Sunny Day on the Bayou!

Today was test day in a sense. Late last night, Darling Daughter Elizabeth came to visit and brought a new addition for the Little Bayou House. She and her husband, Robbie, had rescued a puppy several weeks ago and fell in love with the little thing. The puppy had been tossed in a dumpster and at one point had been locked in a plastic container. Such a cruel fate for such a sweet pup. There was just one problem with all of this, their apartment was far too small for an active puppy..a highly active puppy. The little one needed space to run and with no yard, all of the energy was being pent up creating a little problem. So...I volunteered to keep the little one until August. At that time, they would be able to get a house with a yard and the puppy could run and play to its heart's content! The little puppy brought so much happiness that it was like a ray of sunshine! Aha! Sunny! The puppy acquired a name! Surely, little Sunny would fit in here at the Bayou. Surely, I would be able to deal with a new puppy. Surely, Ezzy would LOVE to have a playmate!

It was very late when Elizabeth finally arrived at the Little Bayou House. This would not be the best time to just totally "dump" a puppy on a dog that has been the sole canine on the Bayou for the past six years. We introduced them for a few minutes and then separated them for the rest of the night. I figured that the morning would be soon enough to throw the two together full time. Ms. Ez and I usually make our treks to the pier at just about daybreak but we were greeted with torrential rains this morning making any outdoor plans impossible. The full introduction of the two dogs would have to take place indoors. This perhaps was not the ideal plan but there was no delaying the meeting. I brought out the puppy. Ms. Ez stared down at it as if pondering just what in the world this critter was. Should she try to tree this thing? Sunny bounced into action...literally! She nipped at Ezzy's ears..she tugged on Ezzy's tail..she tried to climb on Ezzy's back. Ezzy stared at me as if to say, "What is this thing?" I gave her a few encouraging words! "Look, Ez! A puppy! You have someone to play with now!" Bounce, Nip, Tug, Bounce! Sunny was a never-ending ball of energy! Ezzy looked miserable. Bounce, Nip, Tug, Bounce...the dynamo took over the living room! She chewed on Ezzy's blanket and ate Ezzy's food. She turned Ezzy's once peaceful domain into complete chaos!

After about an hour of house-shaking activity, Ezzy seemed exhausted...Sunny seemed energized! The bouncing continued until.....Sunny collapsed! I worried at first that something was wrong but Elizabeth assured me that she was fine. She had just totally tired herself out to the dropping point. Whew..Ezzy dropped to her bed. She was relieved to be free of the "Little Nipper" for at least a few minutes. Sunny slept for a good bit before leaping to her feet to start the onslaught again! Bounce, Nip, Tug, Bounce! Over and over again!

It will be interesting to see just how this progresses. I will try to train Sunny to do her business down the hill, far from the house. I will attempt to train her to the leash and to do a few cute tricks. Most importantly, I will try to train her to gain the patience of Ezzy. My poor, poor Ezzy..Bless her little heart, she will have to be trained to overlook the impertinence of the younger generation! The next six months should be interesting..very interesting.