[JoSchmooze]

The trio starts out with Freckles...not mine originally, but left by an ex when she left. The excuse was "Jasmine (her name then) does not travel well and I am an entertainer with gigs all over". Needless to say, the ex parked her RV on the other side of town (not traveling!) and Freckles, an 8 yr old Australian sheperd/Blue tick heeler mix loves to jump in the backseat of my car any time and for any length of time it takes us to reach our destination. She is an expert "fly catcher" and roves both the house and the yard, making sure that her family is protected and all "herded" exactly where she wants them. She follows me from room to room and when I settle down she is always between me and any door - watching both, making sure than I am safe. She is either very protective or has abandonment issues.

Then there are "the girls". Born of the same mama cat in the same litter - the only ones in the litter. Fatso and Psycho. Fatso is the short haired russian blue "self prclaimed "Queen of the house" and Psycho is the long haired puking wonder. Fatso believes that she has to sleep with the remote. Any time she is on the bed, her front paws are wrapped around that remote, as if it is baby or lover. Fatso relaxes on her back with all four paws waving in the air..."look at me, I can balance on my back" she tells me. But from the back, she looks like a rump roast on legs, sauntering down the hallway. Psycho lives underneath the bed, unless she has jumped up on the arm of my recliner to knead my leg before she can settle down and sleep on said leg with her head hanging off the edge of the seat. She is the one who, out of nowhere, jumps up to swat at absolutely nothing in the middle of the hallway. She has taken to resting on either the dining room table or my desk, during the day depending upon if I am working or moving about the house. When friends visit, it is rare that Psycho shows herself, she is my "scardey cat". She is also the one who can be puke-free for days on end, but as soon as I get the suitcase out, will wander the house, leaving little trinkets of her distress. Both of them will run like their lives depend upon it when any container of tuna is opened...I have never seen anything like it in my life. The girls are six yrs old.

I belive that pets are yours for as long as they live. I did not choose Freckles but she is mine and will be for her entire life. I chose the girls after my beloved Springer, Budd, was put down after being with me for all 15 years of his life. I did not know when I would be ready for another dog. I hate cleaning up after all of them, but they are mine and I am theirs. That's all there is to it. I would no sooner give any of them away than cut off my right arm.