[Dailydrool] For my dear friend Elizabeth

[Donna Lindy]

My heart aches for you and Ken, missing your Charlie.  We have not been bassetless for over 34 years now and for most of that time have had 2, 3 or 4 bassets plus a sheltie  who spent so much time here she may as well have been ours, too.  Like your mom’s 
little mix, it’s not the same.  Shelties and bassets are a weird combination although I know there are others on this list that have had shelties and bassets, too. My time for being bassetless is coming, though. My Maggie who I said I would write about and then didn’t, is somewhere in that 14 year old age bracket.  She has issues, lots of issues. She had a minor procedure today to remove a growth from her chest that could be an adenoma or it could be cancer.  Time will tell. . . . 

I don’t know of a rescue that bans dogs other than bassets from their waddle or picnic.  My son brought Maggie the sheltie to a BHRG picnic years ago and my sister brought her mixed hound to a BHRG picnic the last time they had one. I’ve seen notabasset brothers and sisters at different picnics and waddles. So no worries, my friend.  Bring your four legged friend (unless he or she is a cat). Hopefully there will picnics and waddles at some point this year.  In doing Debbies Dawgs, I’ve found that most rescues at one time or another will end up with a beagle from somewhere.  Basset mixes are quite common in rescue these days as are coon hounds and bloodhounds - bassadors, bagles and other mixes are all welcome at Debbies Dawgs although I realize your hound-to-be wouldn’t have to worry about that sort of thing, I think the rules are more relaxed about what dog you bring to a rescue event as long as your dog is well and doesn’t attack other dogs. 

Speaking of basset picnics and waddles, you and Ken were one of the first basset people we met in person. It was at the BHRG Bash probably around 2004.  Then I ran into you again at my first Michigan Waddle at breakfast, probably 2005. 

Charlie will send you a hound to love; I know this to be true.  My Gracie I believe sent me Maggie and I know that Sunny sent me YaYa.  No way I could miss that one.  I agonized the whole night after I first saw her, worrying that I wouldn’t get the basset that I knew in my heart was supposed to be mine. But the next day, she came to live with us and won our hearts at first sight. She was a funny little girl, low to the ground with a stance like a football player and a scowl on her wrinkly basset face.  Her ears were a tad too wide at the bottom but her personality was big and funny.  She’s been gone since October 22nd and I still forget that my desk trash can can go on the floor now.  Her holes are still in the back yard and side yard and I doubt we’ll ever do anything about them.  

I am dreading the empty house but we have decided that we will take a break so we can make a couple of trips by car, assuming we will be able to travel, and then we will see how do without a hound. Even Bill who would rather not know how much the vet bills are, is not sure we can live without a hound of some kind. Size is an issue but there are smaller hounds out there if you are patient.  We have thought about being basset sitters where we could have a hound in our house for a few days while their owners took a trip.  We are considering fostering but we all know how that goes. But that might be just fine. Maggie is a foster failure like Charlie.  

Life with even one basset is not the same for us.  But Maggie likes being the only basset and we will not get another one while she is here.  She is just a great dog and I will write her about her soon. Our Maggie deserves to have everyone know what an amazing girl she is. I have been a slack mom person for sure.

Sending wishes for the right hound to come along!  You will know in your heart . . .

Donna, drool fueler for just Maggie these days