It is BEAUTIFUL outside!  It’s probably the warmest day we will have this week, although that’s not saying much.  It is still serious sweater weather!  The first year we lived in NE Indiana I barely wore a coat.  I must have finally acclimated, because I’m always looking for a blanket or a sweater.  It would probably help if I would wear socks, but I’m still a flip flop kind of gal.  My feet really hate to be confined!

On to Tex!

Tex was officially introduced in my other blog on essential oils.  (www.imoilin.com)  You see, a friend and I were conducting a booth last September at the local Tractor Supply for Pet Appreciation Day and demonstrating the use of essential oils for pets and farm animals.  The local shelter (Steuben County Humane Shelter) was there with their animals for adoption.  We had recently lost our former rescue dog, Janey, to the rainbow bridge.  (She was my husband’s 18 year old chow.  He rescued her at age 4.)

I asked one of the volunteers how they selected the dogs for the adoption meets.  I wondered if it was by size, age, length of stay….  She explained their process of rotating the animals and showed me a binder with all the available fur-babies.  I asked to see the ones who had been there the longest.

THERE HE WAS!

Okay, you have to understand that my husband and I had agreed NO DOGS for at least a year.  Losing Janey was hard and care of a senior dog is all consuming.  But there he was, and his name was TEX!  It was a sign!

It took us a while.  It was still too early for Jerry to think about another dog, and we had planned a trip in October to the Gulf Coast to visit family.  A new dog did NOT fit in our plans.

When we came home from vacation, we realized just how empty our house was without a fur-baby waiting to greet us.  Jerry said to call the shelter.  Sure enough, he was still there!  We found out he had been there for over 18 months and was actually at another shelter before that.  He and another dog were part of an owner surrender.  His buddy had been adopted, but not Tex.

Jerry and I had agreed if even one of us was undecided, it was a “No” on Tex.  It was love at first meet!  He has been with us now since the week before Thanksgiving.  Lately, he has experienced some hangdog days.  You know – lies around, doesn’t eat, wants to eat grass, and doesn’t want to leave our sides.  (Well, he prefers to be by our sides all the time, but this is different.)  And, yes, I have used my essential oils on him.

Here is Tex! He found the one spot of sunshine that was closest to me. Isn’t he precious?

Today, he goes to the Vet.  He may not be, but I’m actually kind of excited about it.  I want to know how he is doing and get an official estimation on his age.  (It seems he is 9-10 years old.)

I’ll do a little cleaning to pass the time.  The radio is belting out some of the greats from the 50s and 60s, so I may do a little singing and dancing, too.  😉

Keep your paws crossed!