Tuesday, August 24, 2010

With Ears of Velvet

Since I introduced you to Buddy back in December of last year, who is one of our three quirky wonderful dogs, I feel it's only fair to introduce you to Shadow With The Ears Of Velvet. In November of 2004 we met for the first time with one of our pet sitting clients, a sweet elderly lady with a tiny Chihuahua and a very large black dog, mostly Lab, who was probably about a year and a half old. We had a storm that fall which was the aftermath of a hurricane and it poured and poured buckets of rain. This lady had a fence all around her very large yard and the fence went nearly out to the street at the end of her driveway. She told us that she saw this large black dog sitting at the fence, peering in, in the midst of all that rain early one morning. Now her neighbor didn’t have a fence and had a wide front porch where Shadow could have taken shelter. But he stayed at the fence all day in the rain just gazing into her yard. Eventually she couldn’t help herself and went to let him into the yard and the shelter of her garage. He had no collar or tags so she figured someone had dropped him off on the side of the road.

Since the nights were getting chilly she found him an old blanket and made a nice bed in the garage. In one night he completely chewed up the blanket. She’d replace it with another and he’d chew it. I’m not sure how many blankets he went through (as well as other things of interest he found on the shelves in her garage) but she felt sorry for him and just kept getting new blankets LOL. In fact the day I met with her, I noticed him running in the yard past the window with an old telephone in his mouth – one thing she had forgotten to move to a higher shelf.


Well, long story short, we fell in love with Shadow and told her that if he was ever too much for her to handle, that we would be glad to take him into our home. Remember she was elderly and Shadow lover boy liked to jump up and put his paws on your shoulders so he could lick your face. When he did that, he was taller than she was!

A couple of days after Christmas that year, she called and asked if we would like to have Shadow – he was just a little too energetic for her. So of course we went right over and picked him up and he’s been our baby ever since. He has the sweetest eyes and the softest velvety ears and all along has thought that he was a lap dog. He even gets into the recliner with Jack – talk about crowded! Shadow is a real cuddler too – loves to sleep right up against you in the bed. Which is great in the winter but not so wonderful in the summer LOL  And...well OK - the boy loves pillows.


He also loves socks and will find one anywhere you happen to hide it! And runs off with his food bowl right after he finishes eating – takes it up onto the couch and will lick it to death until he falls asleep (no that wasn't his food bowl in the top picture LOL). And as you can see by this picture – loves his creature comforts!  And Buddy loves him too.

Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!

14 comments:

  1. Shadow and Buddy are so darn adorable...you have opened your heart to a wonderful adventure filled with love!!! Imagine and Live in Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart

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  2. Okay Jill, SHUT UP! Did I learn about Shadow when I first met you in blogland????

    I have HIS bookend, right here,,ahem, but a female version, also names Shadow! Only she isn't. LOL She follows me everwhere,,,,BUT somehow doesn't "Shadow" me, she walks directly, sometimes most frustratingly-IN front of me!


    I got my little Girl Shadow in a weird way too. My BF,,,not a blogger Laura "accidently" had litter of 8 black lab mix pups. I used to go over when they were pups and get my "puppy" fix, but managed to not take one.......

    "My" Shadow was the runt. A man that serviced my friends salt water aquarium took her. And then, I rented the back Cottage to him, when she was about 3. Dog? No prob, she and my Golden Ret, Kodi, were fast and furious friends!

    Then he was never home,,,,,she'd be HERE, with us. Chewing up everything in site and getting neurotic. I drew the line when she chewed up a $22 dollar pair of panties I'd bought at Victoria's.......And, NO didn't harbor bad feelings agains the DOG,,,,but the owner. Told my tennant I was taking her!

    Lord Jill, my Shadow looks JUST like yours! And,,,,she too is a bed hog! Then again, I sleep with HER, the Golden and ONE of my two tuxedo kitties! LOL! And I wonder WHY I'm achy in the morning.......I can't MOVE! Ackkk!
    And! They steal covers,,,,well, okay, they are laying on them so I can't pull on em! Gotta love em!

    Thanks for sharing YOUR Shadow's story! Too funny! Black labs are hard to photograph, aren't they!

    From one friend and another pair of "Velvet Ears" to another-

    Hugs, Love and Pets!
    Shell

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  3. An old friend, now passed on, told me that her mother had told her that angels direct animals, in need of a home and love, where to go. They tell them to stay put, cry, meow, look sad but stay with that two legged and if at all possible, LOOK THE TWO LEGGED DIRECTLY IN THE EYES.
    I believe her. That's how we've gotten most of our animals over the years.
    Shadow is beautiful and is exactly where he is supposed to be. :)Bea

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  4. Well what an incredibly sweet baby! Love him and he truly loves his home!
    xx, shell and sugie bunny

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  5. Love this story - one of my weaknesses - animals. Wonder if Shadow knows how lucky he is. If you asked him I bet he would say, "Lucky? Not really, planned it that way."

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  6. Oh my goodness Jill. I hadn't read your story when I posted mine about Mandy. What a heartwarming tale. Shadow is so blessed to have you in his life. He and Mandy look as if they could have been litter mates. They surely melt our hearts don't they?

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  7. What a great story for an adorable addition to the family!

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  8. Thank you so much for your beautiful and uplifting comment on my blog. Your dogs are gorgeous!

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  9. Oh my gosh ! I LOVE your Shadow story...thank you for leaving me a comment so I could find it. Wonder why we are posting our stories now? Maybe someone out there is fixing to be paid a visit from someone looking for a home.
    (())

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  10. I noticed that I am following your blog but I am not getting post updates..I am not getting updates from a number of blogs I am following. so I've added your blog to my side bar so I will remember to check in !
    than rum cake looks sooo yummeee...thanks for the recipe !!!

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  11. Awww, what a darling fur baby...both of them! :-)

    Have a wonderful week!
    Hugs,
    Anne

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  12. Hi Jill, I love what Bea said and I think Shadow was directed to you just like the hobo's were always directed to our house in the late 40's and early 50's because they knew my granny would make them some lunch and give them a quarter to be on their way. Like the old hymn "Jesus Saves, Jesus Saves". Hugs, Mollye

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  13. i also have a dog, (here they say she's a real LAB but she isn't ), she is as crazy as your's. NOw she's 5years old and she begin's to calm a bit. Like yours she LOVES socks and underwear.... ANd when she comes with htis in her mouth, she ran around you, saying, don't you see what I found...She is just the most loveliest dog on earth.

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  14. i also have a dog, (here they say she's a real LAB but she isn't ), she is as crazy as your's. NOw she's 5years old and she begin's to calm a bit. Like yours she LOVES socks and underwear.... ANd when she comes with htis in her mouth, she ran around you, saying, don't you see what I found...She is just the most loveliest dog on earth.

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