Bonus Dog

Because, you know the two polar bears are not canine presence enough.  You need to add another monster sized drooley dog.  My FF just shook his head when I told him Nova was coming for a visit.

So, we had 350+ pounds of drooling, tail wagging love in our house.  And amazingly, it went well. 

Two five year-old male great pyrenees and an 18 month-old male newf.  I mean, what could go wrong right.

Especially with a family gathering and a birthday party being held at our house and...

But, amazingly, everything went smoothly.  

from N's i-Pod.  He has discovered Instagram.
I think they look like they need sunglasses.
 N didn't pay attention to the placement of the sun!

Nova, the newfie boy who came for a visit, speaks dog.  I know it sounds like a no brainer, but by polar bears are a mini-pack all unto themselves.  There are rules and not all dogs that have come for a visit know the rules, or listen to them when they are shared.  Nova, was told to lay down and be quiet because it was naptime for the polar bears - AND HE LISTENED!  He was met with old man indifference when he first came in the house and he did not push the issue.  Nova was told that he wasn't allowed to sleep in the bedroom, and he contently went to sleep in the living room.  (The enforcer sleeping on the threshold to our bedroom might have had something to do with that.)  He waited patiently for his turn to eat.  He went to check things out when the polar bears did.  It was amazingly calm.  Bear even went so far to make sure no one was messing with his puppy when one of the human visitors got a bit too "rough" with him.  I couldn't believe how quickly they accepted him.

I know there's a ball in here somewhere!
Again, courtesy of N's iPod.

But, on the flip side, he brought some life to our world.  After having the golden retriever geriatric ward for so long, I have forgotten what a puppy brings to the family.  The pyrs are impressive when they wrestle, but it lasts 5 minutes and they are back to their nap zones.  Bear came into a pair of old goldens - 15 and 10 I think, and was told when it was acceptable to play.  There was none of this puppy fun shenanigans to be had in our House of Hounds.  When we brought Giovanni into our world, Willow was definitely not in the mood to play and so things were kept relatively quiet.  And that just became the norm.  The kids were heaven having a dog around who knew what a ball was for (my pyrs have no use for tennis balls, unlike the goldens) and with whom THEY could initiate play and he would happily join in.  It was good.

My brother finally friends!!

But, that night after Nova went home and there was peace and quiet to be had, the polar bears were sleeping at my feet on the newly lit patio, I enjoyed it.  

So, the burst of puppy energy was fun while it lasted, but I think I am content to have four muppets and two polar bears.  No need to be greedy.  I am content with the puppy love we currently have drooled on us daily.  I can share.

Two more days in this forty hour normal bologna and we are done for a bit.  And then we can go back to our normal abnormality of the fire world schedule.  I might actually get to see my husband when he's awake (being in the burn tower for the whole day yesterday was a shock to his system after being on the box and in the classroom for so long!) and we are not at a child's event.  

I know, crazy talk, but a girl can hope, can't she??