Reunion!

Oh how I would love to climb inside my dogs' brains and hearts and just once, see their world through their eyes. I could only guess what they were thinking, as Special Humans from their past marched right back into their home.

Linda arrived first, for all intents and purposes another purchase from the grocery store. Linda is Sammy's nana, but she has been a huge part of all of my dogs' lives. Giacomino, Fat Charlie, Mama Pajama, Luciano, and Delia saw Linda, Willow, and Jessie (Sammy's mom), nearly every weekend, and a couple of times a week for their whole existence. Then we moved six years ago, and we lost her. The glee when I returned from my normal errands run with the Krogers bags, and Linda! I had found her!!! Only Swede William and Lindy Loo are out of the Linda loop, but they had met her as puppies and a whippet never forgets.

They were not done celebrating, no they were not, when the next day, who should march right on in the back door? Oh my stars, it was their Rhonda!!!

Accompanied by the Nice Lady, Crystal, who is practically family because she has stayed in our home for a couple of overnights. But Rhonda!!!! Right here in living color. Rhonda, who had been at dog shows, lure coursing, race meets, and road trips. Rhonda, who dogsat Fat Charlie and Giacomino at her house. Whose bags smelled of Giacomino's one and only wife, Snickers. It was Rhonda!!!

And while they were still celebrating the reincarnations of Linda and Rhonda, two more angels appear: Cheryl and Terrie.

People who shared every day of the week, when the whippets and those two people and I worked in the same office. Fat Charlie and Mama Pajama's nana Terrie, and their very own Cheryl, who now has three whippets, two of whom are immediate family, because she fell so deeply in love with mine. Dogs remember love like that. Dogs remember.

Not only had the missing humans materialized, they brought with them scent-images of dog friends and relations. Nose pictures of Giacomino's siblings Jazzbo and Lilly - Fat Charlie and Mama Pajama's mom. And their sisters, Mollie and Jessie. And Sammy's siblings Tucker and Graffiti. Noses found dads, grandads, great grandaunts, moms, cousins, nephews. Little hints of smells on clothing, in suitcases, on purses.

The tails kept on wagging. Eyes sparkled. Noses sniffed and sniffed, which started the tails wagging all over again.

I thought it was too much for Giacomino. He'll be fifteen in April, and he seemed to be overwhelmed. He continued to perk up, though, and I realized something. The last time a Special Person came to visit, Bill and I disappeared for Way Too Long. He had just recovered from our trip to Italy, when he lost his lifelong cuddle buddy, Maria. He had just recovered from that, when Special People arrived in droves, and I think he was terribly worried that I was going to disappear again. But I didn't disappear, and on Linda's last day here, she got to see him pull me around the block on his walk and gallop to me in the yard. Eyes shining, legs akimbo, tail wagging.

And I had a blast! You know you're with wonderful dog friends when not only do you not have to be embarrassed when you're stooping to pick up the eighth dog's poop on your walk, but your friend remarks, "That is really good quality stool. What are you feeding these days?"

Oh, but I miss them so.

hug your hounds, and your friends, too.