Today my Blog is four years old, older
than my doggie, so with that in mind I’m writing about her.
Yesterday I was in my kitchen baking
Linzer Torte with the windows open when I heard kids outside yell out, “That’s
Coco’s house.” Soon the door was
pounding. Bubbling behind the door,
you’d think it was the Kaiser’s birthday party.
They had balloons and chocolate leaf cookies and wanted to play with
her. I peered in disapproval at the
chocolate but told them she could go out later, when I would be ready to
supervise. The children have always been
generous in dispensing gifts to her. Although she spends her time running back
and forth as they do, and barks acting as a referee to any injustice, not only
do they continue to dot on her but they love her.
Very few know of Coco’s story. It reads like a version of Little Match Girl, a short-story by Hans
Christian Andersen. Cold and hungry, and left to die alone in a foreclosed home
her barks saved her. She was taken to
Lied Animal Shelter, where she most likely questioned the meaning of life and
of play.
There in November 2011, dehydrated at a mere
ten pounds, I spotted her. When I
reached in to pet her she immediately licked my hand. Staring, shining, scintillating… I thought
who is that skinny doggie and where did she come from? Was she the darling of
some Las Vegas stage performer?
In shades of gray and tan with a black
chevron down her back, she’s half-Miniature Schnauzer and Yorkie, what’s called
a Schnorkie but looks like a little lamb. Here I thought is my puppy and
mistook the thoughtful look of Coco’s enormous pretty brown eyes and long
eyelashes for tranquility.
Once out of the shelter, Coco began to
make her presence known. She was
energetic, fiery and spunky. Not anxious
or suspicious of either people or animals, she adores new experiences. As an intelligent, courageous creature; she
is the friendliest canine at the doggie park.
At home, she has a hearty appetite, and is subtle and unsubtle, loudly
indignant and softly stubborn, sly, sweet, resourceful and interesting all the
way.
As for words... Coco is natural-born
linguist. It's enough to talk to her because she understands and will do what I
ask. She shows her uniqueness and originality and rarely does anything by rote.
On occasions when she demonstrates her ardent temperament she then cocks her
head and I see wings and halos circle her head.
Now at a healthy lean twenty pounds, she
is a fierce protector of home and hearth, a thoroughly engaging personality,
and brings love, friendship, and zest for life to our household, the
neighborhood and to everyone she meets.
Because of her determination to correct
any wrongdoing, I tell my husband if she were human she’d be true to her sun
sign and be an activist. She’s also
clairvoyant. Meanwhile I’m on a hunt to find her a collar with peace sign logos.
This
is her theme song:
No comments:
Post a Comment