Our Black Little Cricket

It took awhile to find another puppy after Buddy's ordeal. And really....I still kind of wish Buddy had made it but Cricket is quickly becoming family. It's been a very long time since we've had a puppy this little. Dumped and in sad shape the rescue took her in and we picked her up at the ripe old age of 13 weeks. We made the trip back to Dallas yet again on Saturday after having just been there for the wedding the night before. Brad had returned home but Mother joined in on the fun. The children LOVE going out to the house where the rescue is run.

After some quality time, despite how hot is was, loving on the new puppies and making all of the rounds between the available dogs we picked our little Cricket up and started the journey home. She did great though the children were a little disappointed she preferred the floor over the van seat riding with them. We got to our last town before arriving home when I looked at the gas gauge and was suddenly reminded that we would be blessed if we made it home based on how much we had left. There was no way in the world we'd ever make it to church the following morning with what the gauge showed and being in this part of the world there is absolutely nothing open near us on Sundays. I called Brad who said to turn around and go back to the town we had just blown through to fuel up. Since we were not that far out at that point it was only a minimal delay in getting home. What I failed to think about during this process was the size of a new puppy's bladder. She actually got excited when we pulled up to the gas pump and finally acted like she was wanting out...which she had not done when we stopped to take a bathroom break earlier. I just thought she was finally starting to cheer up from having left her "home" at the rescue. Once Grayson had pumped a sufficient amount of fuel in so that we were assured of getting home and making it to church the next morning we set off for the last 16 miles....again. No sooner than the van had hit the road there were 6 children shrieking that Cricket had pooped. In complete disbelief I asked ridiculously, "She pooped????!!!!". That would be right about the time the smell wafted up to my nostrils. Said out of experience now...it is surprisingly quick how fast the smell of dog poop can make its way from the back of a 15 passenger van to the front of a 15 passenger van. And even worse....this dog has diarrhea due to the heartworm medication she is on. That was by far the windiest and fastest 16 miles I have ever driven....not to mention loudest from the amount of children that were left gagging and still hollering their protest in the back. I'm not sure what was worse..the bugs that I was being hit in the face with due to my head hanging out the window, the smell that still managed to find my nostrils or the 80 mile an hour winds that were drying out my eyeballs. Van doors were thrown open before we the van even came to a stop in the driveway and children starting pouring out every door of the vehicle as it rolled to a stop. Of course, dog stepped in poop then jumped on van seat in an effort to get out. Now poop on seat. Or well, rather diarrhea on seat. I should clarify to make sure the mental picture painted has been done justice.

Brad was thrilled.

With all hands on deck to help unload from the trip we made quick work of it. I promised to clean it up but Brad went ahead and lovingly did it...despite the fact it is always me begging for more animals. But of course with Brad doing it it was done in typical Bradley fashion. When I questioned him as to what he scrubbed it with I was answered with, "Oh....I just cut the carpet out." You cut the carpet out??????!!!! He then promptly and reasonably pointed out that this van has no resale value at all....which I must agree with him on that point. So now we have a missing patch of carpet to compliment the wire and bolt dangling from the back of the van as the outside door handle, that clangs obnoxiously I must add as we drive down highways doing 70 mph, and the rope hanging from the side door within to open up that door. All added in true redneck fashion by my loving and surprisingly un-rednecked husband. Then of course, lest I forget, the missing cup holders in the front seat that just conveniently fell out. Yes...I'm thinking the missing patch of carpet goes well with our rope door pulleys and clanging round bolt that beats the van as we do our Muppet thing down the road.

And the whole dog poop thing just goes with the feral cat pee that the mountain cat was so generous to share with us on our trip to TN last year. Peeing perfectly right where the driver puts his/her feet. We still to this day smell cat pee when opening the van up on a hot day.

So it is that we welcomed Cricket home and have a new puppy, which the children are ecstatic about. Every kid needs a puppy in my book. And she is turning out to be a great dog. She hangs with her pack and never leaves. After a few exciting chicken rodeos and seeing nothing but a little black bullet and 40 non flying, heavyweight chickens take flight we have had no other daily excitement with her. So far she hasn't managed to make dinner out of any of her bird friends. It only took a few days worth of correction and some consistency to get her going down the right chicken road. Her interest in kittens is still a little alarming at this point but so far so good.