Happy Birthday Sweet Dion!

Our dear little spaniel, Mr. Dion DiPoochy,
is a Birthday Boy today.  13 years old.
And that's pretty old in the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel world.

For most of his life, Dion has acted like a gangly 13-year old boy in love with extreme sports and pizza,
but in the past year he has slowed down.  He doesn't jump onto the furniture anymore.  Won't walk stairs.  Does a lot of sleeping.  And he's a bit stiff getting up after a nap.

Now pretty much his only prank is to grab the end of the toilet paper in the powder room, and drag it through the butler's pantry, into the kitchen, and through the sunroom.

Mr. High Maintenance has become Mr. Easy Keeper.

Although back in November he did steal and eat a bag of marshmallows after Thanksgiving.  

Remember that old TV spot:  "I can't believe I ate the whole thing." 

That's our Dion, below, stuffed with puffy white pillowy goodness.

 Proving he still has a cast iron stomach.  And that age did not bring wisdom.

But back to this Natal day.

I wanted to get a picture of Dion this morning.  Naturally I found him in the kitchen.

 As I fiddled with the camera, he got tired and lay down.

I think he's trying to tell me something.  I might not want to know what it is.

Dion was born in 1999, and I held him when he was just moments old, as his breeder had to attend

to one of his sisters who was making her own abrupt appearance into the world.

He was the most adorable puppy, and grew into a wonderful, funny, endlessly curious, loving, happy boy who gives us so much joy.
I miss the mischievous scamp he was, but I deeply love the sweet older gent he's become.

So to Dion and his sisters Daisy and Nina . . . A Happy, Happy Birthday on this First Day of Spring.

And to Joanne, who makes the Kilbrook family of beautiful and loving Cavaliers possible . . . Thank you.

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It's Spring,

and while our Winter was almost weirdly mild and easy, I'm still glad to see the sun greening up the

yard and garden, and the warm air bringing out the birds and -- yes -- even the bugs.  All part of the cycle.

I'm getting twitchy now to go out to the beach house, out on Eastern Long Island.

We haven't been out since November, and I'm getting withdrawal symptoms.

I'd like to publish a blog post from the deck, a refreshing adult beverage close to hand.

 

To bring breakfast sandwiches and hot black coffee here, and watch the early bird boaters sail by.

 

And wander the back roads and the main streets through the North Fork villages.

 

A perfectly weathered barn.  Right on Main Street in our town.

It's like living in a Wyeth painting.

Oh well.  We won't go out there this weekend; too many plans at That Old House, and she's the Boss.

Enjoy Spring, if you share our hemisphere!

I think I need some flowers in the house, don't you?

-- Cass

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