Bob M
New member
Relaxing In The Rain, This Afternoon
"How is Mary?"
A number of people have asked for updates on Abbie's special-needs daughter, Mary.
I guess the best answer I can give you is, "Mary is Mary."
She's really doing quite well, overall. Her health is fine, and there is no doubt in my mind that her quality of life is excellent. She takes a lively interest in her surroundings, plays enthusiastically with her sister Ernestine, and approaches every day with the curiosity and wonder of a puppy. Each morning, as the other three amble outside to pay their respects to familiar landmarks, Mary bursts out the door, eager for the new discoveries that await her in the wondrous world of the side yard. If they did such tests on dogs, I'm sure her mental age would come out to be somewhere around two or three months.
But life is not all play for Mary - she has responsibilities. Every week she goes to obedience training where she spends an hour learning to socialize with other dogs - a new crowd every six weeks - and practicing the commands she's learned. She's made her way from puppy class to basic obedience to advanced obedience, where she has settled in as a regular, thanks to the generosity of the wonderful instructor. She knows all sorts of exercises, and currently is striving to master figure-eights off-leash. I can't tell you how proud I am of Mary for what she has accomplished - or of my wife for her patience and determination in making it happen.
Even though Mary's life is reasonably calm these days, things are never completely predictable. This afternoon, after I fed the gang, I let them all outside for the usual purposes. It was raining steadily, and three Newfoundland dogs took care of business quickly, then clustered at the door waiting to come back in the house.
Not Mary. She likes to take a nap outdoors after supper, and a little thing like rain is not about to interfere with her routine. She settled down against the fence, made herself comfortable, and relaxed in the rain- the picture of Newfie contentment. She stayed out there about 90 minutes before something caught her attention outside the fence and she began barking. In consideration of the neighbors, I went outside to bring her in.
As she rose and shook off, my heart was full of affection for this little gift that the gods gave us. Then I returned to the stove to continue working on dinner, and Mary disappeared down the hall to the master bedroom, where she pooped on Abbie's bed.
That, my friends, is life with our Mary, god bless her. Really not too bad.
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She has made incredible strides in obedience.
