The other night I snuck (freed) my parent’s puppy from his bedtime crate and he fell asleep in the crook of my arm, resting his paw on my stomach. Then we watched HBO together. It was so blissful that I couldn’t move him for hours. I couldn’t move myself.
My parents got two dogs on Friday, each with a unique story. With both kids kicking small colds and with such crappy weather on the weekend horizon, I did it. I packed up both kids and drove for four hours on a rolling country route, passing where Massachusetts meets New York, and where New York meets Sussex County, New Jersey. It’s all so blissful and easy. Scarlet slept through two hours of Des screaming, the lucky girl. She’s very talented but I can top her having slept through Des screaming AND two earthquakes.
It was just so impractical. We were supposed to hit Jersey the previous weekend for my sister’s big surprise party but with Cassidy in so much pain and both kids having either cold or stomach ailments, we could not make it. We are also hitting Jersey next weekend for a wedding. So what possessed me to get in the car on Friday morning? The prospect of seeing my visiting uncle and my nearby grandmother, sure. Very much. I also couldn’t resist the power of saturated puppy time. I think puppies are the purest life forms.
They are wicked cute, playful and loyal from the start. Not only that, when do you get to play with one for hours upon hours?
I’m guessing not often, unless you have one. And even if you do, they grow like liquid through your arms. They change in an instant.
This is Diesel. I call Desmond “Deezy Do” so having a puppy named Diesel confused me a lot. I took to calling him, “Deezy Don’t” or “Deezy Two.” His story starts in Kentucky. His mother’s owner was not pleased to find out she was pregnant and he shot her in the head and left her for dead. Everyone, including me, recoils in horror to hear that story and questions whether that man was found and/or punished. Unfortunately this is about as much as I know about that. I believe someone found the dog and rushed her to the vet where she had an emergency c-section to deliver three babies, before she passed away. The three puppies (all survived) were then sent by many good people up to New Jersey, and my parents were lucky recipients of one of the miracle puppies. Sweet Diesel.
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And then there’s Chase. He’s a short-haired collie who was in search of a family. He’s fast as lightning and is a tattle-tale. He seems to be constantly telling us that “Timmy’s in the well!” (Lassie reference) or more realistically – that Scarlet pinched Des or that someone shouted or looked at him the wrong way. We’ve only ever had northern dogs so it’s nice to meet this gentle-natured dog.
The absolute best..is the two of them together.
The delicious mischief, the cuddles, the sound of paw nails clicking on the floor. May they all be so, so happy together.
The morning after we arrived, we visited my 99-year-old grandmother at her home. Unfortunately I didn’t bring my pro camera but the iPhone will do in momentous times like these..
On our second night, my parents had friends over that they have known for years. My uncle remembered a powerful memory of one of the women who came over. After my father died when I was nearly four, many people came over to bring food and help my mom. When my uncle came to Jersey and walked into our house, he remembers seeing Fran playing on the floor with me. I hadn’t seen her in several years. There were also other friends over who had known my mom since before I was born. I was a bit staggered by the amount of history contained in one room. 40-50 years of friendship. And how the history mixed with the new. Not just the pups.
With this guy:
And this girl:
An emotional overload – of the best kind. It always takes me awhile to come down from moments and days like these..
I loved every minute of reading this and every minute of your eventful visit!
You too! Thanks for everything, always. It was worth every second.
So unbelievably sweet. We rescued our dog when she was 8 months old, so I never had such a little puppy. And I saw the pic of Desmond with your grandmother on Twitter – melted my heart again just now! What a feel good post, Tamara – thank you!!
And thank you! I thought a two-month-old was such a novelty. You just don't see them around a lot, it seems!
This is the difference between being a photographer and just taking pictures!
This is the difference between being a photographer and just taking pictures!
Thank you!
I have heard so many nightmare stories about the mistreatment of dogs since I began fostering that I "almost" didn't flinch about the shot in the head part – since dogs a so abused in this world. So abused. I am so glad the 3 pups survived and yes, I too believe they are the purest life form. There is no filter with dogs. They are pure love. That's all they know!
It is astonishing. I often can't hear about it because it fills me with such anger. Anger enough to wish harm on animal abusers. I can't help it. It doesn't solve anything, of course. Ugh. That man is hateful.
I'm not even an animal person and still I smiled when I read this. Cutesy, cute, cute…
I'm glad! Sometimes it's hard to resist.
Oh my gosh – those two dogs together! And your baby and your grandmother. So much awesomeness in these pictures!
Thank you. I felt a thrill each time I clicked the camera (or pressed the iPhone shutter button). Moments like these are why I'm a photographer!
Oh here are the smiles I needed to start my week 🙂 I love spontaneous road trips like this – the ones that your brain tells you that you should not do with kids but your heart knows must be done. Love those puppy photos. glad you had a lovely weekend!
It was very lovely, despite this northeast weather. Snow in NY and VT! And now it's summer. Glad to give you some smiles!
Almost makes me want to get a pup! Great pictures!
Me too and then I question my sanity getting a puppy with two kids! Eventually we will.
HOT Puppy breath!
The best kind of breath, I say!
What a wonderful weekend visit. The dogs are beautiful – and together? They just melt your heart, don't they?
Yes! Getting those pictures was worth the 8 hours in a car. For sure.
Like Andrea, I am not an animal person but I was swooning over the pictures! You are so talented only you can make me swoon over dogs!
I love when you three non animal lovers (you, Andrea, Joi) like my picture. I feel like you're my hardest audience because of it. Yay!
{Melinda} I thought that Diesel was cute, then I scrolled down again to your adorable children and they just have no competition! Such a sweet blog post. Sounds like you had an amazingly beautiful weekend.
Well, thank you! I'm partial to them. Diesel is certainly a cutie. With a great personality! And oh yeah, my kids have both those things in common with him.
Oh my goodness, the dogs are SO CUTE!! Love them! 🙂 Completely want to snuggle with that puppy, too! :)-Ashley
Maybe my parents can rent him out! Free cuddles with an adorable puppy. Who would't?
I just want to smoosh that small tiny puppy! 4 hours with two semi-sick kids must not have been fun for you, but it looks like the trip was worth it.
It was! I miss it a lot. Only the little one is still kicking the cold and at least I know it's almost over if it's the same one his sister had!
Geesh, what an awful story! I'm glad your parents were blessed by it though through Diesel. The pictures are adorable! I'm not into animals as you know, lol but you make everything look precious!
Well that means a lot!
Deezy really is a miracle pup. Love the pic. Even the pic of your grandmother with the iphone looks great.
Thank you! I think since I'm used to something else, the iPhone pictures don't look good to me. But I have to remember that to everyone else, maybe they do look just fine!
I was looking at the pictures of Chase with Diesel and your kids and it warms my heart!! As I read your blog I was choking back tears. I just love him and it was SO hard to place him. It's like letting your kids grow up and move on in their life. You raise them and try to teach them the best you can and when the time is right you let them fulfill their next chapter.
I'm so glad you read it! Chase grew on us so fast, despite being paired with a young puppy (and you know how people love puppies). He's a love and I miss him a lot. Thanks for making my parents so happy. My dad is very taken with him and he's less of a dog person than my mom. And knowing my mom, you probably have an open invitation to visit Chase anytime!!
What adorable puppies! Great pictures, I find animals very hard to photograph. Our dog walks directly toward the lens as soon as he sees me with the camera out. It's good for extreme close ups of his nose…
Yes, I have a ton of bloopers! Maybe they deserve their own post. At least you can make a funny noise or whistle and they'll tilt their head and stay still for a moment or two. Still can't get kids to do that consistently..
Sweet dogs! My daughter is a major dog person and loves them.
My husband is! And my daughter really wants a kitten but I can't see her winning that argument.
Sounds like you had a great weekend! Both of those dogs are absolutely adorable! Thank goodness for kind people who adopt animals!
Truly! There are so many of them out there needing families. Luckily my mom and dad were out there needing a dog or two.
Both those pups are simply adorable! When I first saw the pic, I thought you had gotten a puppy. I am horrified at Diesel's story. Poor mama pup. Thank goodness her babies were saved. I hope that terrible man was punished. I am just sitting here with tears rolling down my face. I cannot take cruelty like that. You are an amazing storyteller! I'm glad you had such a nice visit!
I'm so sorry about the tears. It is such a hard story to tell. He seems to really be thriving. The older dog, Chase, was very well cared for and just needed a family so at least there's no sob story with him as well.
How awesome is it to have a grandparent present at the age of 99! Looking at those cute little doggies make me regret not letting "that homeless pup" lay claim to our home. There's nothing better than spending time with family!
I have to confess that I have been sneaking peeks at petfinder to find rescue dogs that need homes. I know we can't be too far from having one of our own, and not just living vicariously through our parents.
Love the puppies! And I love puppy breath. I know that's weird but there's just something about it. I have literally slept Indian style all night because my cat likes to sleep curled up in my lap when I sit like that. What a sweet story about Fran. Even though you hadn't seen her in years, I bet it drew you back to her immediately.
Not weird at all! And his breath is totally not bad yet, just like how babies don't have bad breath.
I don't understand how people can be so cruel to animals. I just don't. What a horrific story…but a happy ending. I know that he's…both will be loved.(Chase is my son's name)Don't you wish that walls could talk?
The story breaks my heart – but I love that the babies had a happy ending!
Who can resist puppy pictures? Both Jimmy and I enjoyed these!
Who can resist puppy pictures? Both Jimmy and I enjoyed these!
oh, i love these pups so much and i've never even met them! i'm a dog freak 🙂 share more!(and yay for rescuing!!)