Rainy Days and Sundays

• It isn't the miracle cure for Parkinson's that Sister Marie-Simon-Pierre is claiming, but still it looms large in my Belle bible. Yesterday, Molly and I had our favorite Saturday morning breakfast - bacon and cheese on toasted english muffins. Bacon is one of those smelly delicious things that tempt Belle more than most foods we prepare. After we sat down at the table to eat, Belle went over to the counter where we had cooked the bacon. And this is where the miracle occurred. Molly had just opened her mouth to tell Belle "off" to prevent Belle from surfing for the source of the tantalizing smell. Before she could say anything, Belle turned and looked at her for guidance. Instead of reminding her to stay off, Molly ended up praising Belle and giving her a treat instead. Even more incredible, Belle repeated the whole sequence a few moments later. Lori is now permanently elevated to Anne Sullivan status in our house.

• Belle and Charlie are getting along great - no surprises there. I had the two of them posed in a perfect drop position for the picture (right), but then I took too long to focus. Belle decided to offer a "roll over" to see if that would hurry me along a little.
  

• The rain is a pain and a drain on the brain. What a sad refrain. (A scourge on weather people that claim it will end by morning - and then the first sound heard upon awakening is the steady drumming of raindrops on the roof.)
  

• Charlie is a very well behaved boy. It's great fun to work cues with the two of them. Sure, with the rain, their need to wrestle sometimes overwhelms their desire to behave. But then it does the same thing to Molly and me.
  

• All Invisible Fences are not created equal - or more accurately stated, tuned to the same frequency. I discovered this yesterday when I went out to drain the lake nee alley and turned around to find Charlie fast on my heels - with his IF collar on. This would be a real problem if Judy (Charlie's foster mom) had not done such a great job of teaching Charlie "better go now". He is the most efficient eliminator I've ever had the pleasure of working with. We're out and in again in under a minute - the rain barely has a chance to hit us before he finishes his business.