All my life I have loved to read and collect books. My cookbook and art book collection is dear to me and I refer to them often. Apparently, they not only look good but taste good to our new puppy. I have learned in the last couple of weeks if you do not hear puppy activity and the puppy is not within eyesight, the puppy is into ‘no good’. As I mentioned in my last dog blog, we blocked off the entire living room, with its tempting bookshelves, my grand piano, area rug, and fabric chairs, but in my office design books are on a couple of low shelves. I try to let the puppy be with me in the office, but if the jingling of her bell is silent, I know the teeth are active. (or she is peeing or pooping)
This morning, sitting quietly in my office and reading email, I noticed the silence. Time to do the “house tour” to discover the whereabouts of ms. puppy. First walkabout reveals lovely new piles or gifts by the front door and several runny ones on my tile. What a great to start your day, but at least I had time for a coffee after taking her outside, feeding her, feeding the cat and hosing down the outside. Oops, better go outside as I forgot to hose down the outside.
Did I mention while taking the puppy out for her first visit to the outside kennel, a bald eagle flew over my head about twenty feet above, luckily with a salmon about half the size of the eagle in its talons. I did realize that the puppy is finally almost too big to be considered good eagle meals. Yippee ~ yard time. Oops, the yard is not effectively fenced.
Second quiet time walkabout finds puppy gleefully chewing on one of my America’s Test Kitchen Cookbooks that I had in with the design books on the lower shelf in my office. It now has lovely teeth marks on the corner with a couple tabs missing, but it is still usable.
So now the bottom shelf is sprayed with Lavender oil, as apparently, puppies do not like the smell. While spraying the shelf, I notice once again the jingle of puppy is not heard. Ah, the door to upstairs is open and the puppy is exploring the upstairs bedroom, which is not allowed as the floor is carpeted.
Quiet time for a moment, as the puppy is asleep by the gate to upstairs, the cat is hanging out adding hair to the top of a chair in the gated living room and I have a moment to add to this blog.
When I started my blog, it was about interior design, art, and cooking. Bringing a puppy into a house changes all the dynamics of not only your home but your life. I never thought the above sprayer would be the dominant accessory in our home. I have seven of these in strategical places throughout the main floor. The puppy likes to growl and attack your leg or pant leg, whichever is more convenient. The puppy does not like water sprayed on its face, so not only are these on many tables, I carry one in hand for protection from the growing monster.
On the other hand, I never imagined my personal residence overtaken by puppy gates, chew toys, spray bottles and fences. I do love the “little monster”, but right now I am not sure how much I like the changes it has brought into my life. I have not been in my art studio since we brought her home, other than to clean it and get it ready for guests.
My friends keep telling me all this will pass. I would like to take a break today and sit in my favorite reading chair by the fireplace downstairs, but the puppy at the cord to the lamp. Think I’ll go for a car ride (with the puppy in the crate) so I have a little quiet time.