing us on left):


Yes, some things do remain the same, and that's a good thing. We all need constancy in our lives.

But somehow I feel like I've lost the last three months (even the last year) and that time is forever gone.

Guess I'll just have to make the most of the time I have now and from here on, eh?

'Til next time,
Joan