It has been a while and I have not kept up Olive’s blog over
the last year. That is mostly because at age 12 now, Olive is not as active and
energetic as she used to be. She has trouble getting into my car, so that I do
not take her anywhere if I can help it except to the kennel for daycare and the
vet. A plastic folding stair that I had hoped would make it easier for her to
get into the car did not quite work out as I had hoped. It is a bit wobbly and
I do not think she really trusts it. I will be going to a few pet stores to see
what is available after the holidays.
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In October I traveled to England to see cousin’s daughter
Lisa graduate with a PhD from Cambridge University. Olive spent that week at
Candlewick kennels, where I know she was well taken care of. When I got home
and picked her up from the kennel her reaction was one of “you’re here? Okay,
let’s go home.” No exuberance at seeing me. It was after we got home that she
stuck to me like glue and wouldn’t let me leave her even to go into the next
room. It was good to be back home with my dog.
Lisa has not only graduated from Cambridge but is not
engaged to an impressive young English man named Chris. I had met him both over
in England on previous trips and here when he came to visit Lisa’s family. This
trip I met his family and was quite favorably impressed. On a previous visit by
Chris to the US he came to my house and met Olive. She seemed to like him and
took to him right away. So Chris has passed the “Olive test”. Olive approves of
him and so do I.
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This year Olive cooperated for her annual portrait in front
of my holiday tree. She doesn’t seem puzzled by the presence of the tree,
perhaps because after nearly nine years she is used to it appearing in
December.
Okay, I posed. Are you happy now?
I had some friends over for a “supper by the tree” a week
ago. Olive had a good time and enjoyed the attention she got. Among the presents I got was a border collie dish towel. Olive was given
some bags of dog treats, which she will enjoy a few at a time over the next few
months. She may be a bit perturbed that she doesn’t get to enjoy HER holiday
presents on her schedule (all at once), but too bad. I’m the boss.
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This season our gift to all of the readers of Olive’s blog
is a Christmas story involving the clay horse named Pokey, who was Gumby’s pal
in those early 60s Claymation films. Everyone remembers Gumby, but this is the
only film I have ever seen with Pokey and not Gumby.
Note the old dial telephone and the old TV set. There is also what seems to be a guest appearance by Davey (of Davey and Goliath, a Sunday morning semi-religious morality series that was also a Clokey production). Enjoy!
Happy holidays to everyone from George and Olive.
