Well, Jonesy is better in some ways and not in others. He is now pretty comfortable with us and at home and, I think, realizes he really has a home. One can only imagine his back story — we will never know. Almost no accidents in the house for a long time — had one about a week ago — I didn’t read the signs. Sometimes he just comes and barks at me and it means he wants to go out. I finally understood that.

But he is a super escape artist. He has gotten away from Bob at times when he is trying to get him in the car for a walk. One time I realized the door from the basement was open to the garage and the garage door was open — by the time both of us went out to look — I just called and whistled and he came right around the house. Whew! I think he was out for awhile and got tired of wandering around. He also escaped another time and led us a merry chase up the hill into the neighbors yard and woods. That time he dug under the fence after something that escaped and was able to squeeze himself through — Bob put chicken wire down and we moved a couple of huge logs on the hole inside and outside. Also sent for the “Dig Defense” a heavy many tined fork like thing that you hammer into the ground where there is a hole. Trying to keep one step ahead —

But the worst was when I got a call from Bob and he said Jonesy got away from him in the Park Preserve! 100+ acres. That was a heart stopper – by the time I got there to help, he was not caught, but wandering around close to Bob and had apparently led him on a chase around their regular walk. He is good at sliding away from you when you get close – so I waited until he was very intent on some kind of interesting thing in a brush pile, snuck up and grabbed his tail.

On the plus side, he fetches tennis balls and brings them back — not so good at dropping them–  he went to the dog park and had fun and did not bark at all and was settled down on the ride home. And tomorrow morning we are all three going to Katie-K9 class.

We got the DNA test back and he is — wait for it — “Jonesy is a Miniature Pinscher, Miniature Shorthaired Dachshund, Siberian Husky, Yorkshire Terrier Mix”  The dachshund kind of makes sense – he does have a long back,  although he has long and slender legs — no signs of husky beside his size — he is 45 pounds…..  but they admitted there were a lot of unknowns in the mixture.

Jonesy all dressed up for the 4th of July Parade

Also we had a severe thunderstorm the other day — Jonesy was unconcerned. But I teared up missing George. I will always think of him with the thunder which was such a hard thing for him.

We have had Jonesy a little more than a month now. He is something else. I do remember the chewing and energy levels and difficulty of training — sit, stay…. So we are enrolling all three of us in Katy K-9 Beginners I classes. I have had lots of dogs, but I do not remember exactly what I did to train them – maybe they all just got old and mellowed out.  Here are some Jonesy stories that I sent to my friend Ann, recovering from surgery, for her entertainment. She said she thought I had a little book there. Not sure about that but I can put them in here.

Looks sweet, in the chair he has taken over.

Just came back from a journey to the pet store, Ace Hardware and McDonald’s.

Pet store for more grain free food, more throwing and chewing toys, and a spray to erase “marking”  Took him in on a leash because the caution was printed on a sign – pets on leashes welcome – do not leave your dog in a hot car…..

Ace for Resolve pet stain cleaner  and Old English to repair scratch marks on Bob’s Mother’s table (one of the things here from his history) – Jonesy made some big crashing noises – and then I later saw that HE HAD BEEN UP ON TOP OF THE TABLE –

He has this time right around dinner and after before he settles down for the night that he seems to need to tear around – we will have to get used to putting him outside at that time.

McDonald’s for a cheeseburger for me and a hamburger for him…. Can’t resist.

on guard scanning for rabbits, who munch clover calmly unaware of his frantic whining and baying.

Still no good indication when he needs to go outside, but it seems clear that if he is left alone and we are both gone …. he pees in the house….. otherwise when I go out with him he pees and poops outside.  Much praise.

It is clear he is totally unsocialized – he was quite scared about going in the pet store – splayed his legs out at the sliding door, but then took the encouragement and enjoyed sniffing at all the nice dog things. Very friendly with the people. Scared of the humming cooler, though…. Poor baby, he has not been with people and civilization at all I think – I bet he was out there awhile. We will have to do a dog park. He is a bit timid – but does not bark at all except if there is another dog – even far away – or if there is an intruder – strange person on the perimeter, or a rabbit in the yard.

He slept on my bed with me last night … Bob and I both let him – but he usually gets pushed on the floor because he sprawls in the middle. We are all getting used to each other and it has accomplished getting me moving – out of necessity. Throwing the ball outside… he does fetch and bring it back – sort of, to me.

resting while scanning

Jonesy actually had a good day yesterday – no accidents and did his business with Bob in the park … he sleeps on my bed  🙄  Both of us have fallen in love with him.

Jonesy has a spot in the shape of a heart on his left shoulder.

Last night he came into the bedroom, while we were going to bed and wanted to go back out again – (we shut the door to keep him from wandering around and getting into mischief) Bob said he wants his squeaky toy – so I opened the door and he went out and got the new squeaky toy – and came right back jumped on the bed – turning off lights – ready to sleep – Squeak, squeak, squeak – so I took it and put it up on my dresser – settled down – then a crash – he had tried to get it on the dresser and spilled a box of earrings on the floor – lights back on – give him the toy – pick up the earrings, then lights out again. Squeak, squeak…. Bob says “just leave him, he will settle down eventually” – which he did – all quiet – he sleeps soundly and late in the morning with me….

You can see we need this little critter to make our life less easy. Otherwise I might never get out of bed – and Bob would be too solemn.

Our dogless house was not dogless for long. Before we could stop ourselves we went to the shelter and found Jonesy (they had named him Kenny…did not like that) Jonesy is AKA for Indiana Jones since he came originally from Indiana — too many dogs there, I guess, and apparently the twin cities have lots of adoptions. He was picked up in rural Indiana and dropped off at a shelter and was full of ticks and fleas. He went first to the Golden Valley Humane Society where they checked him over, neutered him and then sent him to Woodbury where we found him.

Jonesy went right to my chair.

We area getting the DNA test — because we are curious about what he is — described as a hound mix…. lots of hounds — his vet thought Foxhound mostly — but his face looks like a beagle I think.  Oddly he looks exactly like a small version of Bacchi – Daniel and Renae’s dog they got in Nepal! We do not know how old he is — guesses on his paperwork ranged from 3 to 6 years — no way is he 6 — maybe he looked like that after his hard life in the wild in Indiana, but we are thinking more like 2 or 3 at the most — he acts like a puppy.

Cully here for the 4th with her family, took to Jonesy — he grieved when they left.

the Nordby Frye family in the Lake Elmo 4th of July parade .. Jonesy was handled by Cully — he was fine with all the people but had a barking fit whenever he saw another dog. Ice cream sundaes at the end of the parade.

4th of July — my daughter and me … so happy (we all had great fun dressing up and tattooing ourselves)

Cully took this evocative photo of Bob and me by the prairie.

Bob and I flew to St. Louis for my Niece’s wedding. Brother Jon and his wife Mary live in southern Illinois and we met older brother Jerry and his wife Myrna to hold up the Landt side of the family; also held up by Sarah’s brother Gray Landt who was in the wedding party. These two (Sarah and Tony) have held off until, apparently, they found each other – both in their 30s. Great good time!

Red roses were given to the mothers – this one is Mary’s

Father and Mother of the bride

My favorite photo even if out of focus — Jon and his daughter. He had a close call this last year — I was overcome

Sarah with her mother, left, and Tony’s mother at the rehearsal dinner. Sarah has the most dazzling smile I have seen since Julia Roberts.

Bridesmaids

solemn  Tony and his best man

Gray is one step down from the best man

Jerry and Myrna Landt — our hotel/travel buddies – picked us up at the airport! Squired us around !!

We knew this day would come. George was diagnosed with cancer, inoperable, last October. He made it a very long time, at the end I think he was staying for us. He was no longer enjoying his life as he had, but he was uncomplaining. He went out to greet his vet, wagging his tail. I was overcome. She said, “better to go out on a good day instead of a day full of pain..” or something like that. She is wonderful and helped us with him  in the same caring way she did with Rosie two years ago.  When she and her husband took his body on a stretcher out to her traveling office van, she said she really hates when it is like this — with an empty house. So true. He helped us so much when Rosie died. It is hard to find words for our love for him – endlessly amusing, so loving, so loyal and attached, his big soft fur coat and brown eyes.  We will miss him so.

George on a better day, a big cozy guy.

I think this will not be an empty house too long.

A couple of photos of the wild ones — the nest is a Robin, but we do have bluebirds raising a family in the backyard in a bird house there. The big bunny — is quite tame — he has been hanging around — we think maybe he was a pet that got away.

at eye level in one of the lilacs

You can see a little of Bob’s new tent trailer. The ancient Coachman was put in the front with $500 or best offer — it was gone in 20 minutes – $400.  Bob wants something better to take to Oshkosh — and this is so nice we may take it up north sometime.

Coachman being sold

the new tent trailer

I was so excited that Bernie Sanders is actually, seriously running!  Bob and I heard him speak on the Senate floor when we visited D.C. a few years ago — after visiting Al Franken’s office one of his staffers gave a tour and that is when we wound up in the viewing area of the Senate. I can’t remember the speech, but he delivered it to an empty room — other than those of us in the balcony.  Go Bernie. I agree with all of his values and platform.A courageous and principled man.

Here is his website — pretty rough at this stage, but you can still contribute  😀

https://berniesanders.com/

I am the son of a Polish immigrant who came to this country at the age of 17 without a nickel in his pocket. My father was a paint salesman who worked every day of his life. He never made a lot of money, and we were never able to get out of our small rented apartment, but he and my mom were able to see my brother and me get college degrees. A pretty big deal for our family.

 Ever since I was a kid I never liked to see people without money or connections get put down or pushed around. 

 When I came to Congress I tried to be a voice for people who did not have a voice – the elderly, the children, the sick and the poor. And that is what I will be doing as a candidate for president.

 I will raise the issues and fight the fights that most candidates will try to avoid.

 My father loved this country because of the opportunities it gave him, the same opportunities that millions of other working class families have enjoyed. My parents and your parents worked hard so that their kids could do better. That is what the American Dream is all about. I am determined to do all that I can to make certain that that dream, that vision, does not disappear.  

 Together we can accomplish great things: we can create jobs for millions of Americans by rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure; we can make healthcare available for all through a Medicare for All Single Payer system; we can protect our planet from the ravages of climate change; we can save our democracy and government from the disastrous Citizens United Supreme Court decision and pernicious impact of billionaire money; we can end the grotesque level of income and wealth inequality; and we can use the great strength and power of this nation to achieve peace and real security. 

 I believe that together we can change America, and breathe new life into the soul of our nation. That is what this campaign is all about. 

Senator Bernie Sanders

For some reason I have been reading book after book – novels from time of WWII . These are new books, written lately, and I have no idea what is behind this reading. Yes, they are just really good stories,but it is interesting to me that these stories are consuming my reading time these days. I was born in June of 1944 — D-day was on June 6 and my father was in the Navy during WWII — I saw him when I was 1 month old and again at 18 months. The war must have had an influence on me — we lived with my Grandparents in Madison, Wisconsin while my father was in the war stationed in the Panama Canal Zone and on a destroyer.  I always wonder about the influence of these early months on my psyche.

Lately I am reading the stories from Phillip Kerr, the Bernie Gunther stories, — mysteries with Gunther as the main character, a sarcastic, witty and basically decent man who tries to stay alive in Germany during the war.The series begins when Bernie is  a detective in Berlin in the “Berlin Noir series starting with March Violets.” which I read some time ago. I recently realized he is still writing and has two new ones out — I am just starting the second — “The Lady from Zagreb.”

having just finished

Other books that I found myself reading about this period were, ” All the Light We Cannot See” France during the war — a blind French girl and a German boy/soldier. – excellent

and “The Nightingale”

two sisters in France at the beginning of WWII – one joins the resistance.