“We are thinking about adopting Harley”

Tucson painting by Felix Pasilis

August 8, 2008, Friday, 5:50 am

“We are thinking about adopting Harley”

Well there is a very interesting sky to the west. When I went out to open windows on truck and saw it, it took my breath away. I loved the beauty. It is still so close to sunrise and the sky was dark, but not night dark, it was from the thick clouds. But the thick clouds were all colors of such deep blues, dark blues, and then I guess the tall southern pines set up against it. I feel like I have seen a sky like that in a painting, maybe in something called “Toledo” in Spain in the 16th century. There was a painter who favored painting skies like that, I saw them in the museum in New York.

It was very encouraging to see all that beauty and have it take my breath away, since it was a morning when I woke up, opened my eyes, realized it was a new day, and thought “NO! I don’t want it!” I was content to be snoozing happily, I have no idea why the idea of a new day was something I didn’t want. Right now, looking out my window, it is still a grey and cloudy early morning, cool and green, and drinking my coffee, I don’t know why I didn’t want the new day. What can possibly be wrong with sitting by my open window, looking out at all that green, and feeling the cool breezes come in and touch me.

It is a very pleasant cool green grey cloudy morning. O the sun must have risen, since the southern pines to the west are now radiant in golden light. And some of the dense clouds to west have parted to show some blue sky, and some of the clouds have turned fluffy white. Altho right above is still dense cloud cover. Fine! Desert summer is so hot, it’s nice having this moist umbrella cloud cover, with pearly light, and bird calls.

LOL one of Picasso’s wives wrote the story of their marriage. I read this book long time ago. He was already famous when she married him and she said “Pablo did not like to get out of bed and face the day.” So she would come in with his steamy coffee, his buttered croissant, and sit on the bed and tell him what a great painter he is, what great paintings he has painted and will paint, and how wonderful he is in every way. And then after that pep talk and delicious buttered croissant and cup of hot chocolate, he was willing to get out of bed and face his day.

I scoffed at him when I read this back at 26 years old, but now I see perfectly why one needs a little encouragement to face the day. It would sweeten the transition if someone brought me a tray with delicious pastry, delicious coffee already made with cream and sugar. I wouldn’t want to be told how great I was, but maybe a few sweet soft words, about the treats the day may hold for me. “A beautiful sky to see when you go out into front yard to open up the truck. A misty green morning to look out on, when you sit at your desk. There is cool morning air this morning, you will like feeling it on your shoulders. The birds are all in your tree waiting for you.”

If I thought I was going to get up to a morning as sweet and tender as the sleepy-land I had just been in, I wouldn’t have balked that way and said “a new day! I don’t want it!” Because who could not want this, watching the little birdies hop around the tree right out my window. It is sweeter than sleepy-land, it is more innocent and simpler.

Well day before yesterday the young lifeguard was chatting with me while I was in the water and he was up in the lifeguard stand. I don’t remember how the conversation began off, but I perked up my ears when he got to the point where he told me, his mom said to his dad “I want another kid,” and his dad said “can’t we just get another dog instead.” They have two dogs now, one of those tiny little ones that only weigh 6 pounds, and a big shepherd x (which sounds like my first dog, Spes) who is 87 pounds. But I found out later in the car going home with Bill that his family lives on ranch, they have 7 acres near Reddington Road. So when he told me “there is huge yard, there is room for 3rd dog,” he really does have it.

Apparently the whole family went to Humane Society two weeks ago to start looking for the next dog. He said his mom only wants girl dogs, she doesn’t want boy dogs. The summer lifeguards are all 16 years old and live at home. So every conversation I have with them about their life, you always hear their parents’ decisions. Last week Anthony told us “his dad said he can keep Montana, his dog, Montana will just be an indoor dog, and hang out with Anthony in his room.” Anthony was overjoyed with his dad’s decision since the week before Anthony had told us, “my dad says I have till Sunday to find new home for Montana or he goes to the pound.”

I don’t know the name of the young lifeguard I was chatting with two days ago, the one whose mom wants another kid but is willing to get another dog instead, and won’t have a boy dog, just likes girl dogs. But he told me “there are a lot of litters of puppies at the pound now.” So then my ears really perked up, as we are in the period of discussion of which dog would be good second dog for Beanie. And he said “there was a two-year-old basset hound there too.” “Billy!” I shrieked across the pool. “Come hear this!! There’s a basset hound at the pound right now!”

So Bill swam over, and I swam away to finish my swim and let the lifeguard tell Bill all about the puppies at the pound and the basset hound. I guess that’s when Bill found out he lives on 7 acre ranch by Reddington Road.

So we talked about the basset hound at the pound on the way home.

And yesterday morning when Bill woke up, that was the first topic he brought up, so I knew he was thinking seriously about it. “Call the pound” he said, “and find out if the basset is still there. We will be at Billie’s pool tomorrow, which is a hop skip and jump from Kelvin Street where the pound is, we can take a look at her.”

When I tried to call Humane Society, their answering machine said they don’t open till 9 am. But when I googled to find their phone number, and clicked on their site, there were pictures and descriptions of every dog they have up for adoption now.

None said “basset hound” but one said “hound.” It just said “it is a young hound named Harley.” And there was the photo. So I called Bill in.

Of course there was a spaniel which was so cute, the spaniel looked just like my Beanie. I notice whenever I go to pound for second dog, I always want one just like the one I have at home. I am always totally in love with the dog I have now at home, and want one just like her or him. So naturally this time I wanted one just like Beanie.

But Bill rightfully so, is very concerned about Beanie’s feelings. Partly because Beanie has mental problems, but also just for his feelings. “Beanie is a star” Bill said, “he won’t want another dog to outshine him.” It is why Bill was so attracted to Harley when he saw the photo. “He is a schlub” Bill said, “a big fat happy schlub, no way will he outshine Beanie, he is perfect for Beanie.”

I don’t know why I have to go get the biggest schlub in the pound, when there were some really cute ones up on that site. But of course Bill is right. The only dog Beanie might be willing to put with is a total schlub. Beanie is the sparkling star. His brother has to be the biggest schlub in the world, which clearly Harley is.

After 9 am I called the pound and talked to Jackie. She said Harley is the only basset they have, and he is 3 years old. We couldn’t tell from the photo that Harley was basset, it just said “hound,” and he didn’t look bassety at all in his photo.

But Jackie said he is basset hound mix, so I reported back to Bill. But then Jan called, and we haven’t chatted for a month, I wanted to talk to her on the phone. And when I got off it was time to leave for the pool. The clouds had massed, there could be lightning and storm at any time.

Bill said “I’ll put my thinking cap on, and think about Harley in the pool.”

So I swam and he chatted with Ray at end of lane, where they talked about everything under the sun.

He didn’t go to the movies in the afternoon, he sat in his chair in living room and read “Shogun.” Outside was full of thunder and little Beanie was so scared.

We were both so trepidatious about how Beanie would react to Harley. Beanie does have that problem, he starts up with every dog. When Bill had confided Beanie’s problem to the young lifeguard (Bill told him he took Beanie to the park last month and Beanie started 3 fights with the 3 dogs he saw) and lifeguard told Bill “you have to interrupt the eye contact, first they make eye contact then they fight, but if you do something which breaks the eye contact, then Beanie won’t pounce.”

Where Beanie get the chutzpah to jump at huge big ferocious dogs, I don’t know. He is a fice! It makes Bill’s life hell. Because Beanie pounces on little tiny dogs, which makes the owner want to murder Bill. And Beanie jumps at big huge ferocious dogs which scares Bill that Beanie will get himself hurt. “What we need is the dog whisperer” Bill said the other day, “to solve Beanie’s aggression problem.”

But the young lifeguard told Bill "if you break the eye contact, it won’t happen! move their head to side, anything where eye contact is broken! spritz them with water! anything!" So Bill is planning to have a little hose nearby when poor Harley arrives in the ogre’s den. Bill thinks if he sprays some water on Beanie while Beanie makes eye contact with Harley before he charges him, that that will save Harley.

The idea that we will save Harley from the pound and give him a beautiful home. And that Beanie will have the total joy of having a brother, someone to comfort him when thunder scares him, someone to keep him company when we go out and he is alone, and someone to play in the yard with and rush to the fence and bark with. The whole idea behind all of this is total joy for Beanie and total joy for Harley.

But the obstacle to this vision of joy, is what will happen when we bring Harley home. I’m not so worried about Harley having to put up with Beanie, the dictator and the tyrant. Because I saw how beautifully Lulu finessed it. She simply ignored nutcase Beanie. And got everything she wanted. And what she liked very much was lots and lots of delicious treats of every possible kind. Which of course she got. She could care less if Beanie gobbled up his food and then pushed her out of the way to gobble up her food. Because she knew, in that sublime way basset hounds have of knowing, that the whole universe is devoted to their happiness. She merely has to stand and wait, and plate of delicious food will be set before her, far more delicious and far more of it, than what Beanie just gobbled up. And it was true, that is always what happened. And when I served her her dainties (my Lulu had a sweet tooth, she liked cookies from the bakery, she liked candy) Beanie would rush in and push her out of the way. But when he saw what it was, he would leave, he doesn’t like sweets, so she would happily eat all her treats. She wound up with more of everything she loves when Beanie was here, not less, which is just what will happen with Harley.

I just hope that Harley doesn’t mind being totally bossed around by Beanie. Lulu didn’t mind it.

O well I guess the trick is to look at the big picture. Harley needs a home, and we want to give Harley a wonderful home. Beanie does need a brother. Cool weather will come eventually, we have a huge big great yard, the two lads can have a ball in it. It will be so nice for Beanie to have a playmate. He loves to play, and is banned from the dog runs for misbehavior.

O the little birdie is swinging on the slender branch. I didn’t know birds love to swing.

It’s amazing how much the sparrows enjoy the tree out my window. They love hopping from branch to branch, I guess it is like a monkey-bars for them. My whole yard is huge playground for the birds.

Love, Anne