June joys

Blue Ridge Mountains near Asheville

When in Asheville, the presidents
stay at the lovely Grove Park Inn

June 1 marked the end of our vacation in Asheville, North Carolina. It was a fun trip. We were fortunate to have good weather, while it rained in Ohio. Did a lot of walking, saw lots of art, mostly pottery, ate good food and spent time in the mountains. It was a great change of pace and the hilly terrain reminded me that I could be in better shape.

There hadn't been a day since Benny died that I haven't broke down and mourned his passing. His death hit me the harder than Jerry's and I thought losing Jerry was bad. Not only was our house suddenly dog-less but Benny was my intuitive, feisty, special buddy. It probably was selfish of us that we let him hang on for as long as we did.

As much as I adored all the dogs I've ever had, they all required regular grooming and I thought it might be nice to have a dog that we didn't have to clip. Tim's only wish was that we would be able to lift the dog if necessary. After caring for Ben & Jerry in their ailing days, we did a lot of carrying. I also didn't want schnauzers again who are predisposed to getting diabetes. So after we came back from Asheville, I immediately started looking online at rescue dog groups. I couldn't wait another day. I needed to help fill the void that Ben left. You can search by breed and that is how I came to find Batman in Wauseon.

 Our boy wonder—Batman. He really looks
menacing here, he forgot to smile.

Batman was given up for adoption when his ailing owner had someone move in with him who had a Mastiff that apparently bit Batman. He still has a few little scars from that attack. Batman, a.k.a. Batty, is an incredibly cute, affectionate, well-behaved, four-year-old French Bulldog. He loves riding in the car and walks well on a leash. He enjoys going over to 577 while Tim and I tend to the garden there. His only problem is that he has an extreme fear of being abandoned. He doesn't want to be left alone and follows me everywhere from room to room. Each day he getting a little better and braver but it will take a while. I'm spending a lot of time at home right now. Fortunately, he makes me smile and he is a joy to have. Yesterday I finally didn't cry.