dogs deserve our humble respect

 Yes even the dogs deserve our humble respect.

The life of  'fear mounting' many people have had over their life times comes through at the oddest of times.

At number 14 there are two twenty year old dogs. One named Sox and the other one is Boof.  Many see them as adorable, loveable canines with a cheeky sense of humor. 

For the last seventeen years they have been basically in my charge. At that stage there were two other dogs as well.  One called DD [ their mother] and another called Gatta [ An adopted older pit bull auntie]

Each dog had their quirks

Gatta would carry a pencil in her mouth from one room to the other. Where DD would ignore Sox , she favored  Boof. We came to see it was a color thing.  DD was to yong when our youngest daughter and her friend let DD out in the friends back yard.  The daddy of most of the pups was very full grown... and a gingery color.

Some years later some one came into the back yard of number 19 and kicked Gata's back right leg. Two operations later she was doing okay.  

A few months later, due to her age, Gata, Sox and I were walking in the park. The full moon beans were everywhere. Gata just lay down for a good half hour. DD and I joined her, knowing Gata's time had drawn closer.

Our walks continued thought for a few more months. 

Then one other night when the moon was full again, this old lady wanted to go outside for the a while. And she hid amongst the roses and shrubbery that draped on the ground. night. Not wanting to come in.  The back door was open for her to enter as she wished.  But that was not to be.

The next morning the door was found shut. Now that that was Gata was found literally as still as a board on the old porch couch.

Ray, and our oldest son, dug the hole for her but had to wait for her body was not yet ready to be interned

DD's demise was another matter. 

I was called to number 19 only to find DD in fits and frothing at the mouth. Someone had poisoned DD.  Boof, the son living with DD, was wanting to know what was wrong with his mother. How do you tell a dog what is happening while you are looking after his mother during the rapidly deteriating end phases of his mothers life!

Boof and Ray actually hit it of really well.  

Both missed DD. After a while our oldest son visited his father. Boof, went to him.  Pleading to go with him, He was still our son's dog. Yet ours oldest son left Boof alone with his father as Melbourne called. Which is where  he was then working.

There was one stage while I was still there that Boof went between the two of them.  Finally Boof licked Rays hand.  Sat down, looked at his old master.

Decision was made.  For years though when Ray had gone to work, or there was me at work and the weather was at it's worst both dogs enjoyed 'visiting' the other.  Made the care easier with just one place to head too.

Strange things happen between families.

There is a passage in Matthew 10:21..." and the child shall raise up against their parents, and will cause them to be put to death." In the extreme this did not actually happen.  However, a freedom was removed for a very long time  

There was things happening now at number 19. My mother came to live. This would has until late 2021 when a younger sibling was able to take our mother to specialist appointments in Melbourne during lockdowns.

Massive changes lay ahead

Ray had need of a place to stay as the house at number 14 was now rented out. Boof now came to live at number 19. The resting place of several cats, and now two female dogs.

One caravan was done up. The inside became beautiful as it was stripped out. Replaced with  varnished pine.  This was to be the trip around Australia vehicle living accommodation. A place also for both Boof and Sox to rest. 

Now what about these dogs 

We both knew something would have a to give as time dragged along. Ray went away and Boof fretted.  As a thank you for your support Susan go and see your father. A person who needed somewhere to stay was able to look after mum short term.

Like both dogs enjoyed the cats, this person's dog was accepted by the dogs as well. When arrived back into Australia things changed. Something was out of kilter.

The owner wanted the house at number 19 back

So a year of clean ups and take downs eventuated. Trees were removed, gardens, and plants taken out of the garden, things burned in two huge bonfires during a winters night. The other bonfire lasted a day and a half.

And these two dogs looked on wondering what was happening.  

Into the end of this activity 

Early 2020 our oldest son arrived.  Boof took a while to really go near him. Then one day we lost him.  Only to find Boof  lying a very asleep son of ours. Boof had got trapped in the room and decided to make use of the sleeping person. Hey it was winter and cold.

Now we've ended up at number 14. Just around the corner. The dogs and I are here. Boof celebrates every time the oldest son arrives back. While Boof accepts that love and attention he knows this person has to go away again.

Animals become a part of many peoples lives

Unfortunately to other people there poses some agitation around animals. Although in the lands around where Jesus walked dogs to this day are not tolerated or liked. Jesus refers to dogs in a with great faithfulness, plus in a humble light. Matthew 15: 21-28 Jesus's comment to the woman asking Jesus to have mercy on me, Oh Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil ' To the lady's "even little dogs eat the crumbs from the Masters table." 

Check out Jesus's answer by simply opening the scripture up.

Yet there is another thing for dogs to be a willing part of. 

Like Sir Winston Churchill [who carried a canary world wide]  St. Paul it is said had a pet bird of some kind.  When John Mark asked Paul why he spent time with the bird, St. Paul supposedly answered along the lines of " A bow that is always strung will go slack."

Dogs. cats. pet rodents, and possibly even worms in the worm farm have a major roll in these days.  Calming agitated or emotionally blocked people into a state of just blocking out the world and it's hassles.

We are on a win here

So here at number 14 we are winning this adventure on many levels.  The garden is growing. The worm farms makes lots of worm tea. Baby worms that aerate the soil. Vegetables, herbs, flowers and trees grow well. 

The recycling of the organic matter gets eaten by the worms.

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