a day in the life…

Meet Nelson.

Nelson is a 14-year-old Jack Russell Terrier.  He came to live with us when he was 12 weeks old.  If he could talk, he would tell you he has been the head of the house ever since.  He is generally a happy boy, as captured in one of my favorite photos.

Meet Rosie.

Rosie, as you can see, is an automatic vacuum, named for the automated maid in one of my favorite childhood cartoons.  Rosie is a refurbished model that I spotted on a store shelf during a Christmas shopping trip.  I justified paying more money than I should have for a convenience because she can run around a room and  remove at least the top layer of grime that comes from living with a happy dog next door to hundreds of acres of national forest.  As a gainfully employed homeowner who dislikes housework, I need all the help I can get.

Saturday morning, I turned Rosie loose in the kitchen while I prepared food for our weekend dive and church activities.  I love playing with food.  Actually, the more correct statement is that I love playing with ingredients.  This weekend resulted in as many misses as hits, but I still had a lot of fun in the process (as well as a good reminder of why I normally try recipes before I pin them).

Nelson likes to be where his people are, so on Saturday morning he was in the kitchen with me.  At the age of 14, a good portion of his daily ration of fun is a good nap.  He found his favorite spot on the rug by the snack bar and was resting comfortably while I cooked and Rosie hummed along the floor.

Rosie is not quiet by any means, but Nelson’s 14-year-old ears do not pick up sounds in an ever widening range of frequencies.  He depends on sight now to detect events of interest, such as when one of our cars arrives home.  Rosie, on the other hand, relies on touch to know when something, or someone, is in her path.

At one point in my preparations, I looked just in time to see Rosie turn the corner right into Nelson.  Rosie is designed to immediately reroute when she encounters an obstacle, so rest assured Nelson was not harmed.  Be completely assured, however, that he was not happy.  He glared at Rosie as she turned her attention to the dining area and settled back in for his morning nap.  A few minutes later, I noticed Rosie returning to the favored napping spot.  At this point, with lots of hugs and smooches, I relocated one irritated pooch to the couch, explaining that since Rosie cannot see and he cannot hear, he would be more comfortable there.

This is the look of someone who would prefer I relocate Rosie away from his preferred Saturday morning napping spot.  I halfway expected that he would follow me back to the kitchen, but he stayed put and soon resumed his nap.

By dog year calculations, Nelson is actually the elder of our household.  His recent annual checkup indicates his heart and lungs are healthy, but the effects of age are apparent in his hearing, vision, and movements.  This is not unlike the experience of the two human residents.  My husband and I are both relatively healthy for our ages, but as we found after a busy weekend, our bodies have a way of telling us we are no longer “thirty-somethings.”  Like Nelson, we tire more easily (although not as often), and each of us has a standing monthly appointment with our favorite chiropractor.  My hearing isn’t as functional on some frequencies, and the first thing I do in the morning is put on my glasses to bring my surroundings into focus.  We are still young enough that these are more irritation than infirmity, but wise enough to know each passing year brings us further into the autumn of our existence.

Given the gap in human and canine life expectancy, Nelson is well ahead of us in that regard.  We watch more closely for indicators of potential changes in his health, and we have learned to share our comfy chairs as one of his favorite nap spots.  I am on the edge of my seat as I write this.  I wish I could say this is because of the riveting content, but the truth is, I failed to call “seatbacks” when I stepped away for a quick break.

All part of a day in the life…

Copyright 2015 Sherry Hathaway All rights reserved.