Silly Rascal had turned just six weeks old on that sunny July day when I first held her in my arms and she has brightened everyday since then with a life full of love and happiness. Special in her own unique way, she also calls to mind fond remembrances: my father singled out this adorable red merle puppy as a farewell gift just eight months before he died. Dogs were constant companions in our home and they were especially comforting during his valiant battle with cancer. I think of dad and smile every time I look at Silly Rascal, and she smiles, too!
I chose the name Rascal because she is spirited, expressive, observant and curious, and, of course, mischievous. Turn my back on a sandwich and she swipes a slice of bread (but only the open side with mayo, not the one with lunchmeat)! In true Aussie fashion, she decorates her den with trophies like sticks and shrubs, metal fence post caps, garden hoses, flower pots…she once mustered not one, but two, large plastic planters sideways through the doggie door, then stacked them!
Then there’s the critters, and not just the random bird feathers scattered everywhere (still a mystery). One day as I was straightening up this smart canine arrangement I bent over to pick up a twig and abruptly stopped…it wasn’t a woody shoot but a small shiny snake my intrepid hunter guardian shepherd had killed!
