As my health has been frail of late, I met someone to help me summer-clean. It was a two-person chore. My husband’s master shower looks magnificent now as does our bathroom. Mine and the dog’s. My choice, only place I can place a hose to wash her as the coupling works and it allows both of us room to move. No, we do not bathe together. I use the hose to wash her and sometimes use it to wash my hair.
Dog Zoe has two beds, one small with a human travel pillow that looks down the hall and to our front door. She is a herder and does not want anyone to leave without her knowledge.
The other is a big bed that I move to the living room when we’re watching a movie or to the bottom of our bed for when we’re asleep and my husband accidentally touches her with his feet, so she jumps down. She has no hips so cannot jump up.
Before we had the late spring cleaning I moved both beds and pillow (the big bed has a bolster on three sides, so that’s another pillow) outside. The next weekend I told my husband that I was I was at my desk and saw five spiders outside, weaving webs.
We had not been out there for some time, a grill issue. We bought spider killer and he was out there for a while and killed about 1,000. He ruined my clean windows but I was worried that spider babies had gotten into Zoe’s beds and pillow out there.
I washed the small bed, pillow and pillowcase at home on warm wash and a hot dryer. She was pleased to see it back as we live in a neighborhood of widow’s walks atop Victorian homes and this is her command post.
There is a laundry with large machines a couple of blocks away, next to the new hardware store that used to be a great cycling shop. I brought her bed in to be washed in hot and not dried. Today when I came in, it was wet and messed up inside.
Ms. B was there, as was Ms. A who assisted with spring cleaning and manages the place I love to go to for large items like a comforter or my husband’s winter jacket with 27 pockets, that’s a story already on the site. Ms. B offered to have Zoe’s bed dried and deliver it to me. We took it out of the bags and laid it in the living room for Zoe’s comfy bed, now free of spiders.
We’re now on a spider list with management as I now hear spiders have been quite a problem this year. Ms. B would not accept any recompense and will be here next week to help out. I did give her Lamb Robert to feed her family, and a few plums.
The choice issue is for dog Zoe. She has a small piece of area rug in the living room where she does tricks for treats for neighbor grandkids, carpet in our bedroom, under bed access for beauty sleep at sunrise. When I put her small bed and pillow together she was there. Big bed, took a bit of time but she wanted it in the living room.
Where did she end up after all this spider infestation and washing nonsense? The few yards of carpet on the living room floor. Even with the sofa and two clean beds right near me (herder = close) she chose the area rug. At least for now we have a new grill, a friend who wants our old grill, a great husband and dog, and spider-free dog beds and balcony.
It’s Zoe’s three-minute rule. Mommy takes me out and gives me food and water. If she’s gone for at least three minutes I must take stakeout position to make sure she does not leave me. Believe me, I’ve done this for 12 years. Think about dog Doug in the movie “Up” you are my master, I love you. Cheers and good night, Dee
Cooking with Dee 