So, I feel like I need to talk about Maizy. Maizy entered my life the day before she was set to leave this life. Meaning, she was one day from being "put to sleep" at the "Pound" when I adopted her. She was sort of a dull greyish black color, very mellow and very sweet. Henry and I met her and she caught our attention with her court-jester ears. My friend Candace met her when she first came home with kennel cough, all dingy and yucky and said "Oh......She looks nice...." Meaning, wow, you really picked a project with this one ...." (or that is how I remember it).
Now, in full confession mode, I didn't like Maizy after I got her home. She was needy, clingy and in your face in a way that Henry never was. I posted her as "free to a good home" two or three times but whenever I got an actual call, I couldn't do it. But, she was wild and crazy and needy and she exploded the dysfunctional rhythm Henry and I had established. But, I guess, I started to think of her as my "crazy" and, in the end, I had adopted her, so I was accountable to her. And, she loved me. I mean, kind of crazy loved me.
About a month after her adoption, we went to Durango. We thought about leaving her at home (because she was notoriously BADLY BEHAVED in a car) but decided to take her. First, she jumped out of the window on a snowy backroad that resulted in me getting my thumb stuck in the car, then she (with the help of Henry) dragged me through the mud to see a friendly looking dog walking by, then she vanished on a short sunset hike we took in the snow -- she was on her last minute before I gave up when she finally showed her face.
I will tell you that after about six months of not liking this little black dog very much, I started to change my tune. We were hiking in the mountains near Globe. A little hike really, but we were a mile or so into the trail. The dogs were ahead of Eric and I -- when we saw a strange movement on the side of the trail. Yup, it seemed to be Henry and Maizy kind of rolling down an embankment. As we ran towards them, Henry bolted past us towards the car. Maizy was ahead of us -- she had turned yellow. Very yellow. Shoot .... Those were bees covering the poor thick coated and very sweet little black dog.
"Maizy, run!" I yelled as I turned on heel and followed Henry. We bolted town the trail and Maizy followed, with what I image was a trail be killer bees releasing from her thick coat. She was a border collie/shepherd mix -- so she had a wonderful undercoat that made it hard for the bees to get to her skin. We ran ran ran -- me yelling at her, yelling at Henry, yelling and Eric -- feeling the bees breathing down our proverbial necks. We came to a creek and a splashed water over Maizy (Henry didn't have any bees on him) and we kept running til we reached the car. Henry jumped in while Eric and I combed the last few bees off Maizy, we jumped in and headed down the mountain.
I was worried about their reaction to any potential bee stings. So, I bought hot dogs and Benadryl. I figured the Benadryl would stop the reaction and if they eagerly ate the hot dogs..... they couldn't be that bad off. Well, the scarfed the hot dogs and the Benadryl and we all headed home, each with just one or two stings from the day.
From that adventure on, I liked Maizy more. I didn't think about finding her a new home any more. But, when four or five months later, Henry was diagnosed with bone cancer, I made him promise not to leave me with the crazy little black dog I had only gotten to keep him company.
Strangely, he kept his "promise" -- he lived longer than anyone expected -- I think in part to ensure he didn't leave me with the crazy little black dog I came to love so much. It's funny, when she died from lymphoma -- Henry was still hanging on. He stayed with me for about six months after she passed. And, about four months after Sedona arrived. An Australian Shepherd version of Maizy.
Funny, I didn't get Maizy as a companion for me. But she was. And, if reincarnation in dogs is possible, Maizy is still with me today. In the form of a crazy little red merle shepherd who is smart, loving and 100% CRAZY BLACK DOG.
Now, in full confession mode, I didn't like Maizy after I got her home. She was needy, clingy and in your face in a way that Henry never was. I posted her as "free to a good home" two or three times but whenever I got an actual call, I couldn't do it. But, she was wild and crazy and needy and she exploded the dysfunctional rhythm Henry and I had established. But, I guess, I started to think of her as my "crazy" and, in the end, I had adopted her, so I was accountable to her. And, she loved me. I mean, kind of crazy loved me.
About a month after her adoption, we went to Durango. We thought about leaving her at home (because she was notoriously BADLY BEHAVED in a car) but decided to take her. First, she jumped out of the window on a snowy backroad that resulted in me getting my thumb stuck in the car, then she (with the help of Henry) dragged me through the mud to see a friendly looking dog walking by, then she vanished on a short sunset hike we took in the snow -- she was on her last minute before I gave up when she finally showed her face.
I will tell you that after about six months of not liking this little black dog very much, I started to change my tune. We were hiking in the mountains near Globe. A little hike really, but we were a mile or so into the trail. The dogs were ahead of Eric and I -- when we saw a strange movement on the side of the trail. Yup, it seemed to be Henry and Maizy kind of rolling down an embankment. As we ran towards them, Henry bolted past us towards the car. Maizy was ahead of us -- she had turned yellow. Very yellow. Shoot .... Those were bees covering the poor thick coated and very sweet little black dog.
"Maizy, run!" I yelled as I turned on heel and followed Henry. We bolted town the trail and Maizy followed, with what I image was a trail be killer bees releasing from her thick coat. She was a border collie/shepherd mix -- so she had a wonderful undercoat that made it hard for the bees to get to her skin. We ran ran ran -- me yelling at her, yelling at Henry, yelling and Eric -- feeling the bees breathing down our proverbial necks. We came to a creek and a splashed water over Maizy (Henry didn't have any bees on him) and we kept running til we reached the car. Henry jumped in while Eric and I combed the last few bees off Maizy, we jumped in and headed down the mountain.
I was worried about their reaction to any potential bee stings. So, I bought hot dogs and Benadryl. I figured the Benadryl would stop the reaction and if they eagerly ate the hot dogs..... they couldn't be that bad off. Well, the scarfed the hot dogs and the Benadryl and we all headed home, each with just one or two stings from the day.
From that adventure on, I liked Maizy more. I didn't think about finding her a new home any more. But, when four or five months later, Henry was diagnosed with bone cancer, I made him promise not to leave me with the crazy little black dog I had only gotten to keep him company.
Strangely, he kept his "promise" -- he lived longer than anyone expected -- I think in part to ensure he didn't leave me with the crazy little black dog I came to love so much. It's funny, when she died from lymphoma -- Henry was still hanging on. He stayed with me for about six months after she passed. And, about four months after Sedona arrived. An Australian Shepherd version of Maizy.
Funny, I didn't get Maizy as a companion for me. But she was. And, if reincarnation in dogs is possible, Maizy is still with me today. In the form of a crazy little red merle shepherd who is smart, loving and 100% CRAZY BLACK DOG.
Oh man. This is wonderful. Crazy Maizy.
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