Beneath the Wraps

          We had a bear-sized dog come live with us before we were married and were moving Roland and the boys into the house.  He was an older dog who had come with his own name – but if he hadn’t, we would have named him Houdini as he was an escape artist.           The first year we lived in Kearns we had gone to a Cinco de Mayo [taste of Kearns] celebration.  The boys  (Randy specifically)  had wanted to enter Houdini  in a contest but didn’t know what category.  They ended up entering him in the fluffiest – we were among the first to arrive and hadn’t had the opportunity to see the one we knew would take first place.           Best trick really would have been the best option, but I don’t think the boys had a ball with them (as I recall we had just walked to the High School where the celebration had taken place) otherwise Ho...

        I did not understand that when dogs barked at Houdini (first family dog), it was only because they wanted to play or sniff each other out.   But with Houdini, his was a mission to find his boys.   He managed to ignore every snide remark and pick up line that every dog may have barked to him.   He just kept his eyes ahead and moved at a steady pace. Didn’t even acknowledge the other dogs. Highness (our current dog) walks with his nose to the ground – searching for a long lost friend (we think) and will sniff out other dogs and decide that’s not the one he’s looking for and will move on.   Generally if I allow Highness and the dog behind the fence to sniff one another, things are cool and the barking generally stops.   Not always.           There have actually been a few mean dogs.   MEAN.   They grow extra fangs right in front of us and growl as they bare their new...

Recently I made a scrapbook page of Jenna posed with various dogs. They have all been good dogs – except one.   Our first dog ran away before I had even learned that I was pregnant with Jenna.   Houdini was our favorite dog. I had worked with a women who was a humanitarian and on a mission to save all animals – dogs in particular.   She asked me if I’d be willing to take a dog.   And the boys had always wanted one – and finally we had the room.   We went to take a look at the dog before we moved to the house I had just purchased. My boys commented that the dog was fat.   They were more interested in the dog’s sister (who was not available for the taking)   apparently a fat dog was better than no dog.   I told my co-worker we’d take it – but first she’d have to wait for us to move into our house before she brought the dog.   But actually the dog was brought to us on first day of the move – so we hadn’t actually settled in yet. ...