Let me start with a little back story: When we first brought Chewie home we set out Lucy's old stainless steel food and water bowls for him to use.
He had no trouble with the water bowl and dove right in. But when we put food in the other dish, he freaked out. We weren't sure if it was the reflection of the food in the bowl or if it was the noise that the food made when he moved it around inside the bowl that bothered him.
Whatever it was, he seemed too scared to put his face in the bowl and eat. We coaxed and prodded but he would not eat out of that bowl. So we grabbed one of the kids plastic cereal bowls and that worked just fine.
Then, yesterday morning, Eliza Grace found the metal food bowl in the pantry and asked if I thought Chewie had gotten over his problem with the bowl. I said yes, he probably had, so she switched out the bowls and then we left to take her to camp.
Fast forward to last evening: Scott and I passed each other in the neighborhood, he coming home from work and me heading out to get the kids. Through the car window I asked him to go ahead and feed Chewie and start dinner when he got inside.
When I got home with the kids, Scott greeted me by saying, "This has been great entertainment. Did you do it on purpose?" Since it was obvious I had no clue what he was talking about, he handed me the video camera to show what he had been watching for the past 15 minutes or so.
Suffice it to say, Chewie is obviously still freaked out by the metal food bowl. And instead of just feeding the poor, hungry, pleading dog, Scott, being male, simply video taped Chewie neurotically barking and dragging the food mat holding the evil bowl.
So we went back to the pink plastic bowl and Chewie is happy and well fed. And, yes, Scott was right, neurotic dogs are pretty entertaining.
Woof. Bark. Growl. Howwwwllll
Oh, sorry, I forgot I needed to speak human.
Alpha let me borrow her blog because I just had to vent.
You see, it all started about 2 weeks ago. I was just sitting around minding my own business, licking what I pleased and chewing on my toys. Life was great!
I mean, Alpha was always trying to brush the giant knots out of my fur but aside from that, life was one big air-conditioned dog house!
Then one evening, Alpha started running around like a crazy lady, dragging down these big things with wheels and throwing clothes in them. The older pups started grabbing pillows and stuffed animals - which, by the way they do NOT share with me - and Alpha's mate started stuffing all kinds of wires and gadgets into bag after bag.
I had no clue what was going on but when Alpha told me we were going for a car ride, I was psyched! She was so nice, gave me a treat and didn't even make me sit in that crate in the car.
When we pulled up to the "place that shall not be named," Alpha was all "come on sweet Chewie. That's a good boy, Chew Chew" so I was not too freaked out. I overheard Alpha say something like "please do what you can with his fur" but I figured they would try to brush me or give me a bath. Not my cup of kibble but I figured I would survive.
What happened next makes my nub of a tail tuck way under. In fact, I think I've blocked most of it out but suffice it to say it was the worst 9 days of my entire 6 month old life!
After Alpha left, the days all blurred together. One day they stuck me with needles. Another day I took a nap and when I woke up, I was missing my FAMILY JEWELS! The family jewels people. There goes any hope I ever had for leading my own pack!
And if that was not bad enough, just look what they did to me.
This is what I looked like the day before Alpha took me to the vet:
And this is what I look like now:
When she came to pick me up she told them they had the wrong dog!
It was humiliating.
Ok, sure, less fur means I am cooler but, seriously? I. Look. Ridiculous!
My name is Chewbacca people. Have you ever seen a HAIRLESS WOOKIE?
Please tell me it will grow back!
And while you are at it, please tell Alpha to stop calling me the "The Rat."
...a brand new bike without training wheels!
My love of cemeteries.
Salem Academy, my high school, is situated right beside God's Acre, Home Moravian church's cemetery in Old Salem.
It is, in a word, peaceful.
One of the most peaceful places I've ever been. Row upon row of square, white marble stones so neatly laid.
On warm Fall and Spring days I used to take my books and do my homework sitting in an older section among more traditional monuments and vaults. Some were simple and others, very ornate. Of course, I always did this during the day light hours so it never seemed creepy or weird. Just peaceful.
Charleston, South Carolina has more than its fair share of historic churches and thus, more than its fair share of really old cemeteries. When I walk past one, I just have to go in and walk around. I always try to find the oldest marker that is still legible.
This time I stopped to take pictures behind Second Presbyterian Church and the oldest I found was a birth date of 1829.
"I'm going back to dignity and grace.I'm going back to Charleston where I belong!"Rhett Butler in Gone With The Wind"
Charleston, South Carolina is by far my favorite Southern city. It may well be my favorite city in the entire United States but I hesitate to go that far since, unfortunately, there are many, many places I have not yet been.
Regardless, I love Charleston. No matter how many times I visit, I still feel like I could spend days and days wandering the cobblestone streets, visiting old cemeteries, sitting in sidewalk cafes, taking pictures, eating crab cakes, peering through windows, marveling at the architecture, shopping in the market place, imagining what it would be like to live in the gorgeous water front homes and so much more!
I've taken so many pictures this week that I'm going to do a couple of posts just to fit them all in!
I'll start with the sights around The Battery and Meeting and Market Streets.
Unique cast iron medallions in the sidewalks.
Not sure what it is about wrought iron gates and railings that I find so fascinating, but I do.
Unique water features.
All the gas lanterns.
Old brick walls. (Looking down the side of the market place.)
Rose windows in a beautiful, old church.
A majestic steeple from another.
Up next: Old cemeteries!
Eliza Grace poses with Chewie to show how much they both have grown over the past couple of months.
Only 2 more years of Elementary school left for my little girl!
