A sweet friend sent me a package today. It’s a book to journal Joy’s life! I am going to start on New Year’s Day. I have been so lax in writing on this blog that I feel terrible about it! Joy and I are always doing things and the days just go on by so fast!
She had a glorious Christmas with her bestie, Sabie the baby. They are the loves of our lives and the two of them are so funny together that make us laugh, especially me, every day. I could not be more in love with Joy. We are inseparable and love each other’s company so much! I just wanted to say Happy New Year and we will try to stay on top of our blog with many more posts this year. Cheers to a blessed and beautiful 2019.
I always wish that people would be more like Joy and Sabie, sweet, simple and with loads of unconditional love!
People always think you have to have children. I have never regretted it although I was pregnant once but had a miscarriage. And that’s how it goes, especially when your husband is a good bit older than me.
Though I know a few people with great kids I have also heard and seen horror stories and thankfully I will never have any of those tales to tell. Instead I happily get to be a cat and dog mom. I’ve been a cat mom since college and always thought I was just a cat person until I adopted Bailey and then Joy and they have been the loves of my life along with my cats Safari and now Sabie.
The only hard part is not having them around as long as the two legged ones. But even then there are no guarantees that kids will live to a certain age either. One friend of ,one sadly lost his son at the young age of 16. My own mom died before her mom at age 48.
You can only live for today. I’ve learned that when I became a motherless daughter at age 26. Joy and Sabie, my husband and I live for today. That is our purpose. Happy Mother’s Day to the mutters and the mothers everywhere. I love you Joy and Sabie. 🐾💕
I wish that the heart of mankind could be like a dog’s. Today my friend Steve Dale, who appears on WGN Radio, TV and writes a column is an animal advocate. The story he posted today shook me up in regard to a law President Obama had created to protect defenseless animals. Here is the story http://stevedalepetworld.com/u-s-will-support-killing-defenseless-animals.
It has made me crazy all day after reading it There is no reason to be able to go kill innocent bears and their cubs as they sleep or any other wildlife as the new administration wants to allow Whether this is to appease the gun lobbyists as Steve guesses, or to allow trophy hunter killers like #45’s sons, it is wrong on every level.
Animals love unconditionally. They occupied the earth long before we did, so in my mind, they should have the upper paw. Their hearts are pure unlike those of mankind and it is obvious that the “man” who is in the WH, does not give a damn about animals, he doesn’t even have a dog or cat. There are 32 presidents, including President Obama, who had dogs in their lives. That means that ONLY 13 have not, in our entire history! I am actually glad he does not have a dog because it would probably be treated poorly. I am only trying to illustrate that there are people who love to share their lives with animals and others who kill them for fun. While he is not a hunter himself, his sons are and I doubt he ever had an issue with it or his youngest son would not be posed for a photo shoot while sitting on a stuffed bear in an article that once appeared in People Magazine, let alone the gruesome “kill” pictures his sons have so proudly shared with the world.
I can only believe that karma will take care of this in some way soon. If you love animals like I do, please share Steve’s story with everyone you know and call your congressman or congresswoman today and demand this bill not be overturned. I cannot ever imagine killing a bug let alone an innocent animal. My dog Joy would never hurt a fly, she just wants to herd things around and play because a dog’s heart is better than man’s, especially the one in the WH.
Joy lives up to her name everyday, which has helped immensely in light of the state of our country. She always make me smile and i think I do the same for her. She is the light and beauty of every day. She is always happy, always ready for an adventure to go seek out the turtles around here or the fish in the bay. “Let’s do anything,” she says, even it’s cuddling or playing with her toys in the house. She is the best of our world and I am sure many people feel this way about their companions. This is love the way it should be. Pure and unconditional.
If you have never been around Border Collies, you cannot imagine their intense and seemingly never-ending amount of energy. I wish I could bottle up Joy’s energy and give it as a drink to certain people to spark them into life.
Today we went on a 2 mile nature walk in a state park near us here in Southwest Florida. We wanted to go for the full four, but it was just too hot. Fortunately there is water on either side of the path so that made it a little better.
Joy is always so excited to be going somewhere, getting there and participating in whatever adventure is presented. She fully embraces each day and it’s one of her many qualities that I just LOVE about her. After, she is equally enthusiastic to go home and we got home right before “lunchie” as it known to her. She eats three smaller meals a day and looks forward to every bit of each one – always different and always healthy.
My sister says it’s good that I have my little girl companion and I agree. We are together constantly. I know she is spoiled because of all the time and attention she is given. That is okay. I have more than made up for her rough start in the Amish puppy mill she was born into. Fortunately she got into a good rescue, and I adopted her when she was just turning 2. I know everyone says this, but I personally do not know another rescue dog who was as happy to be adopted as Joy. We show each other everyday with kisses, affection and genuine heart because I was as happy to adopt her .
I thought about all this today because I don’t know anyone else who provides as many activities as I do for Joy. Everyone tells me Joy is like a person. She really is because she is always doing interesting things and here in Florida she can even go into many stores and she has come to love shopping; although the pet supply stores remain her favorite along with dining alfresco at some nice restaurant by the water.
Whether we are on the boat, in the car, at a store or just out for a simple walk, life with Joy is always full of adventure. It makes me happy not to just give her a home, but a life well lived.
I have heard of dogs not wanting to get in cars. NOT my Joy! She does not care where we go as long as we go and I am glad that gas is less costly because we are on the go a lot! That is part of the reason I do not have more time to write more blogs! She gives me that look that says, it’s nice out, get off the computer! Today I am gong to take her to her favorite park again, Buhl, after we make a quick stop so she can be a therapy dog for a little bit. She is not a real therapy dog, but in this case she can maybe cheer someone up with her amazing spirit. I only have a few minutes so while I was waiting for my husband to get ready for the cheer-up stop, I thought I would write about dogs in cars.
You should always encourage your dog to take rides in the car, It’s good for them, just be safe about it. If you are going to let he/she hang out the window make sure you are going very slow! We love all animals here at Joy’s Tail and we wish you a great Sunday and a ride in the car!
When my husband goes fishing with his buddy Paul, Joy and I always do something together. The other morning we headed to the beach despite the rising temps in the Spring of Southwest Florida, when the heat and humidity swell and make life quite uncomfortable until we head back North.
To get to the part of the beach where dogs are allowed on leash, it takes about 20 mins to get there. After dropping off the boys, we were there by 9:15 and as soon as you hit the beach, you can feel the ocean breeze which makes the heat seem a bit more tolerable. Still, Joy is chocolate brown and white and she is just like me. We get hot quickly and although I put 40 minutes in the meter we only lasted 30. It was a nice 30 minutes though.
Most Border Collies love to get into the water. Not Joy. She will stick her paws in the ocean with encouragement, but she won’t swim. She loves to get in the shower and be clean but her adversity to getting wet in any other manner is deep rooted, I think, because of being born into a horrific Amish puppy mill situation, where little wire cages, as small as chicken coops, were stacked floor to ceiling, which means getting peed and pooped on was the disgusting norm.Thankfully she was rescued by a small (but mighty) rescue called Indian Summers Border Collie Rescue.
We adopted Joy on May 11th, 2012, which was the day before Mother’s day that year. She was just going to turn 2. A friend, looking at some Facebook pictures I posted of Joy, the other day, commented that I am such a good mother. As a woman whose children have four legs, not two, I have prided myself on being a great mom to the many fur kids that God has put me in charge of in the course of my life.
Joy is exceptional and so easy to love because she is so loving. She is so very grateful for her life, which is pretty exciting. She gets to live in two states and never has to put up with winter.
As her birthday nears, I am equally grateful for the opportunity to be her mom.Not just anyone could have filled this role how Joy needs it to be. I have to credit Victoria Summers, the founder of Indian Summers Border Collie Rescue, with that “thing” that tells her heart and then her head, “yeah this person is the best one for this dog.”
She was right and thanks to that intuition, Joy has the best family for her and she is the greatest girl for us, especially me. Mom. Dog Walker. Adventure Seeker. Playmate. Comfort and Love Giver and everything in between.
This picture was the day we adopted Joy, the day before Mother’s Day which was May 11, 2012. To this day Joy still barks at strangers, yet when we came for her it was as though she knew she was going to her forever home because she came running over and kissed both my husband and myself. I was so happy about that and I thought of this moment today when we were out for a ride in the car as she was barking at people passing by.
Victoria Summers, her rescue grandma, told me that Joy and I were going to be a perfect match before we ever met her or Joy. With an amazing sense of everything Border Collie, Victoria turned out to be very right and as we approach our 4th year together I know I am as grateful for Joy as she is for us, and especially me. I am the true animal person in this house and always have been. I do not believe in life without cats and dogs because I think that would be no real existence.
Joy has an amazing life. Her paws never see snow because like us, she is a snow bird, or in her case, a snow dog with no snow. FL in the winter and western PA in the summer. Her life is filled with as much sunshine as God bestows upon us. She doesn’t like being in the water (except to get a shower) but she loves being on or by the water. When she came to us our beautiful Cat Safari was 11 years old. My big orange boy crossed over the Rainbow Bridge last year at age 14-1/2. We knew she would want another cat so Sabie the kitten cat was adopted from a local shelter. I always have to say, “Joy quit chasing Sabie” and then I think, Chasing Sabie would be a great name for a book.
There is nothing greater than knowing you have been part of the process of rescue and adoption. It warms my heart everyday to think how lucky Joy was to have been rescued by Victoria out of a horrible puppy mill situation and adopted by us. No work I do gives me a better feeling in my heart than that.
I love this little girl with all my bones and I know the feeling is mutual. If you have never known this kind of love, you need to experience it to make yourself aware of who you really are and who you can truly be.
pictured left to right, Lorraine, Swan on Lake Julia and Joy rolling around with happiness
Note: I am going to publish this here and on my other blog, www.baileysjournal.com because it is truly because of Bailey that so many magical things happen at Buhl Park.
For those of you who know this blog because of Bailey’s Journal and our book, Letters To Each Other, you know that Bailey has a special tree at this amazing park that was dedicated to her after she crossed over the Rainbow Bridge in 2011. She is the only dog with a tree of her own. I knew she would help me find the right dog after a while and of course her spiritual guidance led me to Joy. Literally.
Joy and I walk at Buhl Park every other day. It is her fun and exercise as well as mine. For me it is my peaceful time away from the computer which is much needed in my work.
There is a woman who is part of the staff of Buhl Park named Lorraine. She cuts grass. For many years she would have treats and stop to see her doggie friends and give them a treat. I am never critical of the park, but they stopped her from doing this as of this summer and I think it is stupid and so does Joy! I am sure I can speak for all the many dogs who walk at the park and were happy recipients of Lorraine’s treats!
Today we saw Lorraine and Joy got so excited as soon as she saw her coming on the mower. I had to give Lorraine some treats from my pocket to give to Joy. Lorraine told me she was having a rough morning, but I think I made her feel better and gave her a big hug. Lorraine, who has a dog of her own, told me that before she ever met me, she had seen the tree and its dedication made her cry. After we said Goodbye to Lorraine continued on our walk. The last part of the walk occurs around Lake Julia, which has beautiful swans and sweet ducks everywhere. Joy loves to check out the lake. As we were walking, a man came up behind us as Joy was stopped to smell whatever glorious scent she has found and he started to talk to me. He was walking an adorable, tiny dog which was black and white and Joy really liked her because she was not barky or aggressive. He said to me, “I don’t mean to tell you about my troubles, but I was married for 69 years and now it’s just me and my dog. I got her after my wife passed away several years ago.” I asked his name. He said it was Harry and his dog was Lady and she was 7 years old. She was a rescue, just like Joy. He said he liked Joy’s name. I really liked Harry. “I am 91 years old. This is our second walk today.” He told me one of his two kids lived in Florida and the other in New Jersey. “They want me to go live in Florida, but I don’t know.” Harry did not seem like he wanted to go there and he talked, walked and could hear perfectly. He did not even have a cane! He and Lady seemed to be doing great and I could tell Harry was always a handsome man. He still had his hair and was quite nice looking. I should have taken his picture. I hope to run into him again. “What is your name?” he asked. “I am Sherri and that rhymes with Harry, so I don’t think we will forget each other’s name,” I replied. No I won’t. I hope to see Harry and Lady again soon. Buhl Park has a way of bringing people together and dogs, like people, are social beings who enjoy meeting new people and learning new things. Today we met a nice man and his dog and what could be better than that on an early Wednesday morning?
This is a picture of Bailey at the park in my beret one Fall.. She loved it there as much as Joy…Everyone Love’s Buhl Park!
Aside from my husband, no one loves me like our dog. Yes, our cat loves me too, quite a bit actually, but no one reacts quite the same as Joy after you have been gone for a while.
After returning from a cruise this week, Joy pretty much muddled me to the ground with her happy greeting. She jumped at my face so hard to kiss me I had to be careful she doesn’t knock my teeth out! She also jumped on my husband but he is second to me that is for sure. She is young, powerful and her energy should be bottled since it’s better than any vitamin because it’s simply pure love. There is nothing else that compares to that feeling of complete and unconditional love of a dog. Her rescue Grandma, Victoria Summers, named her Joy and it could not have been more on the mark. Joy is always smiling with that big Border Collie tongue hanging out – I love it.
Adding to my own happiness to seeing my furkids was the still joyousness I felt from reading a book I took on the trip. It’s called Dogtripping by David Rosenfelt and his hilarious experience in transporting 29 dogs across country to move into their new house from Southern California to Maine. He and his wife Debbie rescue mostly senior Goldens, sprinkled in with some others, and the story is just so heartwarming. While reading it, it made me miss Joy and Safari so much more. I always said the first cruise line to initiate a trip where you can take your dog would be sold out in moments.
Joy certainly did not disappoint me with that Jump for Joy greeting she gave me. Safari, our almost 13-year Orange Tabby sauntered in, saying, Oh finally you are back; it’s about time! It’s also unconditional love for after all he is a cat and they just have a different way of showing it and I have had cats my whole life. Joy is only my second dog but oh is she special.
I own my own business. I am always busy and there never seems to be enough time in the day, but furkids tend to make you stop. As much as I needed a break, I am always happy to return to doing those routine things like feeding them and even cleaning up their messes. I love being their mom and home is truly where love flourishes everyday with “Joy.”
Joy's Tale 