Memories of Chloe’s younger days enter my mind every day. Her puppyhood precedes my digital photography or I would show her beautiful youth. What a gal. The girl who was bionic is slowing down.
I’m too tired for many words tonight but I want to share a few of the 250,000 photos I have taken of Chloe and Bella since the winter of 2003 in Delaware.
She thought about the intruder often
and decided Bella wasn’t too bad, after all. They shared rays of sun.
Every evening after dinner, they played until they passed out. And they shared toys and food. Always.
Bella immediately became Chloe’s shadow, and still is.
Dog sisters. Partners in crime, most of the time.
She has enjoyed a blizzard and at least ten major snow storms. Now, in the corner of her warm sofa, she can only dream of chasing bunnies and squirrels through powdery snow drifts, and me, ready to dry her with a warm towel, right out of the dryer.
42 comments:
What sweet sisters. But what is with all those cardinals? Never saw so many in one place before. You must be a special "bird lady".
I can't believe all those cardinals - how cool!
What sweet photos! I was just wondering how you got them both. Chloe looks very regal in her old age.
My oldest cat, Butterball, at 15, is dealing with his third illness in as many months. With the weight he has lost my vet said he looks more like a dollop of Butter rather than a Butterball. I get teary-eyed every time I take his photo wondering how many more I'll be able to take.
Here's hoping Chloe and Bella have many more years together!
Dear Mary,
Sweetness! These two are so delightful. You are a good Mom.
A warm towel rub down after being out in the cold is so sweet.
Lots of Cardinals! Wow! Beautiful too. Good thing you do not have to brush snow from their wings or give them warm baths. You would never get to bed!
Sherry
What beautiful babies. I've never had dogs that liked each other the way yours do. It's very cool.
Lovely Boston sisters...may they always share bones.
Hi Mary,
Speaking of beloved doggies, I just finished a meme on behalf of Lytton, my big brown dog. He has been following the antics of Chloe and Bella for as long as I have and he wondered if they might like to participate in the meme. It originally started off as a cat meme, but Yolanda Elizabet at Bliss, thought Lytton might like to participate.
You are an amazing woman. Bella, Chloe and all your bird friends are lucky to have you (as are your human family and friends!)
What sweet sisters. You know, it's funny, but I rarely have many cardinals at all. I'll occasionally have one pair come by for a bit, but then weeks will pass before I see them again. Ten miles from here at my sister's house, she'll have ten pairs in a tree at one time. Odd.
Hi Mare,
Wow, all those cardinals! That red is so beautiful with a snowy background (BTW, excellent use of the rain guard in protecting from wet snowflakes getting in your feeders).
Poor old Chloe....it's so tough to watch them slowing down, isn't it? Your story brought tears to my eyes, but isn't it great to know you've given her the best possible life and hopefully a few more years of pampering.
What a sweet post about your girls. They are just beautiful.
And your Cardinal parade. Wow that is a lot of cardinals.
Hi Mary!
I'm so happy to see you got some snow. Your Cardinals are incredible..so many of them. And your sweet girls...precious!
I was watching a show last night on TV about the evolution of dogs. It's believed all dogs evolved from one spot in East Asia 15000 years ago. It mentioned how humans couldn't have survived without their domesticated dogs.
I believe it. If I didn't have cats, I'd have a Boston for sure!
Awwww, Mary! What a beautiful post!
Don't cardinals just look impossibly red in the snow? I love that. Great pic!
I love their expressive eyes, Mary. And your interpretation of their moods are perfect. (TWENTY cardinals? They sure know where the good stuff is!)
Awwwww--they are both sooooo cute. Love the Bella puppy shots (and I bet Chloe was just as cute).
bella at 6 months way cute
Aw! I'm glad your puppies get along so well. It's bitter-sweet to watch them get older, isn't it? That is the price of having pets, for me as well. Here I am getting teary thinking of my first Siamese sisters who lived to be 16 (*sniff*) You are giving your girls a loving, happy life, Mary.
And look at that snow! Wow! Your carninals are beautiful crimson ornaments in your garden. Their beauty makes the bird food worth every penny for me.
Thanks again for the link to juliezickefoose's site I'm going to try to make her suet very soon.
Wow! I can't believe all of your cardinals. If that many showed up at my house I would be crazy with excitement.
How sweet that Bella and Chloe are such dear friends. I hope they share many more years together, for their sake and yours.
Those doggies are like little children - so sweet. Post more pics, Mary, when you have time.
Thank you so much for the historical pictures of the girls. Oh, how sweet. Love them. That last picture of Chloe is so poignant, I choked back tears, but I'd like to point out that when you disturb him from a nap Chet Baker gives you exactly that same face, that "please go away and let me die in peace" look. I always tell the kids that Bostons sometimes look the most miserable when they're enjoying themselves. I also told Bacon today that if he sleeps all day every day as he has been doing (and then sleeping all night, too) he ought to live to be 25.
Wow! Look at all of those Cardinals! I thought they were flowers at first glance.-Nice photos-they must be Red Sox Fans -right?
Aww.
Sweet to think of Bella as the shadow of Chloe.
And those Cardinals....WOW!
Hey Mary, you are rich in cardinals and loving animals! What sweeties those dogs are, and don't they just love to pose in front of the camera?
Great bird pictures. I have been watching the birds here in Florida, too.
Your girls are so beautiful, thanks for sharing those wonderful photos with us.
Hugs,
Laurie
I am AMAZED at seeing all of those cardinals in one spot! Unbelievable!!
And your pups are so precious! When you write about them...I can just FEEL how much love you have for them. How special!
Hi there, Mary :-)
I love to see the cardinals in your garden :-D
I wonder too what other birds visit you in the course of one hour? Ah... I was wondering if you would like to join me with a bird count this weekend? We are having one here in the UK and I thought it would be fun to see what birds visit gardens outside the UK too :-D
No probs if you are busy - enjoy your weekend :-D
Mary, that first picture looks like a Chrismas card. How lovely! Cute dogs too. By the way, I also saw a canvasback here in AZ on Wednesday. I saw my first one last November. This was only the second sighting for me. It looks like everyone is seeing mockingbirds. You, Larry and I. 3 states, Same species. amazing, isn't it. Have a great birding weekend.
Thanks for the Zick dough recipe. I modified it some. I used 1/2 cup Karo Syrup instead of the sugar since it's more concentrated. I also added about 1/2 cup of bird gravel/grit and also added about 1 cup of corn run through the blender. The woodpeckers seems to love it.
Mary, I loved every single second that I spent there seeing your photos, principally Chloe and Bella photos! They are soooo cute!
Loved the photo on the sofa! It's make me smile!
Beautiful the snow's photos, too!
Have a nice weekend!
I forgot to tell you about the cardinals! Looks like a red fruits on the tree! Beautiful!
Lytton is bored this afternoon and wondering about what your partners-in-crime have been up to. I had to come and have another peek at these two cuties.
And i thought I was doing good with my one pair of cardinals each year. ha.
what a beautiful site.
And your babies how adorable. You are a sweet Mama who loves her kids. All of them.
Cardinals and Bostons. Your cup runneth over.
Can you let the sisters drool on a piece of paper and send it to me? I need that kind of cuteness in my life.
Wow, so many cardinals! I've never saw so many at one time. Beautiful photo.
I loved this post, Mary, your pups are adorable. I especially loved the puppy shot of Bella with Chloe-- so cute!
I'm so happy with my 3 pr of cardinals, but then your post of all those cardinals is spectactular, and even a dash of snow to complete the picture. Enjoyed the pictures of Bella & Chloe, we don't see enough of them.
Nature Knitter's Mom [Betty K]
Mary sisterly love puppy love all tied together in this sweet pull at your heartstrings post!! Loved it!
Chloe and I both HATE the cold..in fact who does!!
Your first image when I first looked at it I thought that those were red
berries!! Never saw so many at one time!! Loved that you shared all these photos of the pups with us!
hugs NG xo
A sweet and lovely post. I really liked seeing what Bella looked like as a pup. Bostons are ultra cute! Even though Chloe can't do all those "younger-dog things" (hey, who can??!!) she looks really happy, healthy and glad she's got a younger sister to pass the days with.
Hi! I'm workig in Africa just now and found your blog by mistake but really enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing!
Oh my gosh . . oh my gosh . . Mary! Too, too precious. The two of them sharing a puddle of sun. The two of them watching the snow sift down.
If I ever have the courage to get another dog - I'm thinking one couldn't do much better than these sweethearts.
How amazing seeing the girls together like that! Doggie happiness for sure! Ok, Cardinals . . . so amazing to see them coming out of the wood works like that! Rain . . snow it still produces water! Right?
Between the Chet Baker assault and now this -- I know what my next dog is going to be.
As the proud owner/mama of Daffney, Dehlia and Daisy, three wonderful Bostons, I know the joy you experience with your own! I would highly recommend adding a third to your family as we did this spring with our Daisy, a five month old baby. This is simply the greatest breed ever! I so enjoyed getting to know your family.
Nancy
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