A good morning rescue

Posted on May 6, 2019 by gonexc

I didn’t always smell like this. I used to have a home and a family to love me.

Me: Phew, he did smell a bit.

Zak: That’s not surprising if he’s been living of the rubbish dump. Tia smells a bit sometimes.

Me: She does eat anything.

Tia: Well, I’ve been there – I had to survive off my wits for 2 weeks.

Me: That was then, now you are well-fed.

Tia: No I’m not, I’m starving. I barely survive from one meal to the next!

Zak: Well, the avocados are there for the taking, you just have to get there before I do.

Tia: He’s hairy just like me!

Me: Much better behaved though. He was very gentle when I gave him your biscuits.

Zak: You gave him our biscuits?

Me: Well, not all of them. But I think he needed them more than you do right now.

Tia: Do you think he’s just lost then?

Me: I don’t know, he did jump into the car like he’d done it before. I definitely think he’s been someone’s pet before.

Zak: Or he knows who to trust. We are pretty good at judging humans like that. He was very lucky to be on the road just as we came past.

Roxy: So what will happen to him now?

Zak: Oh hello Roxy, glad you could join in the conversation.

Roxy: No need to be sarcastic, just all this talk of food and scrounging makes me feel ill.

Tia: You definitely are a bit odd with you picky-eating ways.

Roxy: Some of us are a little refined you know.

Tia: I can’t help being blond.

Me: Ok, ok, ok. The SPCA picked him up from the vet where we left him and he’ll have to stay there for 2 weeks in case his human recognises him and collects him. If not he’ll be put up for adoption.

Roxy: I hope they give him a bath.

Zak: And some food.

Tia: Maybe you should take him an avocado.

Me: They are not supposed to be good for dogs. But maybe some biltong.

Chorus: What? Our biltong?

Me: Hang on, who buys the biltong?

Marianne: Me actually.

Goodbye Kharma

Posted on February 13, 2017 by gonexc

Warm. She was always warm and cuddly.

Happiness is – a warm surrogate mother.

Soft ears, puppy ears even when she was older.

Playful.

First games

Loving. Very expressive eyes too.

Art of the raised eyebrow

Cheeky at times.

Don’t even think of it Zak!

She was just putting you in your place.

And clever.

Well yes but I did cheat her out of an avocado. Once.

That tail, that full-body-tail-wag and the Kharma smile, with her ears rolled back!

The Kharma smile

Yes, she was always so pleased to see you. 4 minutes or 4 days, it was all the same to her. She was just pleased to have you back.

And she was so gentle with you – tolerant.

Yes, she would always play with me.

And she was the first to play with Roxy and Tia when you didn’t want to know them.

Kharma, Zak and Roxy playing

Well I did find them annoying, at first.

She wasn’t much of a runner.

Stepping out – whilst Kharma was still the quicker of the two.

No but she’d get that look in her eye and flick up her front paws and then she’d try and knock you flying.

Come on, there’s running to be done!

Yes, that was fun. But that last run…

Not your fault my boy. The cancer was already in her leg and made it weak which was why it broke.

Is that why it took so long to heal?

Probably. But in the end it was another tumour that stopped her from eating.

Aww. I’ll miss her. She was such a gentle lady. And well-behaved too!

Gentle Kharma

Yes she was. Those big soft eyes and the ability to fit in anywhere. She could also be very manipulative. Especially with Helen.

Training Helen

She loved you.

Just the two of us

And I her. Before you were around I’d come home and she’d do several circuits of the house at full speed to show her delight. And if I’d left her inside she’d stand on my mother’s dressing table to look out of the window and check if it was really me.

Her claw marks are still there…

When she first arrived she was so nervous. I let her out of her crate in the Land Cruiser and a few minutes later she’d disappeared. Didn’t know how I was going to tell Cheryl.

Out and about in the Tsetsera mountains

Where’d she gone?

Back in her crate in the Land Cruiser! It took her a long time to settle down but then suddenly she just accepted me and I was home and she was my best friend for 7 lovely years.

Kharma in her prime. A good looking and gentle girl.

She didn’t go alone did she?

No my boy. I held her and told her how much I loved her – all the way to the end.

You’ll be there for me too won’t you?

Of course I will. Of course.

Goodbye sweet Kharma, we love you.

My brother, Duncan, and Kharma two days ago.

The last day. The eyes say it all.

Tia

Posted on August 12, 2016 by gonexc

Tia and I

So what do you think of Tia?

Well, she’s not a Ridgeback.

Nor are you a Ridgeback technically speaking.

But what is she really?

Probably a Golden Retriever cross. We don’t really know as she was hanging out around my work for a few days.

What does she retrieve?

When hunters go hunting ducks and other birds she would go and get the birds that fall on the water.

But there are aren’t any ducks around here!

Nor are there any lions. But I did find a kitten in the road two days ago.

Very clever but kittens don’t count.

But hey, she’s also blonde!

And doesn’t have many manners.

No, I think she’s had a bit of a hard life but we are working on the manners. She’s a quick learner.

The Season of Rat

Posted on June 5, 2016 by gonexc

I’m concentrating!

You have a fly on the end of your nose.

Mmmm. I KNOW!

Why don’t you do something about it?

Where’s that rat?

Because there are more important things to concentrate on.

Such as?

The rat up there – somewhere.

Where’s this rat?

In the creeper.

Where HAS that rat gone?

I don’t see one.

You aren’t a Ridgeback! There IS A RAT IN THE CREEPER!

Ok, ok. I’ll leave you to it.

Thank you – I can concentrate better without you commenting.

Well, when you’ve got that one there’s at least another one in the house.

Hush, PLEASE!

Let the games begin – (again!)

Posted on February 25, 2016 by gonexc

The first chase

Oh yes, this is fun!

It took you 8 days.

Well I think she might be worth it even if she is a little slow.

Team players

And even Kharma is enjoying it!

Yes, bless her, she’s staying well within Roxy’s limits.

Peaceful interlude – all friends!

Well I’ve got to give it to her – she’s got a fair bit of stamina for one so small.

And she’s only going to get stronger.

Yes, I think she might fit in to the family.

You are so gracious.

I know!

Please play!

Posted on February 23, 2016 by gonexc

When are you going to play with Roxy?

In my own time.

But she’s absolutely besotted by you!

Well, she can wait a bit then.

Just make the decision, go on.

In my own time.

Well at least you are letting her touch you I suppose.

Yes, but you don’t understand. It’s a process, not a decision.

Rats – there’s never just one

Posted on January 29, 2016 by gonexc

Not again! This is becoming an obsession.

Nope. I just have to catch another one.

We. We caught the last one. I spooked the rat, and you and Kharma killed it. In fact I think you played a relatively minor role.

That’s what I mean, I have to catch another one.

You are going to get a stiff neck.

Not a problem. They will be back for more pomegranates – there’s never just one.

Bliss is

Posted on November 2, 2015 by gonexc

Bliss is…

You enjoying this scratch?

Mmm.

Just how good is it?

Mmmm.

Nice?

Mmmmmmm.

Not getting a lot of sense out of you this morning am I?

Mmm.

Not exactly a Big Fierce Ridgeback are we?

Will you just get on with it and stop talking!

Winter is coming

Posted on April 14, 2015 by gonexc

Catching the sun

Hey there good looking boy!

Me? I am good looking?

Oh yes you most certainly are.

Wow, thanks. Actually it’s not that important to me.

Hmm. You are almost purring with delight at my compliment.

Purring? What’s that?

It’s what cats do when they are contented.

A cat? Where? You said CAT! I’ll chase it.

NOOOO! It’s just, just a figure of speech.

Oh. For a moment there I thought there really was one.

Well, as the subject of chasing has come up maybe we should discuss the subject of cow chasing.

You were really cross weren’t you?

Yes silly boy I most certainly was. You could get into a lot of trouble for doing that. Luckily the cows were not concerned. The manager might not be so uninterested.

I can’t help it. It’s just something I have to do.

Like barking. You have to do that too.

Yes! It’s fun too!

Not for me it’s not. It’s very tiring.

That’s because you aren’t a dog.

You don’t say. Jenni and Tina and Kim didn’t gratuitously bark.

Gratuitously. Big word that. What does it mean?

Doing something just for the sake of doing it.

So am I sitting in the sun gratuitously?

No, I don’t think so. You like the warmth now that it’s getting cooler.

I think I get it. Well, maybe not. It’s not serious. But I am good looking aren’t I?

The uber-twit

Posted on January 22, 2015 by gonexc

Disgruntled uber-twit

You really have excelled yourself this time.

Well, I do have to, you know, lick. As you may have noticed.

Yes, but this was entirely self inflicted. First you dug a hole in your back pushing through a fence and then you turned a minor injury into one that required a visit to the vet. By licking!

But you have to admit I am doing a pretty good job of destroying this collar thingy.

Yes, just like you did the last time. Please just leave it in place long enough for the hole to heal.

I’ll try!

Is it a flower? Is it a twit? It’s a twit-flower!

I am Zak

Zak, Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy, raconteur, undeniably cute!

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