Last year when Sally first arrived on transport from Georgia, she was a tiny little thing and nervous to boot – understandable given her journey from dumped shelter puppy to rescue to transport to my open arms.
Her rescue angel – Dana
This was the morning she was put on transport in Georgia
to come live with us, her forever family in CT
On the other end, 24 hours later – in New Haven, CT
where there were many tears of joy…
These ladies are amazing – they work for Grateful Doggies Transport
and drive through the night, stopping to check on and water
and walk their charges – as they drop them off
at various stops along the East Coast Corridor
to the waiting arms of their forever homes.
We started bringing Sally down to the shore right away because we wanted her to feel comfortable there too. The first few visits were a big deal for her and she was frightened of the water. She’s still nervous on the car ride down, but she has adjusted really well, at a year old now, to our “other” home. I take both Frasier and Sally with me more often than not, while Ben and Bailey stay home. Ben, our Dane, is just too darn big at 186 pounds, and little Bailey is older and nervous in new environments so we let them guard the house while we are at the cottage. M and I don’t yet stay overnight at Stella because I’ve got horses, dogs and chickens to tuck in at night and feed in the morning. Mom stays for weeks at a time and some day we will live there during the summer – when the farm has less demands of our time.
Sally inspects the oyster beds at low tide.
These are submerged at high tide, and we have to be careful where we step
(water shoes a must) when we swim or go clamming.
Sally still thinks swimming is a terrible idea and prefers to hunt among the rocks along shore, but Frasier is a real Salty Dog – he loves the water, lays right down in it to cool off, and occasionally comes for a kayak ride with me.
Speaking of boats – Ruby and I took our first glide through cove waters on Saturday, an absolutely glorious day here in Connecticut… and it felt so good to have the sun on my face, the cool water at my fingertips. We hugged the shore because the winds were beginning to pick up and there was some chop, a prequel to yesterday’s rains.
A little about “Ruby” – I’ve tried some kayaks over the years, some fancy models, some cheapos too – and by far, the best as far as tracking and stability and just plain ease of use and fun is my Necky Manitou Sport – I think I’ve had her for about 8-10 years now. She’s a little heavy compared to some other models you can buy – but when you get a lighter version, you have less stability. For me it’s not worth the sacrifice to have a lighter “haul” to get her into the water. If you are in the market for a recreational kayak of your own and you’re not going to do any crazy whitewater or BIG ocean wave stuff – I highly recommend this kayak. I’ve done rivers, lakes, cove and shore paddling and I just love it for it’s sturdy ride.
** I’m not getting paid to say this – I just like it that much and feel confident to recommend it if you’re looking for a kayak of your own. Here’s a LINK if you want to learn more.
An update on the baby robins on the cottage porch – I stepped out onto said porch to sweep the floor and the babies got startled and flew away (sorta). I sure hope they were ready – they looked iffy. Ugh!.. I wish I had thought of that before opening the door!
Meanwhile, back at the ranch… the Chipping Sparrow babies in the shrub next to the sliders are getting bigger too… to get an idea of how tiny these guys are – that piece of pale blue ribbon is thin curling ribbon their parents found somewhere – and the shrub is a boxwood, those green leaves are very small too.
It’s a beautiful thing, isn’t it?
Happy Memorial Day Weekend to all – the skies are supposed to clear, we’re heading back down to Stella – perhaps for another spin around the cove and definitely to mow the lawn, which has been overfertilized by the Mr. and has been growing like Bob Ross’s hair in that old chia pet commercial. You know the one I’m talking about, don’t ya.
To our Veterans everywhere – deceased, retired and still serving…
