Norfolk Botanical Garden, Denise Copeland, (soft pastel on paper)
Prior to the tragedy at Virginia Tech I had been admiring three poodles on the Petfinder page. All three were in rescues because their companion had either died or needed to live in an environment with assisted care. We had just adopted Joy on March 5, and I was under the spell of poodle magic. The Virginia Tech tragedy reminded me to focus on the "important" aspects of life. I acted upon that reminder and we adopted one of the three poodles I had been admiring, Cassie. She is an absolute delight. Her manners are impeccable, and her primary desire is to be as close to me as possible at every moment. When I first met her she actually hugged me. It is hard to describe, and I have never encountered that before. I honestly have never met another dog who is as affectionate as she is. It has truly been a wonderful year with her.
They all get me up early in the morning. I do not need an alarm clock. Joy is the ring leader in this event. I believe Cassie and Poupon would be content to snooze. Joy gets Maisy and Raphaella up and then there is no turning back. For awhile Joy was getting me up at 4:30 AM. The motivation is breakfast. Those early mornings were tough, especially if I had gotten to bed late. Then after breakfast, this is what immediately happens. Four of the five are napping beside me. And yes, that is amazing Maizy napping on her back. If the fifth, Raphaella, could fit, she would be there too. 






(Tammie's Garden,












