All Good Things...

...must come to an end. Today is the last day of a long and lovely Spring Break from school. We haven't had an entire week off for Spring Break since one of the first years I taught (almost 20 years ago!), so this was blissful. In addition to the welcome time off, the weather has been beyond fantastic - warm and balmy - great for spending time with the dogs outdoors. Each day on our walks in the fields we have watched the fields green up, buds burst into tender green leaves, and pups rolling in the warm grass. Absolutely heavenly! The yard is cleaned up, the trees trimmed (and some branches cut for McKinley Academy's graduation decorations), the outdoor furniture has been returned to its rightful place, and...best of all...the outdoor dog beds have again taken up residence on our little "doggie deck" on the back patio. It's only 10:30am, and "Spa Day" has already begun for the dogs. Wet towels are snapping in the wind on the line, my clothes are soaked, and there is a quarter inch of water on the kitchen counter. You guessed it - they have all been bathed, and are now sipping cold drinks and lounging on their outdoor beds in the sun. Okay, so maybe not sipping cold drinks, but I'd sure like to be pampered like they were today!!
This is Shae (formerly Chardonnay). She's a 14 year old beagle from the Eastshore Humane Society in Chilton. Her dad couldn't keep her anymore and turned her over to the shelter for rehoming. I hope that he'd be happy to know that she is doing wonderfully, fitting in with the rest of the gang here at the Haven. Every day she goes on our walkabouts - what a healthy, happy pup! Her only flaw is that she loves to "talk" and we'll be working on that! She loves soft beds, watching over the fenceline, and harassing the girls and the tinies. She is very, very welcome here, and Tulip, Ruby, and Shae have taught us that we will probably always have a beagle to watch over Hundenruhe.